What else is true of your customers?

When we added job ads to Ideal Resume they didn’t feel like ads because job seekers using our tools want to find job openings. We added something the customer already wanted that happened to allow for additional monetization.

Are there additional wants and needs of your customers that you could logically fulfill (and possibly monetize) for them? When customer needs/wants appear that you can’t fulfill is there an opportunity for a partnership?

What else is true of your customers?

Undiscovered uses

What do Play-Doh, Avon, and Slack all have in common? They all started as something else.

• Avon was founded by David H. McConnell. “He was a traveling book salesperson who offered beauty products as a gift. He soon realized customers were more interested in the free perfume samples than the books.”

• Slack was born as a result of a failed video game startup.

• The classic children's toy Play-Doh was originally sold for wiping soot from wallpaper in the early 20th century. When demand for the original purpose dried up, the company had the idea to use it as a children’s toy instead.

What else is true of your product or business? Asking this can lead to undiscovered uses, unlock additional value, or in some cases save a business.

What else is true of this?

The ability to discern what else is true is extremely valuable. For example, what else is true of:

• My customers

• My product/service

• My idea

• My desired outcome

• My problem

• My solution

• My success

Alternatively, swap out “my” for “my competitor's” and you have a whole new range of insights to be had. Discerning “what else is true of” a situation starts with critical thinking and asking questions. It ends with new conclusions, new insights, and new solutions.