What is your entry point for engaging those you are seeking to serve? Opinel created “My First Opinel” knife with safety features, including a rounded taper blade. Offering an entry point allows people to feel part of the club, even if they are not ready to access all the features and benefits of the best version of your enterprise (services and products).
How might we be intentional about our entry point and not solely focus on the best-designed version of our work?
Some things do not require over-design and thinking. If you want to offer a drop-and-go option, make it easy to use, simply designed, and well-positioned.
A water fountain requires little maintenance but provides essential fuel (hydration) for those who pass. A thirsty hiker, cyclist, runner, hot canine, and many others benefit from a good water source’s self-service, always-on nature.
What services do you provide that are easy to use, simply designed, and require little labor to monitor?
When the mountain pass is open, the snow melts from the road, the weather is inviting, the refugio is well stocked, and business conditions are set for capacity. If the environmental conditions alter, business at a mountain hut can cascade to zero quickly. A closed road due to a mudslide, a challenging patch of weather, or a larger event in the valley villages creates challenges.
Location can make us remarkable, but it can also leave us outside the circle of safety. Awareness dissipates when nobody can reach us. However, our setting attracts those seeking our attributes when the conditions are right.
Setting the right pace is essential to provide the best experience for those you serve. A shepherd can only push a flock of sheep so fast; speed shepherding is not sustainable.
How might we pace our efforts so those who want to travel with us can stay in touch?
Waterfalls tend to attract attention. If reaching one requires navigating a hiking trail, many people use the waterfall as a turn-around point or a place to rest before continuing up the trail.
How might we position ourselves as a point of confluence with the surrounding environment? How might we evaluate our location as part of our strategic value proposition?
Selling travel insurance at the airport baggage carousel is a poor prospect. Running a lemonade stand after exiting a fast food drive-thru window presents fewer sales opportunities. Giving a keynote on ‘how to get the most out of a conference’ as the closing presenter might be less impactful. Inflating a hot air balloon in a remote field with no spectators generates less excitement.
How might we recognize that our setting matters? If we are uniquely positioned, then our services will be relevant. If we hide in the shadows, we may be of value only to those who took a wrong turn.
When traveling as a group, how do you treat the opportunity to upgrade? It may be a bus seat with more legroom, a cafe table by the window, or an aircraft class of service upgrade. Do you take the upgrade, give the upgrade to somebody in your party who may not have experienced the opportunity, or decline the opportunity unless the entire group can advance together? What does your group suggest if one person is provided a better way of traveling? Does the quality of the upgrade matter to your group’s decision-making process?
When upgrades are offered, they are a good test of our values and priorities. There is no right or wrong, but it represents a chance for actions and beliefs to align or bifurcate.
What have been your experiences in real-time?
Leaving the barn for a horseback ride, dirt and debris from one horse collects in the aisle. So, I could sweep just outside my horse stall. Or, I could sweep the entire aisle. The entire job might take a few additional minutes, and it leaves the barn cleaner for those who come after.
Are we serving ourselves, or are we being of service to others? We cannot always do more than needed but when we do, we amplify the work of those around us.
Who are serving with your work? Are you providing a light to draw people towards you or warning people to avoid your location? Is your presence providing confirmation somebody’s expedition is on course?
What-if-concepts 