Interested in the ongoing collapse of BlackBerry, I was reading an investigative report in The Globe and Mail when I was struck by a comment made by a company insider.
‘We believed we knew better what customers needed than they did.”
Seriously? Haven’t we seen this movie before? Successful company succumbs to arrogance and ignorance, and believes it can now think for the customer. Why is it we cannot seem to learn this lesson? Customers will do what customers will do regardless of how well you know them.
Once you believe you know how your customers will think you get lazy. After all, why ask or listen to them when you already know? The problem is you don’t know. You only think you know.
Be a scientist. Have theories about how your customers will think, then test them. Which allows you to critique and revise them. And it lets the customer think for themselves.
Your thoughts?
Michael
