There’s nothing wrong with asking former customers why they dropped your service. But this research can’t substitute for in-depth interaction with customers (and non-customers).
Discoveries Newsletter
Volume 16, #3, May 2018
How Comcast might have kept my business, and how you can learn to keep your customers
Volume 16, #2, April 2018
Stop guessing what customers are thinking
Often, we don’t have a clue what life is like for other people. That’s why relying on personal experience as a basis for creating and marketing products goes only so far. The only way we understand other people is by asking questions.
Volume 16, #1, February 2018
Look for expert help that assures lasting outcomes
The first step in a successful consulting relationship is hiring the right firm. Some of the characteristics that might seem helpful initially won’t serve you in the long run. So what should you look for?
Volume 15, #8, November 2017
How Intuit’s practices have helped it outlive competitors
Intuit has been exceptionally successful over the last several decades. But the exceptional thing about Intuit is that it doesn’t have to be exceptional. There’s no reason why your company can’t adopt the customer-related practices that have made Intuit a standout.
Volume 15, #7, October 2017
How informatics-enabled projects can take you out of the me-too product game
Optimizing the way you discover, generate, share, and store information can streamline project management and make your entire organization more competitive.
Volume 15, #6, August 2017
What product developers can learn from major league pitchers
Fall is a glorious time for baseball fans, with the regular season wrapping up in September and a month of post-season play in October. But every season is high-stakes season for product developers, who need to deliver consistently or risk disappointing customers and falling behind competitors. We offer some lessons that the product development world can take from baseball.
Volume 15, #5, July 2017
Take your strategy off the shelf and out into the world
The best strategy in the world won’t move your company forward if you don’t execute it.
Volume 15, #4, June 2017
Focus on four areas to build products with market pull
What if you made a product that customers wanted so desperately they were willing to pay almost anything to get it?
Volume 15, #3, April 2017
Five ways to generate excitement for new initiatives
Whether you’re selling a new video game or a new approach to product development, your challenge is to get the buyers to come to you already wanting the goods.
Volume 15, #2, March 2017
Three Ways to Change Your Conversation Around Innovation
Will your company be transformed right out of business, or will you bust out of the constraints of today and allow your team to envision the crazy ideas that will become the “of course” products of the future?