Sterling Terrell

smart ideas from books

Business Assumptions

Business Assumptions

Business assumptions can be a broad issue, but specifically, assuming too much can stand in the way of empathizing with our customers.

I mean, if we can not stand in their shoes, how can we lead them down the proper path?

The website for your lawn company has 400 words on every variety of grass, and 1,200 words on how your dad started the company while in college, but is it so obvious that you want visitors to sign up for one of your yard-care plans? Maybe not.

The more stupid simple, stupid obvious, and stupid easy the better.

The grunt test is probably a good place to start.

In fact, maybe I should be more clear that the main thing I want is for a visitor to sign up for my newsletter.

I’ll need to think on this…

One of the biggest hindrances to business success is that we think customers can read our minds. It’s obvious to us that we want them to place an order (why else would we be talking to them about our products?), so we assume it’s obvious to them too. It isn’t.

-Donald Miller, Building A StoryBrand

Inferior Product

Inferior Product

Inferior products can still beat that better product that you have.

Unfortunately, it’s true.

Just keep on being confusing. Keep on not having clarity and see what happens.

I mean, you can drone on for ten minutes about how great you are, or you can show a pain point, and follow it with how you can solve that difficulty for your custome.

X is hard. We help people solve X.

Or, sometimes you can use an identity:

Y kind of people use this. Be a Y kind of person.

This always reminds me of why I prefer Apple over Android.

It has nothing to do with function – and everything to do with simplicity.

Clarity of product, and clarity of message, can overcome many product deficiencies.

The reality is we aren’t just in a race to get our products to market; we’re also in a race to communicate why our customers need those products in their lives. Even if we have the best product in the marketplace, we’ll lose to an inferior product if our competitor’s offer is communicated more clearly.

-Donald Miller, Building A StoryBrand