站在客戶的角度考慮

如果你的公司要做創新，不需要浪費時間去做市場調查，獲得統計分析式的客戶資料。客戶在接受市場調查時說他會如何做，事實上通常不會那樣做。

相反的，你如果能夠站在客戶的角度思考，觀察他們如何使用你的產品，以及他們甚至自己沒有察覺到的挫折，你就自己可以明白如何改進你的商品或服務了。

你不要將這樣的觀察動作外包給市場調查顧問，而要自己去觀察，也要求你公司內的高層主管自己都去了解客戶，他們具有足夠的策略知識，能夠看到市場發展機會，並且有足夠的權力去改善公司的商品與作業方式。

Consider from the customer's point of view

If your company wants to innovate, it doesn't need to waste time doing market research to get statistical customer data. Customers in market research say how they will do it, but in fact they usually don't.

On the contrary, if you can think from the customer's point of view, observe how they use your product, and how they even fail to perceive the frustration, you can understand how to improve your goods or services.

Instead of outsourcing such observations to market research consultants, you need to observe them by yourself. You also need top executives in your company to know customers themselves. They have enough strategic knowledge, can see market opportunities, and have enough power to improve the company's goods and operations.

開發產品前，請先弄清楚你的客戶在哪裡？

許多創業者，尤其是技術導向的，經常是先開發出產品後，再去想辦法銷售。

這樣的模式，並不一定錯，但是通常效益不佳，甚至會兵敗如山倒。

問題就是，他不是先弄清楚客戶在哪裡，客戶需要什麼，競爭對手在哪裡，他不知道如何以最佳的產品定位與策略。

所謂【敗兵先戰，而後求勝；勝兵先勝，而後求戰。】先做產品，再銷售，就是敗兵先戰；而先弄清楚客戶在哪裡，就是勝兵先勝。打戰要先尋求制高點，突破口，以奇兵制勝。

所以，開創事業，開發新產品，有如戰爭部署，要先摸清楚戰場形勢，做好情報偵搜，形勢研判，擬定作戰計畫。

如何運用客戶來讓你的商業滿足客戶需求？

客戶通常希望簡單化，但是如何滿足客戶，對於許多企業是很困難的。許多商業調查都顯示，能夠強化客戶的忠誠度的一個重要關鍵是，讓他的決策簡單化，例如，在他面臨許多市場消息時，能夠協助他很快做出購買決定。

因此，你必須多觀察你的客戶，了解他們的習慣與決策程序：例如：

1. 了解你的客戶整天在做些什麼。什麼事讓他最煩惱？他最需要解決什麼困難？他最想得到什麼？找出客戶未滿足的需求。
2. 了解自己的問題。設法問其他客戶，他們為何不向你的企業訂購？你要特別關注那些不喜歡你們公司的商品或服務的客戶，讓他們說出批評的理由，說出他們希望你的公司如何改進。將他們的批評納入你改進商品或服務的作業程序。

你要瞭解客戶需要什麼，但是不要問客戶細節

創立事業，開發新產品，目的都是在經由解決客戶的問題，滿足客戶的需求，從而得到客戶的滿意，採用你的產品/服務。因此，你絕對有必要瞭解客戶需要什麼？

然而，許多客戶其實並不真正知道什麼樣的產品/服務，才能真正解決他的問題。很多時候，客戶只會告訴你他面臨了什麼樣的困難，或是他只是困惑著。

因此，做市場調研，或是直接詢問客戶的需求，通常是得不到產品開發規格/功能的答案的。

你必須要會聆聽客戶的陳述，去瞭解背後的真正問題，找到解決問題的最佳方式。例如，客戶說這匹馬跑得不夠快，真正的需要並不是【馬的類固醇】，而是【車子】。

你的價值，在於你比客戶更專業，更能夠洞察問題的真正所在，並提出專業而有創意的解決方案。

你的價值，在於能夠讓客戶發出【哇】、喜出望外的產品/服務。

You need to know what customers want, but don't ask for details

The purpose of creating a business and developing new products is to satisfy the needs of customers by solving their problems, so as to get the satisfaction of customers and adopt your products/services. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary for you to understand what customers need.

However, many customers don't really know what kind of products/services they need to solve their problems. Most of the time, the customer will only tell you what difficulties he is facing, or he is just confused.

Therefore, market research, or direct inquiries about customer needs, is usually not the answer to product development specifications/functions.

You have to listen to your clients' statements, understand the real problems behind them, and find the best way to solve them. For example, customers say that the horse is not running fast enough, and the real need is not the steroids of the horse, but the car.

Your value lies in that you are more professional than your customers, have a better insight into the real problem and come up with professional and creative solutions.

Your value lies in enabling customers to deliver [wow] products/services that are beyond expectation.

用三分鐘來認識你的客戶

用市場調查的方法可以讓你獲得很多你的客戶的資訊。但是，用其他間接的分析方式，也可以得到一樣重要的客戶資料。

你可以用三分鐘的時間來問客戶關於使用你的商品前與使用商品后的感受。用這樣的方式，你也許可以發覺商品里有些不需要的累贅功能可以拿掉，或是你會找出可以同時銷售其他商品，做成組合銷售的機會。

這樣的三分鐘法則是讓你發現大願景以及找到鏈接銷售的很棒方法。

Get to know your customers in three minutes

Using market research can give you a lot of information about your customers. However, the same important customer information can be obtained by other indirect analysis methods.

You can spend three minutes asking customers about their feelings before and after using your product. In this way, you may find that there are unnecessary redundant functions in the product that can be removed, or you may find opportunities to sell other products at the same time to make a portfolio sale.

This three-minute rule is a great way to discover big visions and link sales.