When I do new product development projects, I’m paid to come up with creative concepts that my clients can commercialize. Since creative thinking is an important part of my job as a marketing strategy expert who runs one of the best marketing consulting firms in Atlanta and beyond, you can be completely sure that I’ve tucked a few tricks up my sleeves. Today, I am going to unveil a secret that no other creative thinking expert has shared with you:
To be a creative thinker, you’ve got to give your mind what it needs for optimal performance, something it’s often lacking in our go-go-go world: enough rest & proper hydration. You can’t deliver remarkable creative thinking when you’re in a condition of constant sleep debt & dehydration.
Wait a minute- – that’s it?!
That’s the gargantuan “secret” that no other guru has told you? !
Quickly now, how are you feeling? Disappointed , miffed, a bit betrayed, and even perhaps a small bit grumpy?
Good.
Because this brief article isn’t actually about creativity: it’s about an elemental aspect of consumer psychology, the one that you yourself are experiencing at this very moment.
Now, we should be clear: the creativity “secret” I shared with you is 100% true, and it’s an important one that works- – but it’s NOT what you wanted to hear, is it?
What you wanted was some exciting, new, “insider” magic trick.
Something “sexier”, something with a bit more sizzle. Though you may have questioned my sanity, you probably would’ve been significantly more content if I said that the secret to creativity is to get into a silver space pod, gargle 10 oz. of Bolivian ju-juga juice, and quack like a duck.
That’s the way our brains work. We lust after those delicious insider secrets and quick fixes which will move us ahead with less work (or at least less drudgery). While it’s fine to pick up tips, tricks, and techniques along our journey- – and indeed we should- – our first task is to become brilliant in the basics, and that means plowing ahead with determination and perserverance. But oh, how we want that excitement!
So what does this today’s exercise into customer expectations mean for your business?
When we understand the way our customers’ minds work, we will be able to use that data in an ethical manner to get the results we’re striving for. Remember that old saying: “sell the sizzle, not the steak”? When you come up with the best new products & services you can, understand that your consumers, buyers, and clients subliminally would like you to offer them a little “sizzle” too. From a psychological viewpoint, adding that little extra bit of flourish to a top-notch product ups your audience’s overall satisfaction & enjoyment, so do it! If you’re selling from a place of integrity, you ought to have no qualms about adding a a touch of wizardry to your approach. Give it a spin– and see how it works for you!
Marie Elwood runs an Atlanta marketing consulting firm that helps top organizations achieve their marketing objectives.