What Does It Add?
…to the product, event or service…
In any type of design or planning, there is – inevitably – BIG discussions about seemingly small details. And, sometimes those details can be deal killers (Oops, forgot to put a hold button on the phone…had that discussion when I was working in NEC product development. The engineering group just could.not.grok why “the Americans” would want a hold button on a two-line phone.).
I’ve sat in meetings where poobahs screamed over one number difference in pantone colors (shades of orange, big fella – - it’s ORANGE.) I’ve worked with clients who obsessed over rather to ship a product in a standard cardboard box…or a custom designed “Wowsa! Big Dogs!” box. I’ve served on boards where we spent more time talking about the monthly dinner menu than we did how to help our members grow their business. Sweated blood over a CEO ego piece re “innovative solutions” that ended up overflowing the trade show trash bins…Lots of time. Mondo frustration. Our target customers or audience couldn’t have cared less – if they ever even noticed.
So, before you suck up any more time, throw down any more money, or drive yourself and everyone around you nuts – ask yourself, what does “it” add? Will it help me provide better service? Attract more business? Sell more? Will my customers/members/clients even care? That little sanity check has saved me from some really big mistakes.
P.S. Remember those cool Gateway spotted cow boxes? Hmmm…
Tags: marketing, marketing troubleshooting, product development, productivity, entrepreneur sanity check
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It always helps to have usage scenarios. Then the decisions become a lot easier “Explain how your concern / idea impacts the usage scenario.” That way you really don’t have to say their idea is out in the weeds.
Ah, there you go again. Making sense.
…And then the CEO says, “Because I want to.”