It’s Not Enough To Launch a New Product. You Need To Consider the Bigger Picture.
Innovation can change industries and systems, but real innovation causesa change in how people behave. Consider technologies like Slack, iPhones, or even the Cloud. For these large innovations and the organizations that adopt them, there is a dramatic shift in how time is spent, how communication happens, how team members relate to one another, and, significant changes in productivity.
We might believe this is because they are revolutionary, but it’s actually because these new products weren’t sold because of what they were, but what they impacted. For example, Slack doesn’t sell a software product and its features, as people aren’t looking to buy software or purchase a group chat system. There are other alternatives out there like email and phones.
People buy software to address a need they already know they have or perform some specific task they need to perform. In effect, solve a problem. These problems, such as “reducing the cost of communication”, “simple knowledge management”, or “75% less email” or some other valuable resultof adopting technology, you’ll find many more buyers. But you still need to think bigger, as all of these features get lost in communication.
In this case, you’re selling organizational transformation. The software just happens to be the product you’re building, delivering a reduction in information overload, relief from stress, and a new ability to extract enormous value from antiquated corporate archives. You’re selling better-operating organizations, and that’s a much more impactful thing to sell.
To see why, consider a hypothetical saddle company. They could just sell saddles, and if so, they’d probably be selling things like the quality of craftsmanship, the durability of the saddles, the quality of the leather they use, or the fancy saddle features. They likely could sell a range of styles and sizes, or they could sell on price.
Or, they could sell horseback riding. Why? Being successful at selling horseback riding means they grow the market for their product while giving the perfect context for talking about their saddles. It positions them as the leader and enables different kinds of marketing and promotion opportunities (e.g., sponsoring school programs to promote riding to children or working on land conservation, or trail maps). It lets them think big, act big, and potentially be big. There are some great companies that do this already — think Patagonia.
Are you simply launching products, or are you considering the bigger picture and the context in which your product operates? Instead of working through laundry lists of features, think about the big picture. Examine how you can do more than just schlep the same features your competitors are. That’s a zero-sum game. When you look at the bigger picture, the opportunity to gain much more than revenue — you can own a position.
About the Author
Andrea’s 25-year, field-tested background provides practical, behavioral science approaches to creating differentiated, human-focused organizations. A 4x ADDY award-winner, TEDx presenter, and 3x book author, she began her career at a tech start-up and led the strategic sales, marketing, and customer engagement efforts at two global industrial manufacturers. She now leads a change agency dedicated to helping organizations differentiate their brands using behavioral science.
In addition to writing and consulting, Andrea speaks to leaders and industry organizations around the world. Connect with Andrea to access information on her book, keynoting, research, or consulting. More information is also available at www.pragmadik.com or www.andreabelkolson.com.
Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.
