Are your customers leap-frogging you?

You partner with your customers, right? Do you lead them, do they lead you, or do you take turns?

Innovative businesses can spend years trying to lead the future. All of a sudden, customers are leapfrogging.

In Chapter Four of Trusting Technology—Changing with your customer—I wax about the importance of being—or becoming—close to your customer, in order to influence their futures. About the ways that technology has helped businesses address the opportunities and challenges most relevant to their markets.

The market will adopt at its own pace. You can advocate, lobby, inspire and enable, but these are just forms of influence. Everett Rogers nailed the pattern with his Diffusion of Innovation.

I’ve spent my career seeking to influence change. Feels like you plug away forever then, one day, the world changes and everyone wants what you’re offering.

Right time/ right place is a great feeling. If you’re early, you’ll need the patience of an innovator. Too late and you’ve missed the boat.

Since perfect timing is a tough one to pull off, it pays to be a bit ahead of your time.

Businesses that have been advocating digital ways are now seeing their customers’ demand what they’ve been plugging.

Listen to part 2 of my recent CEO Conversation for a real live example.

Are you leading your customers, or are you following?

Try this:

1)    Take a look at Mr Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation and picture a bell curve of your market.

2)    List your products.

3)    Place each product in the right place on the curve, left to right.

4)    For the ones to the right, how do you reap the biggest rewards?

5)    For those on the left, how do you move them to the right?

And for more help with this, check out Chapters Two to Four of Trusting Technology

New materials available

I’ve published a new paper this week—"Building a robust business with Digital Resilience” is available here.

A reminder that a companion paper—“Operate a remote business at full speed”—is also available here.

… and another reminder to listen to part 2 of my recent CEO Conversation for a real live example of leapfrogging ...

Five CEOs share thoughts on crisis, change ... and one piece of advice

More sage advice from 5 CEOs after 100 days that shook the world.

In the second part, we discuss how what the crisis will—and won’t—change, and each CEO offers one piece of advice. Click here to listen.

Trusting Technology is a book about forming ideas, exploring opportunities with customers and colleagues, and building your future together. Order your copy here.