How Do You Build a Customer Base? Follow These Steps. It starts by asking questions. And ends by asking more questions.

Q: I just launched a company, but I'm struggling to connect with my first customers. Help! -- Lisa, Oklahoma City

Before I started my businesses, I was a journalist. And rule number one when writing is this: Know your audience.

Many factors will determine how good a story is. Some variables are beyond your control, such as how forthcoming your subject will be, or what (maybe dumb) headline your editor will write. But the factor you can control is how much research you conduct, the questions you ask, and the follow-ups that help you find the information that really matters.