I’ve been thinking – should I focus on what my company makes, or should I focus on what our potential customer needs?
I came across a story about a company that was making cutting tools for a piece of manufacturing equipment that was becoming obsolete. Eventually they lost their last customer. They had a decision to make – close the business or make something else. The team got together to decide that best course of action, and one team member asked a very important question. What do we do well?
Everyone agreed that they made sharp things well. Following that thread, they found a new market. Not customers running factories, but customers running kitchens. They discovered that chefs had a need for custom-made knives and since the company made sharp things very well, the business had new life – and new customers.
Sometimes the customer we are making products for have no burning need for them. That doesn’t mean we should abandon our company. Don’t think about the company in terms of its products, think of it in terms of its talents and skills.
Know what your customers want most and what your company does best. Focus on where those two meet – Kevin Stirtz
I think Kevin Stirtz is right.
What do you think?
Until tomorrow, GUNG Ho friends!