BIG strategy in a small story
Terry served coffee to early-morning commuters from the back of his van outside the local railway station.
Terry was a character.
He often didn’t remember your name, but he always remembered what you drank.
For years, he served coffee from seven in the morning every weekday, rain or shine.
And he only took cash.
One day, someone asked if he thought he’d sell more coffee if he took card payments.
He said he’d already asked everyone, and the answer he got was no.
Asked who ‘everyone’ was, Terry said his queue of buyers.
People who were already paying cash.
It was suggested he ask the people who were walking past his van, not buying.
He did precisely that, and a week later, Terry was the proud owner of a card reader and a longer queue.
Because, as it turns out, Terry had been looking in the wrong place. The ‘walk on by’ crowd didn’t carry cash but would have happily paid by card.
The lesson?
Ask people who walk by if you want the truth about your products and services.
Someone who buys from your competitor.
Someone who’s looked at buying from you but then does nothing.
That’s where you’ll find the truth.
We often ask consumers what they like about our product or service.
And we feel good.
But how many are walking by? Why?
Don’t forget to look in the other places for the best answers - the people who aren’t your customers and walk on from you. Or your devoted customers who evangelise your product or service. Or your ex-customers who left you.
When you find the answers, you can solve their problems, bottle them, slather them onto your experience design, and grow.
Credit for part of the story: Peter Whent