More rounded

September 13, 2021 FabrizioLeave a comment

We think of most things as linear experiences.

That’s certainly true in business. The funnel is linear. The go-to-market process is linear. The sales pipeline is linear. The launch of a new product or service is linear. The very same metaphors we use to describe those things (funnel, pipeline, launch) are linear.

And yet, success requires that you circle back and iterate with the new information you have acquired. That you adjust the trajectory continuously with the help of what you are learning as you go.

It turns out that to be succesful in what matters we need to apply more rounded thinking.

Aggregate

September 7, 2021 FabrizioLeave a comment

Who owns customer research? is a misleading question.

A better one is: Who can aggregate customer research and plan actions?

Research does not end with someone sitting down with a customer and asking a bunch of questions. Research is about putting the pieces together, identifying patterns, anticipating trends, sharing the knowledge and the insights, and eventually enabling everyone interested to access all this at their own convenience.

If you do not have someone responsible to aggregate customer research, you are not doing customer research at all.

The price you want

August 24, 2021 FabrizioLeave a comment

You have a good product, some customers, and then you start losing opportunities because they say you are too expensive.

Two options.

You cut the prices (discounts, special offers, etc. fall into this same category). It’s a risky game, of course everybody else can follow you there.

You work on perceived value. And you can go about it like this.

Express value – Many times features are disguised as value, often mere functional value, so you need to start digging what the customer really wants.
Reframe value – It might be that the problem you are solving is not worth the price you are asking, so you need to figure out if there is a deeper feeling, ambition, desire that you can leverage.
Work on brand – Your story, your tone, your appeal can make your product desirable and unlock a fear of being left out.

Cutting prices is short-term (and short-viewed), working on perceived value takes resources and time.

The sooner you start working on 1, 2, and 3, in parallel, the better positioned you will be to ask the price you want.