Target Practice

Sig Rinde's post "Target Practice" and the subsequent addition on the same theme by Dennis Howlett this morning really hit chord for me. Sig writes "Target means push is afoot. Push is yesterday, thank you very much.". Spot on, as recent experience here has taught.

Back in Nov. 05 we launched a new product. A variation on an everyday item. You will find one in most homes in the western world. Our version was cutting edge, latest technology. Performance all the way but with a dash of beautiful design.

Sales were poor. A fair percentage were returned to us.

"We don't like it" People said or, "Its a bit odd".

"Yes" We said "We know, but the technology! the performance! the beautiful design!"

"Sorry" came the reply "we like the beautiful design but not the technology. Can't we have the old fashioned format but with the beautiful design?".

Our retail customers were similarly unconvinced. We put this down to the second of Seth Godin's "reasons people say no to your ideas" and kept on pushing, mistakenly encouraged by the fact that one of our multinational competitors liked it so much that they copied it. The only difference with their version is that it lacked the beautiful design and it doesn't sell in seven countries rather than just the one.

The epiphany came in a meeting with my second largest customer in December.

"People keep asking for the beautiful design in a traditional format" I sighed.

"I think that would be absolutely brilliant!" she replied.

I stopped. I listened. I thought.

It was Wednesday. When she returned to the office the following Monday a traditional format prototype was waiting on her desk. It is now April 5th and two days ago we shipped the first order.

It was larger than the total sales since Nov 05 of the technology version.

The power of pull.