By Stacey Weber
I think I can finally say that it is Spring in Wisconsin. It’s been a few weeks since we saw any snow, and the grass is getting greener every day. I’ve seen many of my favorite birds return (snowbirds that they are), including Sandhill Cranes, Baltimore Orioles, Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks. The vultures are back too, and they’re important….but not really on my “favorites” list. I even saw my first Hummingbird at the feeder this morning, so now it feels safe to say that Mother Nature is not kidding – it’s actually Spring.
Everything suddenly looks different. The grass quickly became shaggy, a green that doesn’t even seem possible. The Oaks have small buds, the Lilacs are leafing out, some of the Maples already have leaves, and the pine trees are growing baby pinecones. One of my favorite parts of living in a place where the winters are cold is this time of year – when everything comes back, and the world turns from white to brown to green. Renewal.
The change in environment sparks something elementally creative, and I always feel grateful to be surrounded by the forest, reminding me to keep my viewpoint fresh.
What are you doing to keep your market views fresh? If something significantly changes, you’re forced to see things differently – but what if there is no Spring in your market?
Here are three ideas for keeping your market data and perspective fresh.
- Visit a company you’ve never been to in your market. This could be a customer (someone who owns your product) or a potential (someone in your market who doesn’t own a product yet, but seems like they should). The point is to go and see someone you’ve never met. If you’re going to a customer, look for one you’ve never spoken to before – one of the ‘silent 80%’ of your market. To keep your perspective fresh, go and see a company that is unfamiliar to you.
- Interview a less familiar persona. Perhaps you sell software to businesses. The VP of Marketing is the lead buyer, but he takes input from a cross-functional panel. Perhaps you go see one of them – the IT person who will have to implement the solution, or the Finance person who will need to sign off on the purchase. Or, maybe you work a lot with buyers – but you haven’t seen a typical user in a while. If that’s the case, go and see a user! Listening to the story of someone new will help spark creativity while keeping your market facts fresh.
- Explore a new industry. This might be an adjacent segment – companies who share the problems your target segment is solving with your solution – or, it might be an entirely new market. Maybe you have a crazy idea that your product might apply in a different space. Go check it out! Go visit some people or attend a conference. Seeing people and companies that are new and different will spark new conversations, ideas, and perspectives.
Spring is a great time to consider how you keep yourself fresh, in terms of market data and analysis. Understanding people’s stories can transform your market perspective, your product, and perhaps even your company.
At Ci2 Advisors, we help Product Management and Product Marketing professionals gain the skills they need to have better relationships and more impactful communication. One of the skills we teach is Transformational Listening – the fundamental skill we all need to understand the market, allowing us to make profitable decisions. Check out our workshop (virtual – 8 hours over 3 sessions), at www.ci2advisors.com/workshop .
