I recently attended a conference where one of the speakers asked the audience if they wear a watch. I was shocked to learn that a majority of those under 30 not only didn’t wear a watch, but in many cases didn’t own a watch. So how do they tell time? They use their cell phones!
As a hard-core watch wearer (I feel naked without my watch), I learned that I am in the growing minority. But worse yet, I got caught in a trap. I didn’t understand that a large number of my colleagues at this conference were different from me. While I teach my clients and students how important it is to understand their customers, I was reminded that I have to do the same.
So what other things do we need to learn about our target markets or customers? The answer of course is “everything we can.” The best place to start is to look at the fundamentals: what is important to them, what are their goals, what are their business and personal aspirations.
So now – as a better way to understand another person, I check for a wrist watch!