Too many good products with great potential never see success because they’re what the creators think their target market wants, not what’s actually being asked for.
Let’s say I’m putting up a light fixture to replace a really ugly old fixture that’s just not doing the job it once did. I need a simple, plain-old screwdriver to put up this awesome-looking new fixture that will light up my world in a new way, but I can’t seem to find any around the house (must mean my hubby’s been using them, but that’s another story).
I go to the Hardware Store where, lo and behold, they’ve got an awesome Swiss Army knife that will do everything a screwdriver does, plus open bottles, cans, slice cheese (Swiss cheese I wonder?), and whatever else your l’il ole heart desires.
But do they have an old-fashioned, flathead screwdriver? Uh-uh. Just this overwhelmingly awesome multi-tool with bells and whistles I really don’t want, and will never use. Nor will I put the time and effort into learning how to use all the other crap, because at the end of the day (preferably before dark) I just want my light fixture up. I need a screwdriver, plain and simple.
They don’t have what I want + I go elsewhere = Missed Opportunity.
Oh sure, I can do all kinds of cool stuff with the Swiss Army knife that I can’t with a plain-Jane screwdriver, but it’s not what I want or what I need right now. I know there’s a market for Swiss Army knives, but I’m betting that the market for screwdrivers is just a tiny bit bigger.
Are you trying to sell a Swiss Army knife to someone that just wants a screwdriver? If so, you’re going to have a much rougher road to success than if you offered screwdrivers to start with, then maybe an enticing upgrade to the Swiss Army knife down the road.
Find out what your target market wants – not what you think they want or need – and start there. You’ll have a much smoother road.
