getFreshMinds.com | Creativity | Innovation | Ideas so fresh--they should be slapped!

Lessons from my mom and Dancing with the Stars

My mom, Jill Konrath of Selling to Big Companies, came to me yesterday with a request. 

She had just written an article for her newsletter on Sales Lessons from Dancing with the Stars--and she wanted me to blog about her amazing connection-making abilities.

Of course, I was delighted to oblige.  As I just wrote yesterday in Just Like Teaching Someone to Fish, creativity is all about making connections.

Besides, I had made a connection as well:

Not only do I have my mother to thank for a great upbringing, but she also helped pay for my college education, and has graciously allowed me to be her do-whatever-Jill-doesn't-want-to-do slave so I can earn some money while in grad school.

Plus, I'm dependent on her good will in the next couple months since I'll be living at home while looking for a real job.

So, obviously, I also thought it would be a GREAT idea to write about her brilliance!

According to my mom, here are some Sales Lessons that can be learned from Dancing with the Stars:

"You can't skip any steps."

Every dance has certain requirements that the judges expect to see. When the couples don't have enough turns or taps or whatever, they're docked points – which could ultimately lead to their eviction the following week.

Sellers who skip steps of the sales process in their attempts to get the business quickly, create obstacles that can delay or even derail their own sales efforts.

Customers have their own buying process to go through. They won't be rushed. The more sellers "push" towards closure, the more likely they'll blow it.

To win more sales, don't skip any steps.

Katie's note: Don't skip any steps in the creativity product/service development process either.  Like, for example, seeing if customers would actually be interested in your idea.  Not that anyone would ever forget to do that!

"The best option doesn't always win."

At the beginning of this season, actress Sabrina Bryan (Cheetah Girls) was clearly a formidable competitor. She danced beautifully and powerfully. Everyone was convinced she would be in the finals. But halfway through the competition, she was booted off the show because the viewers hadn't voted for her.

Sellers need to constantly be aware of anything that could negatively impact their sales efforts. If the right people in the company aren't advocating for your product or service, your ability to win the sale is at risk.

To stay in the game, make sure people are cheering for you.

Katie's note: It's not true that if you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door.  Let's face it, even the best new ideas  get a negative reaction at first.  Unless you can get the right people enthusiastic about your idea, it can easily fail.

"Lack of confidence doesn't sell."

Jennie Garth, actress of Beverly Hills: 90210 fame, came out week-after-week and did a yeoman's job. But she didn't believe she was a dancer and it showed. At times, it felt like she was counting steps or moving tentatively, afraid to really get into the role the dance needed from her. Instead, her niceness showed through – and it cost her.

Making a decision to change from the status quo is risky. Customers worry about what might go wrong or if they'll achieve the desired results. Sellers who are confident in their firm's capabilities often can provide the impetus to move ahead.

To initiate change, know the difference you can make.

Katie's note: If you don't know how your new idea does something new and remarkable, chances are that others won't know either.  Great ideas get attention and get people talking.  That's why we love them.

So, there are 3 of the 5 connections my mom made on her blog.  If you want to read the rest, go here.

You know what the best part about the Dancing with the Stars connections she made?

People loved it!  She's gotten more emails and comments about this one article that a lot of her serious ones.

And that's the other part of innovative thinking that's worth remembering:

Don't get so wrapped up in the serious business of coming up with ideas (or being a sales expert) that you forget to enjoy it!

Creativity is serious business, of course, but people always have better ideas when they're having fun!
 

The value of this idea will come as no shock...

Do the little things drive you insane?

I love creations that make life a little simpler, or that solve a basic problem that most people face everyday.

Because most of us grumble about things that irk us, but we rarely put our money where our mouths are.

Recently, I wrote about how Ikea's flexible ice trays have dramatically reduced my cold-drink-related stress.  No more ice cubes down the drain, no more broken trays, no more ice flying dangerously through the air.

I can finally (gasp) add ice to a glass without feeling like an incompetent nincompoop!

Well, here's another solution to one of those daily annoyances that most of us usually just put up with.

Ta Da! Rotating electrical outlets.

Obviously this isn't the sexiest innovation out there, but it doesn't have to be.

Why?  Because I bet most of you took one look at it and thought "Hey, I know exactly where I could use one of those!"

Thanks to Sparkbugg for alerting me to this!  If you want it too, go buy your own rotating outlet here.

True or false: Customers are a great source of ideas. (Part 2)

How can companies get great ideas from their customers?

As I wrote about in Part 1 of True or false: Customers are a great source of ideas, it's not enough to just ask customers what improvements they want, or what new products they're desperate to buy.

Why?

Because customers usually don't know themselves what they really, really want.

In fact, most of us don't know what we want until we see something on the market that blows us away because it fulfills a need that we sometimes didn't even know we had.

Does that mean that people and companies should just come up with ideas on their own without the input of prospective customers? 

Only if they want to learn that customers hate their new product or service after it goes to market!

So, here's the Catch-22:

There's no point in asking customers what they really want--because they usually don't know.  But it's even worse to NOT to ask customers what they want and end up with a failed invention.

How in the world can companies come up with great ideas then?

The trick is to stop asking customers what they want, and let them show you want they want!

No, please don't spy on them in their homes...! But do watch what they're doing very closely.

Design company Ideo uses this tactic very successfully. When they're innovating, Ideo employees spend a lot of time simply watching customers do the thing they're thinking about.

• When Ideo was asked to redesign toothbrushes for kids, they watch kids brush their teeth.

• When they were challenged to create a better shopping cart, they watched shoppers in a grocery store.

• When Ideo was looking for a way to attract new customers to a bank, they watched how people managed their financial data.

In every one of those cases, Ideo designers found opportunities in the actions of customers. They observed that:

• Although children have smaller hands, they grip toothbrushes with their fists, instead of their fingers like adults. 
  
  So... Ideo created a toothbrush with a bigger handle that's easier for small hands to grab.

• Regular shopping carts are horrible for maneuvering and that shoppers frequently leave their carts at the end of aisles for more flexibility.
  
  So... Ideo created a shopping cart that is easy to turn (to make it easier to navigate crowds) and with removable baskets so customers can have the flexibility to go down aisles without their car while still having something to put the food in.

• Many bank customers have trouble saving consciously, but also round up purchases to the nearest dollar to make record-keeping easier.
  
  So... Ideo came up with the "Keep the Change" savings program, where customers' purchases are automatically rounded up to the next dollar and the change is deposited in a savings account.

Interesting, isn't it?   

What other products or services have you see that have arisen from observing how customers act?

And, what ideas have you come up with after watching people?

 

When doesn't it make sense to supersize your product?

Have you ever tried to bathe a cat?

When I was younger, it took three of us to wash my cat. 

She would grab at anything within reach, and resist every attempt to keep her in the stove.  Later, she would follow us around for hours because she thought we were mad at her.

The last time I bathed our current cat, she grabbed onto my sweater so tight that the only way I could get her off was to wiggle out of the sweater and surrender it to the sink.

No, washing a cat is not a pleasant experience! 

Which is why every time I see cat shampoos in stores, I wonder what grooming supply companies are thinking!

I've seen containers of cat shampoo up to 20 ounces in size!  At the least, they're the same size as the regular human shampoos.

It's not that there's anything wrong with the large shampoos... it's just that one bottle could last for half a decade in the hands of a regular cat owner who bathes their cat only a couple times a year.

And it's not good for the pet owner, who ends up storing a huge bottle of shampoo that is barely used.  Nor is it good for grooming supply companies, who saturate the market with such big bottles that they're reducing future demand for their product!

So, I'm asking, why not put the cat shampoo in travel-sized containers?

Travel sized containers would be good for owners.  Takes up less space in the cupboard, prevents feeling guilty about trying a new brand when the last one is still 3/4th full, and they feel like they're paying less for shampoo because less goes to waste.

And it would be good for the grooming supply companies.  Not only would they sell a larger volume of shampoo, they could charge higher prices for the smaller bottles.  Instead of selling a 16oz bottle for $8, they could sell a 1oz bottle for $1.50.  Plus, instead of a one-time sale every decade, the grooming companies would have much more constand demand for their product.

Any thoughts?

And just in case you need a refresher on bathing a cat, check out this video!

(Clean cat photo taken by theogeo.)

More ideas about improving customer service calls.

The last couple days have been fun thinking about ways to make the customer service experience less painful for both companies and customers.

If you haven't read them yet, please go check-out Does thinking of customer service as a negative blind companies to new opportunities (Part I) and Part II.

But, the best part has been when readers have written in their own thoughts about customer service problems--and jump-started my thinking in new directions!

James Todhunter of Innovating to Win commented that when he calls RCN with issues, he hears a recorded message that says "We are experiencing higher than expected call volume" and then is faced with a long wait. 

Although it's good that the company tells him that many others are ahead of him, the following message "Your call is very important to us" sounds like a blatant lie when the company is always overloaded and does nothing about it.

Some ideas that came from James' comment...

• What if customers were able to see the estimated wait time online before they called?
  
  Most of the time, people just pick up the phone without realizing that 500 other people are calling on their lunch breaks too.  As a former restaurant host, I know that telling customers right away how long they have to wait lets them decide whether they want to or not.  It should work the same for phone service.

• What if customers needing service could sign-up for email or text message alerts when the call volume is low and the wait is short?
  
  Customers would then be able to find out when it is the best time for them to call in, and the company would be able to maintain higher call volume in normally-slower periods (and thus reduce wait time in busy periods).

• What if customers calling the customer help line could "take a number" and then the call service would call them back when it was their turn?
  
  This would give callers a chance to do other things while they were waiting and not have to stayed glued to the phone.  Plus, the teeny extra step of calling the customer back would make customers feel that the company was taking an extra step.  And phone companies need to know the phone number of the customer in order to help them--calling up the account screen and calling the customer could be a combined step.

Doug Meacham of Next Up says that it would be best if customers didn't have to wait for customer service at all!

Although Doug obviously doesn't understand that customers always have had to wait for companies to get around to serving them, that it's just the way things are done, and that no one likes people who come up with crazy ideas... (just kidding, Doug!)... his radical statement makes me wonder how that could work.

Some initial thoughts...

• What if the company specified online the types of issues that could be resolved through email, and reduced call-ins to more unusual problems?
  
  The advantage of this is that many issues can simply be resolved through a couple minutes on the computer system.  Thus, customer service reps don't have to spend as much time talking, and the issues could be worked on outside of regular business hours. (Potentially overseas to reduce costs further.)

• What if customers could book appointments to speak to customer service representatives?
  
  This would work really well for both customers and the company.  Customers would feel that they were being treated well and were respected by the company, while the company would be able to schedule those service appointments during the slow-call-in periods.
  
  
  
• What if customers didn't feel like they were waiting?
  
  Perhaps customers could choose between different types of hold music to get one they liked, or the hold system let them listen to a radio station, or sports results.  Who said that waiting for customer service had to include sterilized elevator music and irritating advertisements?

Any more thoughts and ideas?  Please share them below!

Must all quality ideas be brand-spanking new?

Where do your ideas come from?  Are they out of nowhere, or have you seen them before...somewhere else?

The other day I came across an interesting post on the BQF Innovation blog about how many good ideas have been adapted from things people see in other areas.  I've been meaning to write a post expanding on it, but hadn't developed it yet.

So, it was a real pleasure yesterday to get an insightful comment from Kent Blumberg that demonstrated exactly what I wanted to write about!

In response to my recent posts challenging the idea (held by many companies) that customer service is bad, Kent writes...

This reminds me of Fujitsu's approach to help-desk operations (as reported by Jim Womack and Dan Jones in "Lean Solutions", (Free  Press, 2005).

Apparently, Fujitsu gets paid a set annual fee to run help desks, rather than getting a fee per call.  That gives them incentive to fix problems permanently, thereby reducing the number of complaints.

Very interesting.  First of all, it brings up the point that there are people who benefit from repeated calling about the same subject.

If a company uses an outside call center and pays a fee per call, that call center has no motivation to actually work to solve the company's problems.  In fact, the more times customers have to call, the more the call center makes.

But the better part is that Kent opened his mind up to how companies in other industries are dealing with the same problem.  That's actually rarer than you'd think. 

It's amazing how many experts in one field focus only on happening in that field, and miss similar developments (that could help them) in other arenas.

In fact, the US military is a prime example of this.  Until very recently, the Navy, Air Force and Army each required completely unique designs for their planes despite sharing many of the same requirements.  And the Pentagon just ordered the Army and Air Force to develop their new unmanned aerial vehicles (which were both being made by the same company) together, instead of individually.

Paul Sloane's post Adopt, Adapt, Improve shares some historical examples of innovations that have come from adaptation. 

Did you know that:

• The idea for roll-on deodorant came from the ball point pen?
• Velcro was inspired by burrs tangled in a dog's fur?
• The telephone was modeled after vibrations made by the human eardrum?

It's amazing how being open to seeing parallels in other fields can lead to new solutions for the same problems.

As Kent suggested for Sprint's case, it may be as simple as changing the focus of the problem.

Going from:
"Customer service is costing us too much--so we need to get rid of existing customers"

To:
"We have this amount of money to spend every month for customer service--what can we do to reduce call volume?"

This may not seem like a huge difference....

Except the call center now has an incentive to get problems fixed and out of their hair.  It's to their advantage to make sure each customer's issues are addressed in the first call, and that the same issues don't reoccur every month.

It's the difference between requiring customer service reps to field customer problems versus requiring them to solve customer problems.

I would be very interested to see how this idea would work out.  From what Lean Solutions reports, Fujitsu has had a lot of success in reducing call center costs and increasing customer satisfaction by focusing on fixing reoccurring problems and locating the underlying causes.

Special thanks to Kent for his comment and for tipping me off to an interesting book!

                                                            Tunnel photo from Walter.

All the pleasure without the pain of a long wait.

Getting an iPhone on the first day was an activity that come with an unfortunate side effect for busy people--a long, excruciating wait.

But where there's pain, there's also opportunity.

In California and New York, college students offered their services as "waiters" through the online waiting service iWait. 

For the iPhone, students found places in line very early and then took bids online for their place as the iClock ticked down.  Some waiters earned up to $550 for their time.

But iWaiters aren't just exclusive to Friday's iPhone lines. They'll also help you hold that perfect vantage point for the San Francisco fireworks on the 4th of July, secure a copy of Harry Potter on that first day or be there for any other concert/product-release/big event that you don't want to wait for, but still want to have a great spot in line.  For a minimum of $50, a student will hold your place until right before the event, allowing you to sweep in at the last minute for that coveted spot.

I think this is a really great idea because it connects people who don't have much time but are willing to spend a little extra money for a prime location with college students who have the time and who usually need some extra funds.  An added benefit for college students is that they usually have textbooks to read or assignments they can work on during their waiting time--that is, if there's nothing interesting going on in the line itself!

iWait is a prime example of identifying an opportunity and then quickly mobilizing to take advantage of it.  While this isn't an idea that will change the world, it does fill a need and benefit the service providers.  That's the essence of fresh thinking!

Thanks to the Marketing & Strategy Innovation Blog and ExperienceCurve Blog for sharing this service first.

Excuse me, do you speak English?

For most people, buying a new computer can feel like going into a restaurant and being presented with a menu in a different language.

My new laptop, is described on Best Buy's website like this:

Intel® Core™2 Duo mobile processor T5500; 1GB DDR2 SDRAM; DL DVD±RW/CD-RW drive; 12.1" widescreen; 160GB hard drive.

Investigating further, I noticed that Best Buy helpfully clarifies some points:

12.1" WXGA active-matrix TFT-LCD widescreen display with TruBrite technology and 1280 x 800 resolution...Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 with 8-196MB dynamically allocated shared video memory...5-in-1 bridge media adapter supports Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO and xD-Picture Card...Secure Digital slot supports SDIO...and built-in Intel® PRO/100 10/100Base-TX Ethernet LAN with RJ-45 connector; V.92 high-speed modem.

Excuse me, I don't understand computer! Do you speak English? To be fair, Best Buy is not the only computer store listing computer specs in this way.  All of them do it!

But Best Buy is currently redefining their in-store marketing to appeal to "Jill".  A recent Washington Post article about this, In Retail, Profiling for Profit, writes that

"Jill" is a  code name for a soccer-mom type who is the main shopper for the family but usually avoids electronics stores. She is well-educated and usually very confident, but she is intimidated by the products at Best Buy and the store clerks who spout words like gigabytes and megapixels.

So, if "Jill" is one of their ideal target markets, why are they still throwing around the gigabytes, megapixels, and unexplained abbreviations?

Best Buy could solve this issue with one very cost-effective and easy-to-implement modification to their stores: a simple translation sign or flier that explains the different computer terms in ways that "Jill" can understand.

For example...

• RAM = How fast your computer goes.  The Vista operating system requires at least 1GB to operate well, but people who open a lot of applications at the same time will probably prefer 2GB or higher.  Games operate best at 4GB.
• GB = How many files (documents, photos, music, etc) you can store on the computer. Also measured in GB, but much higher than RAM.  40GB is at the low-end for storage space, and users who have a lot of photos or music files will want 100GB or higher.
• And many more.

Take some of the pain out of it for "Jill", keep her from looking stupid in front of her kids, and make sure she gets the right machine for her needs so she feels positive about Best Buy.  Plus, it would help your employees serve customers better by answering the most basic questions, and demystify the computer buying process for all of us out there who don't speak "Computer Science".
 
All it takes is a simple sign.  Is Best Buy up to the challenge? And can you think of any more ways Best Buy could make their stores user-friendly for us regular buyers?

(One quick kudos to Best Buy for widening their customer focus--it's more than the other computer stores are doing!)

A product I'm desperate to buy.

As I wrote yesterday in The easiest way to become a creative thinker, not all of their ideas have to be revolutionary for someone to practice being creative.  In fact, some of the simplest observations can lead to ideas that have value.

For example, as someone who does a lot of typing on her laptop, I've noticed that it's really painful to use a small keyboard for extended periods of time.  This is really frustrating because it's impossible to concentrate for extended periods of time--even when I have large projects to do.

In my experience, an ergonomic keyboard is the only thing that has really helped when my arms start to hurt.  Using one relieves all my pain and prevents further injury.

But there's one huge problem with ergonomic keyboards...

They're HUGE. Enormous.  Gigantic.  Bigger than my laptop!

To me, this seems like the producers of keyboards have a very narrow profile for their target market: a person with a permanently-placed computer.

That seems like a very short-sighted view that is blinding them to a potential opportunity.  What about the laptop users who desperately need relief for their wrists, but have a laptop because they want to be able to move around? Those monster keyboards simply aren't portable.

This wouldn't even be a difficult product to make.  The current ergonomic keyboards are full of special keys (over 50 extra beyond the essentials.  All a keyboard manufacturer would have to do is to crop the keyboard down to the bare minimum, and perhaps add the ability to fold.

Is this a revolutionary idea that would reshape the computing world?  Of course not!  But would it fill a real consumer need? Yes, both heavy laptop users wanting to prevent carpal tunnel and desktop users with limited space would be very interested.  I know this because I'd buy a portable ergonomic keyboard in a heartbeat!

How to take an idea to the next level

Thinking of new ideas is really hard, and there nothing worse than putting in the time and effort to develop your idea, only to have it immediately dismissed.

Yesterday I saw an idea on IdeaList that was instantly slammed down by the first commentator.  Just two words. "...try again."

Unsurprisingly, this idea hasn't fared well after that.  People see the first negative comment and don't want to get behind a "losing idea".

The problem is, one quick gut reaction is usually the only evaluation most ideas get.  A bad first impression, and that idea is headed straight for the circular file.  "No harm, right? The idea obviously didn't have potential."

Let's take a look.   Here is the original idea:

A ice cream package in a ball form.

After eating their ice-cream, children are able to close the top of package, fasten it, and go to play soccer, handball, and etc. It’s a interactive package that encourages children to play.

(Grammar cleaned up slightly for readability.)

Whether you like this idea or not, make yourself think about what is good about it.

Here are 5 good things about it to get you started:

1. Less waste.  This is a reusable container.  Can also be used to hold snack or cereal for kids, or toys, and it's probably waterproof.
2. Kids like to play with prizes that come with their food.  They'll probably like it a lot more than adults think!
   
3. Saves space packing for the beach.  Snack, and then tons of potential as a toy.  Moving water, building with sand, and I bet it floats.
4. This could be used to entertain multiple children at the same time.  Since it's soccer-ball-sized, it must contain a lot of ice cream.
5. Kids convince their parents to buy fun-looking snacks in the grocery store.  Probably be a great seller when placed at the proper eye level!
6. (Your Idea) _________________________

Starting to see some potential now?  Let's continue by looking at a concept behind this idea:

The ice cream package is a "treat that encourages kids to be active."

Hmmm... that's interesting.  Parents will like that.  Where else can we go from there?  An idea session is not complete without using the initial concept as a jumping off point for other products.

So, here's one derivative idea that comes from reversing "eat ice cream, play with the ball."

What if the ice cream ball were to create ice cream when the kids were kicking it?  It's possible... campers used to make balls of newspaper filled with ice chips that would turn the ingredients into ice cream while they threw it around. 

This could be a modern, cleaner alternative for parents who want their kids to exercise, or want to have a fun game when they have kids over, or don't want their kids to think that ice cream is easily available.

It just needs two layers (one for the ice and one for the ice cream).  Plus, there's a lot of potential to sell prepackaged (e.g. just add milk) ice cream flavors.

See how an idea can go from a "...try again" to a concept that deserves a closer look?

Can anyone give more potential uses or additional ideas for this concept?

Can Lush make life easier for frequent fliers?

Lush is a handmade cosmetics company that specializes in using fresh ingredients to create exotic, fragrant soaps and other toiletries. 

Their products, if I do say so myself, are fabulous and, according to Fast Company magazine, the company loves innovating and constantly challenges itself to change a full 1/3 of it's product line every year. 

That means they need to create at least 100 totally new products in a 12 month period, and they do that by relying, in part, on significant input from their customers.

Yes, Lush is a company that gets innovation and how to create a customer base.  They have stores in over 35 countries, over $100 million in annual revenue and sell over 60,000 Bath Bombs per day. 

And I think that they're missing a great opportunity.

Last fall, many airlines around the world cracked down on the amounts of liquid that passengers can carry-on.  This seriously inconveniences business travelers (especially women) who don't check luggage.

At the same time, Lush carries a huge line of solid products.  Soap, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, make-up removing face wash, body lotion, bath bomb and even hair dye.

There are tons of business travelers who are agonizing every day about whether to risk the delays of checked baggage, or attempt to stuff all their essentials into a tiny plastic baggy.

Many of them have never heard of Lush, but would probably be extremely grateful to learn about products that make business travel easier!

Lush should definitely consider going after this new and very desperate target market.