When customers refuse to understand us
You see something bad, you see how to make it good, but the others don’t see it. What do you do?
Let’s say you’ve found a better way to schedule meetings. Or you’ve found a more sustainable way to produce something and save at least 10% of the energy. But customers don’t buy it.
It’s a common problem for people who care deeply for their cause. It can be hugely frustrating when the customers refuse to see it although you’ve explained it to them very clearly. They still refuse to change anything. They keep doing what they always do.
The worst part is when this observation becomes kind of a comfort zone, a place to hide at.
I’ve seen it happen more than once. After all, it’s not your fault. It’s their fault. Despite your clear explanation, the customers still refuse to see or acknowledge it. You would change the world, if only the others opened their eyes.
The bitter truth is that they don’t have to. It’s not their job. Which means that it’s not their fault.
So, let’s move out of the comfort zone and ask more meaningful questions:
- What’s wrong with them that they refuse to see it?
- What do they really want? Is there a way to bridge the gap?
- What are they really seeing when we explain it to them?
- Is there a way to use language that’s even closer to their everyday?
- Can we make them see – even better: feel – what the future looks like with our product?
What will you open our eyes for?
