These days, we have to think expansively about what customers really want when they buy from us. The product or service that you offer can no longer be looked at as satisfying the narrow “space” that it was created for.
Clay Shirky, in Cognitive Surplus, shares an unusual story about discovery through observing customers. When McDonalds wanted to improve the quality of their milkshakes, almost all of the hired researchers focused on the product only. Should the new version be sweeter, or thicker, or colder? One of them, Gerald Berstell, however, chose to study the customers themselves. What he found was that milkshakes were purchased early in the day, during the traditional breakfast time.
It turns out that the breakfast-shake-drinkers were commuters who would drink them while driving to work. They were “hiring” the product, instead of a traditional breakfast item, because it could eaten with one hand, wasn’t too hot or too messy and it took a while to finish. The researchers were about to overlook this dimension because of what Shirky calls ‘milkshake mistakes.’ First, they concentrated only on the product attributes and assumed they knew everything about why customers were purchasing it. Secondly, they took a very narrow view of the market—in this case the type of food people typically eat in the morning. They did not account for customers “needing food to do a nontraditional job—to serve as sustenance and amusement for their morning commute—for which they hired the milkshake.”
Most companies believe they know what the market needs and that customers will either buy it or not. Ultimately, however, customers will decide what they are hiring you for. Customers are the sources of your best ideas, if you allow them to be by observing and changing based on their needs. Ask yourself, “Why does the customer hire our product or service?” But don’t make the ‘milkshake mistake’ of thinking only of the product attributes, without regard to what role the customers want it to play for them. Jan Fulton Suri of IDEO (Thoughtless Acts?: Observations on Intuitive Design) says it this way: “Observation forces us to focus on the actions that we are trying to support through design, rather than the things we will ultimately produce.”
Products don’t exist in isolation with narrow uses anymore. The milkshake mistakes are a fantastic illustration of why not to be product-centric. By being customer-centric, you will you position yourself to notice things that you hadn’t noticed before and the outcome will be better for your customers. Your creativity will increase and so will your proactivity in designing new ideas for those customers.
He is a member of the National Speakers Association and delivers dynamic presentations on the transformative power of genuine customer-centric behavior at conferences or in settings for individual companies. Visit Bill's 
Hi my friend! I want to say that this article is awesome, nice written and include almost all important infos. I would like to see more posts like this .
This is my very first time i visit right here. I found so numerous interesting stuff in your weblog particularly its discussion. From the tons of comments on your articles, I guess I am not the only one having all the enjoyment right here! keep up the good function.
Excellent stuff from you, man. I’ve read your things before and you are just too awesome. I adore what you have got right here you make it entertaining and you still manage to keep it smart.
Thank you, I have recently been looking for info about this subject for ages and yours is the greatest I’ve discovered till now. But, what about the conclusion? Are you sure about the source?
My wife and i ended up being now delighted that Ervin could carry out his researching from your precious recommendations he obtained out of your web site. It is now and again perplexing just to choose to be giving freely guides that many others may have been selling. And we also do know we’ve got the blog owner to thank for this. These illustrations you’ve made, the easy website navigation, the friendships your site help to promote – it is mostly extraordinary, and it’s really aiding our son and the family know that that article is thrilling, which is extraordinarily important. Thank you for everything!