# How to turn customer interviews into first pipeline without bait-and-switch. - working worksheet

Reviewed alongside the Eli guide: https://hireeli.io/resources/customer-interviews-to-first-pipeline

## Decision to make

Use discovery conversations to learn while preserving trust

Owner: ____________________
Review date: ____________________
Canonical page or destination: ____________________

## Buyer questions

- [ ] How to turn customer interviews into first pipeline without bait-and-switch?
- [ ] What should a B2B startup do first to use discovery conversations to learn while preserving trust?
- [ ] Which evidence shows that use discovery conversations to learn while preserving trust is working?
- [ ] What is the most common mistake when teams try to use discovery conversations to learn while preserving trust?

## Evidence-led work plan

### 1. Why this decision appears: calling a sales demo a research interview damages trust

Calling a sales demo a research interview damages trust, while purely academic interviews can avoid the commercial question forever.

Evidence or artifact: ____________________
Status: [ ] not started  [ ] working  [ ] verified  [ ] blocked

### 2. State the purpose honestly, learn the current workflow and impact, then ask permission to discuss a solution only when relevant

State the purpose honestly, learn the current workflow and impact, then ask permission to discuss a solution only when relevant.

Evidence or artifact: ____________________
Status: [ ] not started  [ ] working  [ ] verified  [ ] blocked

### 3. Recruit against a problem hypothesis, then ask for recent behavior, not opinions

Recruit against a problem hypothesis.

Evidence or artifact: ____________________
Status: [ ] not started  [ ] working  [ ] verified  [ ] blocked

### 4. Measure measure completed interviews

Measure completed interviews, problem confirmation, qualified follow-ups and paid experiments.

Evidence or artifact: ____________________
Status: [ ] not started  [ ] working  [ ] verified  [ ] blocked

### 5. Do not cross this boundary: do not hide commercial intent or force a pitch when the evidence shows weak fit

Do not hide commercial intent or force a pitch when the evidence shows weak fit.

Evidence or artifact: ____________________
Status: [ ] not started  [ ] working  [ ] verified  [ ] blocked

## Source ledger

- [ ] HubSpot: ways to find and keep a first customer: https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/first-customer
- [ ] Google Search Central: people-first content guidance: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content
- [ ] Google Search Central: optimizing for generative AI features: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/ai-optimization-guide
- [ ] Eli AI Visibility Index methodology: https://hireeli.io/ai-visibility-index/methodology

## Measurement boundary

Baseline date and exact context: ____________________
7-day observation: ____________________
14-day observation: ____________________
30-day observation: ____________________
Known limitations: ____________________

Keep technical eligibility, citations, recommendations, visits, leads and revenue as separate evidence. This worksheet does not guarantee an external ranking or commercial result.