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The path to business success is often laden with unexpected twists and turns. An aspiring entrepreneur may invest time, energy and resources into developing what they believe is a game-changing startup idea, only to have it turned inside-out and upside-down by a focus group. Naturally, the experience will leave them feeling frustrated and disheartened.
At a moment like this, an experienced coach can provide much-needed clarity and encouragement. Below, 17 Forbes Coaches Council members share ways to help an entrepreneur navigate the challenges of absorbing unwelcome feedback and decide on the best way to move forward.
1. Help Prepare Them Before The Focus Group
In a situation such as this, make sure your client is going in with a mindset to learn and grow. All too often, we are not prepared to be curious about comments and view them as judgments. Before the focus group, ensure you assist the entrepreneur to know how to approach the situation so that anything that is identified can be viewed as objective information and used as fuel to move the startup forward. - Bryan Powell, Executive Coaching Space
2. Identify The Constructive Feedback
It can be tough to have your ideas challenged, but it’s also a chance for innovation and growth. Together, we would dissect the feedback from the focus group, separating constructive insights from mere opinions. We’ll craft a revised plan that addresses the concerns raised and propels the startup toward a more resilient and targeted path to success. - Jevon Wooden, BrightMind Consulting Group
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3. Switch Gears To Focus On Learning
As Mike Tyson once said, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” In this case, the customers threw the punch. Many entrepreneurs want to fight, but you should steer them toward learning. Ask, “Which assumptions did you make that weren’t true? Which assumptions did you not even think to make?” Take a broad view and consider what is still true, what was wrong and what still needs more curiosity. - Jamie Flinchbaugh, JFlinch
4. Encourage Them To Trust Their Gut
I would encourage my client to take the feedback as a blessing, but still follow their gut. The best products take, on average, three major pivots before they find their unique niche and start scaling. In the early stages, running a startup is more of an art than a science, so going against the grain can be expected and necessary. - Alina Trigubenko, Profi
5. Remind Them That Even The Best Ideas Get Pushback
If my client was adamant that their startup idea was still viable, I’d remind them of the time Sony was foraying into console gaming with its new PlayStation. At the time, focus groups derided the idea, as they did not think that Sony would be able to compete with Sega and Nintendo. The lesson? Not everyone will believe in your idea, but take on the feedback and come back stronger! - Dr. Rakish Rana, The Clear Coach
6. Encourage Them To Seek Additional Insight
All feedback is helpful, but that doesn’t make it right. I’d encourage them to seek as many sources of insight as possible to gain a well-rounded perspective. Perhaps some time and distance will enable them to better evaluate the feedback—the focus group may have done them a huge favor by highlighting potential weaknesses. They can objectively decide to close the gap, move on to something else or ignore the focus group and move forward. - Ricky Muddimer, Thinking Focus
7. Determine Whether A Full Pivot Or Just Minor Adjustments Are Needed
When facing critical feedback, it’s crucial to dissect it objectively, separating emotion from constructive points. Reassess the problem the startup aims to address and determine whether a full pivot or just minor adjustments are needed. Multiple perspectives can provide broader insights. An entrepreneur should be resilient yet adaptable, iterating based on feedback and setting a clear action plan. - Lara Augusta, Embracing Potentiality
8. Identify The Top Priority
I’d coach them to take the next single step. Focus groups can be helpful, but they can also cause confusion. Many times, you can’t fix multiple problems, but you can fix one problem. I’d encourage my client to decide what the top priority is and then begin to work on fixing it. - Ken Gosnell, CEO Experience
9. Remind Them Who Runs Their Company
My message would be as follows: Focus groups are often wrong. Remember New Coke? Take the feedback and use it where it makes sense. But, at the end of the day, focus group members won’t be running your company—you will. If you believe in the idea, then a poor focus group review shouldn’t matter. But if a focus group can shake your confidence, entrepreneurship might not be for you. - Randy Shattuck, The Shattuck Group
10. Present The Experience As A Growth Opportunity
It’s disheartening when a focus group challenges a startup idea. I’d encourage the entrepreneur to embrace this setback as an opportunity for growth. The client should reflect on the feedback, identify patterns and assess if making adjustments aligns with their vision. They should also seek mentorship, adapt their strategy and persevere. Success is born from resilience. - Jonathan H. Westover, Ph.D, Human Capital Innovations, LLC
11. Ask Short, Open-Ended Questions
Start with acknowledging and normalizing the client’s response. Then, ask short, open-ended questions to move them forward, such as, “Of all the things you heard, what stands out for you? What worries you? What’s needed now? What stands in your way?” and, “What’s one thing you could do right now to address it?” - Kathleen Shanley, Statice
12. Help Them Analyze The Feedback To Develop An MVP
I’d encourage them to embrace the experience as a valuable step toward refining their startup idea. Help them analyze the feedback by categorizing it into actionable insights and subjective opinions. They can then identify areas that align with the core vision and develop a minimum viable product to validate the refined idea based on real-world feedback. Innovation requires adaptation, and this refinement process can lead to a stronger product or service. - Anna Barnhill, Barnhill Group Consulting, Inc
13. Work To Close The Gap Between Intention And Perception
A focus group provides an amazing opportunity to hear other people’s thoughts and perceptions. I would coach my client to double down on the good, identify the gaps between intention and perception, and work on strategies and tactics to more closely align the two. - Michele Cohen, Lead to Growth Coaching
14. Utilize Design Thinking
Design thinking can help a client transform the setback of having their startup idea turned upside-down into an opportunity to create a solution that truly resonates with their target audience. Empathizing, defining, ideating, creating a prototype, testing, iterating, implementing, creating a feedback loop and staying open-minded are the milestones. This method is always the best way to move forward against all odds. - Dominik Szot, MIA
15. Get Past The Emotional State
First, ask the client what they are feeling and why. If they can’t get past the emotional state, they won’t be able to get to a rational state, which is where the learning opportunity is. Once we discover the root cause of their triggers and upset, we can delve into what’s fact and what’s fiction and the opportunities to improve their idea and enhance their original design. - Joshua Miller, Joshua Miller Executive Coaching
16. Reframe The Feedback As Clarification Of The Problem
Early-phase entrepreneurship is about agility and pivoting. Reframe the focus group feedback as market validation—a clarification of the problem to be solved. The model of triple loop learning is informative here. What will you do differently? How can you think about this differently? How might you behave differently about this situation? Remind yourself of your purpose, and iterate. - Duncan Skelton, Duncan Skelton Coaching Ltd.
17. Help Them Remember It’s Not About Them, But The Idea
Start with helping them to remember that this isn’t about them—it’s about the idea. An entrepreneur gets very personally attached to their idea—it becomes their “baby,” and no one wants to be told that their baby is ugly. My job is to help the entrepreneur step back and examine the focus group comments objectively, not subjectively. - John Knotts, Crosscutter Enterprise
