Yes you. And I don’t mean hiring a research house to do a focus group for you. I’m talking about listening yourself. So if you sell a hair product do you go sit in the salon and see it used and hear the exchange between stylist and the person in the chair? Or if you sell a food product do you ever go into your customers’ kitchens to see how they use it?
Do you take public transport or a maxi just to tap into the conversation on the ground? The corporate world with all its levels and forms to fill out, could trap you and limit you. If you want to give yourself a competitive edge, get out from behind that laptop and go where the real action is. Go to the market. I mean the place that sells tomatoes, yams and fresh fish. Sit in a bar. Roam the isles of your supermarket and talk to people about why they buy what they buy.
Stop inhaling your own fumes. There is a lot of fresh air out there. Give your brand some oxygen.
