Innovate for your customer

As customers we expect to get good service and products at a price that gives value for money. Many of us have a tendency to just accept what is provided, even if it is mediocre.

What about your customer? Our customers, internal and external, may just be getting mediocre product and service from us. They accept it and keep coming back for more. Let me assure you that when they find a supplier who can give them a better product and service, you will lose their business.

We should carefully examine every product and service we provide and explore possibilities to add value. We need to tap into our innovative potential to improve products and services in ways that will amaze our customers.

We need to change our perspective and instead of looking at things from a production viewpoint we should view things from an end-user or buyer viewpoint. Perhaps, if we are brave, we could talk to our customer to find out what would amaze them.

Some of us may be thinking that, as profit margins are so low that we cannot afford to provide more. I disagree. The cost of the extras that we could add to differentiate us from competitors could be neglible. A follow-up phone call, a relevant quotation in the report, free advice, easy to follow instructions, cost very little.

• Take one of your products or services.
• Look at it from a customer perspective.
• Use your innovative talent to generate at least 25 ideas on how it could be improved.
• Generate another 10 ideas on how the way the product or service is delivered could be improved.
• Harvest the best ideas from the raw ideas list.
• Test the best ideas on one or two of your customers.
• Get the customers reaction and response to your “new” product or service.
• If the reaction is positive implement for all customers.
• If negative go back to start and try again.
• Meanwhile, use every opportunity to ask your customers for their ideas.

Make no mistake – this is what your competition is doing!