For a fish, water is so obvious that it probably doesn’t even reflect on its existence.
In the same way, it can be in our own lives and in our businesses. We can become so accustomed to our own patterns of thinking that we don’t even think about the different perspectives of customers on what we offer them.
The challenge is to really understand the customers, and their often nuanced underlying needs and driving forces to determine what this is.
The problem is that we too rarely reach beyond the obvious.
Here are some examples:
Why do people sort their waste?
The obvious answer is that you want to reduce your environmental impact.
But sometimes it may not have to do with them wanting to save the world, but rather that they don’t want the neighbors to look askance at them when they throw all their garbage in the same trash can.
Or why do we brush our teeth?
The obvious answer is because you don’t want to get cavities.
But hand on heart, if for some reason you have forgotten to brush your teeth in the morning, is it really cavities you are most worried about then?
Or are you primarily worried about what your colleagues at work will think of you if you have bad breath?
My point is that what is initially perceived as obvious is not as obvious when you think about it.
Here you can read about how to be inspiring in your sales pitch.
