Great Idea, But Will It Work?
I have been a kind of “idea” person most of my life. When someone brings me a marketing or business problem I can generally work out the details of what needs to be done and why quickly. The challenge, when it comes to the final presentation, is belief…
Often the response from the audience is “Great idea, but will it work?” The answer truthfully, is “I don’t know.” No one really knows what people will buy until they know about it. Then, if the product solves a problem (social, business, personal), the demand sky rockets…
One excellent example of this supply and demand concept is cell phones. One of the strongest human needs is the desire to communicate with other people, to share ideas or just talk. This need has created cell phones and the companies to support them in every shape and form imaginable. I know of one person who sent over 9,000 text messages in one month to only two people: His fiance and his best friend. What could they have talked about 300 times a day…
Back to the point. A product or service has to solve a problem for someone. The stronger the perception of the solution, the greater the passion to make the idea into a viable business. No perception of value, no passion. No passion, no business, simple as that…
If the business solves a problem for the customer, the demand can be high and so can the price charged for the product. If the business solves a problem for the owner – as in making a comfortable living doing something they love – their passion can override many of the insecurities and fears they may have for marketing the business. If the perceived solution benefits the owner and the customer, which is the ideal, WOW!
Try this exercise: Ask a question that can only be answered with a yes or no. No shades of gray. Let’s say the product is advertising…
“Will this product solve a problem for the customer?” Yes, find a way to sell it. No, find something else to sell…
“Will selling advertising successfully solve a financial problem for me?” Yes, find a way to sell successfully. No, move on to something else…
Answering yes or no defines the perception of value for the product. Once you have a long series of yes answers, then design a product and marketing plan to make it a success…
In the end, though, do we ever know if it will work? No. We invest our time, energy and passion and see what happens…
© 2009 Moody Publishing Co.
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