Customers buy solutions

Customers buy products that solve problems. I know that sounds obvious, but I am continually amazed by what passes for 'planning' or 'strategic planning' in some companies or by some staff members at companies.

Too often, we fail to focus on what customers want and we instead focus on what we know how to do or worse what we can do with the technology that we already have in place. I understand from where these ideas come, but I don't understand why often those idea are acted upon. The only explaination I can come up with is that staff may not take the time to really consider what they are undertaking because if they did, they would see the absurity of some actions or lack of actions.

Consider it your duty to engage the process or the idea that is 'in play' and give it the brain power it needs - otherwise your customers will soon be someone else's.