✔️ Validation Script
Purpose
To turn an unpredictable call into a simple, data-driven experiment that validates your business's financial viability in a week or two.
A Note on Design: I chose a private webpage with a dedicated link to serve as your Single Source of Truth (always the latest version) & a Distraction-Free space for focus (without app-based sidebars or notifications).
Mindset
Your job in these calls is not to take an order. It's to be a trusted diagnostician.
A waiter asks, "What do you want?" A doctor asks, "Where does it hurt?" Your goal is to deeply understand your customer's "pain" before you prescribe your solution.
Script
Every call will follow a simple 3-Act structure:
Act 1: Diagnose the Pain (40%)
TIP: Make all the questions below your own. The specific words or sequence is a guide. Every chat may require something a little different.
Topic | Question | Answer |
1 Activity | Thanks for taking a few minutes to chat! I'm in the early stages of exploring an idea. Since you regularly do [ACTIVITY], I’d really value your perspective on it. | ㅤ |
2 Challenge | Q: Briefly walk me through how you do it today. Q: What’s that one nagging challenge or puzzle where you’re actively looking for more help or a fresh perspective? Time Permitting Q: Anything else come to mind? Q: What have you done to try to fix that problem? Why didn’t they work out? | ㅤ |
3 Cost & Outcome | Q: Can you give me a rough idea of what not solving this costs you? (eg: expenses or cost of existing solutions/tools, revenue, value of lost time) Q: (Time Permitting) What bigger goal does it block you from achieving? Why is that goal important to you? | ㅤ |
Additional Guidance
- Q: Anything else come to mind? → Don’t get anchored onto the first thing they say. Go broad before going deeper. If they list a few things, ask them to name the single biggest one to dive into for the rest of the interview.
- Q: Rough idea of what not solving this costs you? → Understanding how much the problem costs them today helps you with pricing.
Act 2: Validate Your Idea (20%)
Topic | Question | Answer |
Present | Based on what I heard about [TOP CHALLENGE MENTIONED] I’ve been exploring a potential solution. [Share a short description of your solution and its pricing.] Q: Just to make sure we're on the same page, could you put that idea into your own words for me? | ㅤ |
Validate | So, on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is 'not at all interested' and 5 is 'that's a no-brainer, take my money,' how interested are you in this? | ㅤ |
Additional Guidance
- When you share the short description, consider sharing the copy and asking them to read it. By doing so, you start workshopping clear language for your future marketing efforts. However, if that feels too unnatural for you, just read it aloud.
Act 3: Workshop a Solution (40%)
Topic | Question | Answer |
Their score is less than a 5 | Thank you for the honesty Q: What would need to be true for this to be a 5 for you? Q: If we made [CHANGES], what would be your score? | ㅤ |
Their score is a 5 | Awesome! That's great to hear. Share [ASK] for my first few members. Q: Does that sound fair? [Go through follow ups in <5 score scenario, if they hesitate). | ㅤ |
Additional Guidance
- If they share a large laundry list of items, ask them to share what the top 1-2 items are and why those are the most important to them.
- If they’re a 5/5, get the deposit immediately (eg: Venmo).
Analysis
Do this immediately after the call while the details are fresh. Your goal is to translate what they SAID into what they MEANT. This will tell you what part of your value proposition is broken to fix.
After listing the top hesitation from the call, diagnose three common root causes:
Importance Gap
It’s difficult to command a financially-sustainable price if you solve minor challenges because people are not willing to invest time, attention, or money to solving it.
How to know
Common phrases: "It's just not the right time for me." "I'm too busy to think about this now." "Maybe check back in a few months."
Additional signals: They do not attempt to solve their challenges. Or consequences of not solving were insignificant or hard to articulate.
What to do
Target: Use my Buyer Niche and Market Category tools to pivot based on what you’ve learned and create faster hypotheses about underserved markets.
Value Gap
They don't believe the outcome is worth the cost. Or they don't see your solution as significantly better than their current alternatives in their market cateogry.
How to know
Price: "That seems a little pricey." "It's not in my budget right now." "I'm not sure if it's worth that much.”
Substitute: "I'm pretty happy with what I have now." "How is this different from [Competitor]?" "I don't really need [main differentiator]."
What to do
Value. Use my Differentiator Tool to identify ways to clarify your value and stand out against the competition.
Clarity Gap
They are confused about the offer, or don't fully trust you or your ability to deliver yet.
How to know
Hesitation: Despite the problem resonating, they share things like: "I need to think about it." "I'm not sure..."
Confusion: "I don’t understand [X].” “Explain [X] to me again.”
What to do
Core Message. Use my Value Proposition Tool to distill your core message or my Lead Offer Tool to authentically add urgency and scarcity or reduce risk.
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