Customers are the only source of innovation you'll ever need

I make suggestions regularly to my favourite suppliers. When their response exceeds my expectations, I'm their happiest customer. Whether it be my favourite exercise app or a major technology provider, I like to help my suppliers get better. It's common to complain about the bad ones, but I find that providing the leaders with suggestions to be the most fruitful path.

I like them because they listen to customers. I generally have high expectations, but the best come back with an answer that surprises even me.

I recently spoke with the CEO of a supplier because I thought they did a good job of solving an important problem for me. But they could do a great job with a couple of modifications to simplify their process and enrich the customer experience. Within one month, they had streamlined the areas we had discussed and added some videos explaining how to get more out of the product.

Best of all, the CEO called me back on the day the changes went live to let me know and ask for my response. It's not that I was a big customer, but he told me I was an early adopter, and one whose opinion they respected.

I was floored by this response—that's exactly how I treat my clients.

How to Floor Your Customers

Select a random list of 10 customers and call them with one simple question—"what's the most impactful improvement we can make?"

Scan your notes after these calls and come up with the single most beneficial innovation your team can make.

If it turns out to be removing a persistent niggle, go back and ask them to think of your organization in a bigger light.

Your best improvement will take an entire problem off the majority of THEIR plates. Or it will present them with a signficant opportunity to improve THEIR business.

Note the capitalization. This is the essence of customer-driven innovation. And there should be no other kind.

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