Customers play a key role in product development, especially when using the agile management methodology. When you're building prototypes, their opinions help you refine and iterate. And it shouldn’t end there. If you only ask for feedback at the start of development — and you never ask again — you could be missing out on important data.

"Agile encourages the customer to be part of the process at every stage. This can be intimidating to deal with, especially if you’re afraid to show the customer how the sausage gets made. But allowing the customer to be part of both your successes and failures along the way makes for a better product," Lauren Pope writes at business software and services review platform G2.

We break down an agile project step by step and look at how to obtain and include critical customer feedback at each instance.

Concept: Customers Validate Ideas

Agile projects begin with concepts, and typically, they're hashed out in meetings. Your conversations in these meetings are important, as they generate ideas about the problems your product will solve and how your product will help, says startup consultant Aggelos Mouzakitis. Obviously, your customers play a crucial role.

At this stage, you won't have a product to wave in front of a customer. You won't even have a prototype. But you have ideas, and sharing them with potential customers can be critical.

Marketer Neil Patel explains that feedback can originate from a conversation. You define your concept, and watch for a glimmer of excitement or understanding. If that doesn't happen, your idea may not be a good one. "If your customer doesn’t understand the idea, it doesn’t matter how brilliant it is. It’s going to flop," he writes.

Consider small, in-person focus groups during this stage. Gather potential customers and talk with them about your plans. Listen to their ideas. Use that feedback as you move to the next stage.

Inception: Customers Guide the Kickoff

It's tempting to move from brainstorming to development. The sooner you build, the quicker you'll have a product to show your potential customers. But the inception phase is critical to agile projects.

Inception meetings help to align stakeholders, writes agile business analyst Reeya Patel. After a meeting, everyone knows what you're building and how. "But most importantly, it will question whether taking the project forward is the right thing to do for the business and...customers," she writes.

Companies tackle this phase in different ways, but most use buyer personas to guide the conversation. These narratives help you understand the wants, needs and motivations of ideal users. You could write them blindly, but customer research can help you ensure they're appropriate and helpful.

"When used correctly, surveys can be valuable tools for uncovering buyer personas," according to SurveyMonkey. They recommend asking potential customers 8 to 10 questions, including about how they might use your product. Ask about your users wants and needs, in order that you can segment personas appropriately. Analyze responses closely for those that suggest your idea isn't worth building on. If responses don't include excitement or interest, it might be time to head back to the drawing board.

Development: Customers Guide the Build

With ideas validated and buyer personas created, it's time to start building. Henry Helgeson, founder and CEO of payment company Cayan, says few projects are perfect in the first iteration. Most teams need to adjust their products as the build progresses, and the best way to make a spot correction is by testing a product with real consumers.

"There are oh so many ways you can do this, BUT the general gist of it is you need to create a simple or paired back version, or even a pre-sale option, for your product," writes entrepreneur Kate McKibbin.

Can you shear off a small piece of your product for customers to test? Could you develop a prototype of one part of a new product idea? Think of ways to create a taste of your product. Don't be afraid if it seems small or incomplete. In some cases, that's ideal.

"We have found that people are more likely to give feedback on something that doesn't look too finished. If it looks like a lot of time has been spent on it, people tend to feel less free to criticize it," says the team at The Imagination Factory.

Ask for feedback from your testers, and request specifics. What did they like? How would they use the product? What would make it better? Answers to those questions can guide the build, and the final product might look quite a bit different than your original concept.

Admittedly, this advice is easier to follow when you're building a virtual product (like software) rather than a physical product (like a car engine). But even in those situations, there are workarounds that offer user feedback opportunities.

"Demonstrating function takes longer for hardware. Code can be rapidly written and compiled. Designing and building hardware take more time. Additive manufacturing (aka, rapid prototyping or 3D printing), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and computer modeling are reducing the time needed to manufacture functional hardware," writes product design consultant David Ullman, Ph.D. at Machine Design.

Release: Customers Assist Testing and QA

At this stage in your agile project, you have a minimum viable product ready for widespread use. But your work isn't done. Feedback at this stage helps you build on your idea so you can iterate with a bigger, better version.

Quick feedback is critical, as it guides every step your team takes. Lags are common, but not inevitable.

"The most impactful way to shorten the customer feedback loop is to interact with a large population of opted-in, highly engaged users. Well profiled, carefully segmented users who choose to participate because they recognize that their feedback can measurably improve the products they use," writes the team at customer insights platform Vision Critical.

Monitor response rates, and reward those customers that respond promptly with a warm thank you or note of appreciation. If you spot testers that seem unengaged or disinterested, don't be afraid to replace them.

Production: Customers Refine Your Ideas

After a few sprints of innovation and creativity, your product has been polished. But agile teams keep working. The feedback customers give you at this stage can help you improve the next release.

Software companies have an inherent advantage in grabbing customer feedback. Often, the tools are baked right into the product.

"Product usage metrics are a great way of discovering customer feedback. Look for patterns in software analytics—they’ll help you gain an understanding of how different features are being used," writes Aazar Ali Shad, head of growth at Userpilot.

Data analysis helps you understand what customers are doing with your product right now, but it doesn’t tell you what customers wish they could do and can't. Data also doesn't uncover motivations. Direct feedback can help you gather this important information, and it's relatively easy to obtain. Some companies build feedback tools into their websites or product portals.

For example, Chris Chumley, chief operating officer at CampusLogic, says his company crafted a widget within the product for customer feedback. "During onboarding, we teach customers how to use our support portal to submit feature requests or bugs. These get routed directly to the product team. We’re on a continuous delivery model, so our product team triages this feedback weekly," he explains.

If your product doesn't allow for this type of feedback, you have options. You can reach out to customers directly and ask for their feedback. Time those queries carefully.

"After someone buys a product or signs up for your service, give them time to receive and use their purchase before you send a feedback email. We suggest waiting at least one week before you ask consumers about their experience," writes OptinMonster cofounder Syed Balkhi.

Retirement: Customers Point You in a New Direction

All products have a life cycle and sometimes outlive their usefulness. Customer feedback can help you spot the tipping point when it's time to stop improving and shift to product development instead.

Finding that sweet spot means knowing your customers well. That could mean holding in-person conversations. There's no substitute for this, writes Amanda Warren Lansman, human resources manager at Rakuten Intelligence. As you ask questions, you'll also have an opportunity to watch your customers in real time. Hold your talks in your customer's office, and you'll also have the chance to observe their environments and interactions with others.

Other people on your staff may hold conversations like this all the time. Encourage them to share what they know so you get the data you need without scheduling customer interviews.

Consider your customer service staff too. They speak with clients often, and may know just what buyers like and dislike. They may also be empowered to help customers — while improving your product — but that can take some organizational overhaul.

"Since contact centers have traditionally been highly structured, with a command-and-control management approach, moving agents from a purely executional stance to a more engaged, problem-solving mindset is critical. In an agile contact center, everyone needs to work together and support one another," Raelyn Jacobson, Sören Jautelat, Julian Raabe and Lucas Wienke write for McKinsey and Company.

Even if your customer service reps never join your agile team, they can work as a feedback funnel. Check in with them as you deliberate the future of your product and your company.

How to Include Your Customers in Every Step of Project Development