The think (here) Blog

Over the holiday season, while spending time with family, I found myself in a place I have never been before- an enormous "Western Store".

Rarely are we placed in situations where we are truly on the outside looking in.  As an individual who knows absolutely nothing (and I mean NOTHING) about boots, I used the opportunity to test which boot/brand/product jumped out at me. 

I must have passed 400 pairs of boots with the hope that just one would "jump out" at me.  But the shape, swirly embroidery, smell, height, heel, and feel of each was as similar as the last.

Arguably, I am not the intended "target market" for this product, and have no need to be catered to.  However, if you create something that truly stands out (a purple cow for the Seth Godin fans out there) it will not just attract your target market... it will attract everyone.

And then it happened:

Out of nowhere, and from a sizable distance I spotted a bright blue pair of boots.  I was drawn to it, noticed it, remembered it. In a sea of tans, browns, and blacks one boot was screaming to stand out.

We spend so much time inside our own mind/company/industry that it can become very difficult to remember how your customer (or any external source for that matter) perceives your product/service.  Next time you need to refresh the way to look at your product/service, use the boot rack test:

What would happen if someone outside your industry were to look at your product/service lined up with every single one of my competitors at once?  Could they tell the difference? Would it stand out? 

Now it's your turn.  What other tools/methods do you see to see your product/service from a different perspective?  There are several things left unsaid here (like: who really wants a blue boot anyways?  Or the fact that tools online already do this for consumers, etc)  This is intentional.  Ask questions, disagree, share your perspective.  Please leave a comment below with your "two-cents" and get in on the discussion.