Did you ask?

Did you ask?A recent conversation focused on a group that was trying to expand its membership base. It was fairly narrowly focused, and the goal was to target a specific demographic. Target after target was declining the opportunity to join. And the members were not sure why. Was there truly a desire to expand? For some yes, but for others, no – they were happy with the current composition. Likely, this was conveyed when guests/target members attended.

The bigger issue was nothing changed to welcome the target demographic. Individuals were invited to attend events that were unintentionally designed to turn them off. No-one had ever asked the target individuals about their interests. And there was no intention to do so.

Whether growing in a new market, or in an existing market, understanding what is valued is critical to gaining traction. Simply asking what is valued goes a long way to delivering a product or service that is valued by the market. How do you gain insight into what key constituents value?

Posted in Customers, Leadership.