Is the Glass Half Full or Half Empty?

October 8, 2004 - by Robert E. Stevens, GENESIS II (The Second Beginning) E-Mail: views@aol.com

Most of the people I associate with would answer the above question with a resounding "Yes." But I must admit the people I associate with are not normal. They tend to be a little on the crazy side. However, I have been told that the answer to the question depends greatly on who you are and what you do. For instance, I hear that psychologists will say that ......

An OPTIMIST looks at the glass and says the glass is half full. A PESSIMIST looks at the glass and says that it is half empty.

I have also been told that......

An ENGINEER looks at the glass and says that the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

I guess that .......

An ACCOUNTANT would say a lack of money.
A PROJECT RESEARCHER would look at the glass and say that there is an opportunity to add extras to the glass to make it more appealing.
A MARKETER would say it can now be Super Sized.
A MARKET RESEARCHER would say someone is going to think they have been cheated.
A PARENT would ask "Who did not finish their drink"?
A PLUMBER would say the cut-off valve is not working properly.
A QUALITY CONTROL TECH would say there are poor standards

Which perspective is correct? They all are.

I think the above gives an idea about how a single feature can elicit different responses and reactions. It gives credence to the concept of "Walking Around the Mountain" before making changes to your product. Know your product and know your core customers. Be aware of how they will respond to any changes you make to your brand. A change made to gain more customers could turn off your core base. It is this core base that keeps you in business and finances your research for a bigger market share. It could be disastrous to prematurely disturb your base.

Decisions should be made on the front lines, in the middle of the action. A decision made in the confines of the corporate headquarters is only as good as the information you are fed. Need we look further than current international events to know the validity of that statement.

If you don't know how your customers see your brand and see your competition, you are not doing your job. Ask "why" before "how." Before a problem can be solved it must be clearly defined. A person who knows "how" will always have a job, but the person who knows "why" will be the boss.

Sponsor: Sorensen Associates Inc Portland, OR: 800.542.0123 Minneapolis, MN: 888.616.0123
the in-store research company™ -- Dedicated to the relentless pursuit of WHY?

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