In the last post, we talked about how the stories and relationships are what really motivate users to care about our products and services, but there is an even more fundamental dynamic that goes on for everyone to drive purchasing decisions. As you come to understand this dynamic more and more, you will realize how to cater to your audience, sell more, get more traction and have an overall better success rate with your customers.
From point A to point B
If you really think about why we do the things we do, it is because everyone is going from point A (current lifestyle, habits, physical condition etc.) to hopefully to get to point B (new salary, new location, healthier lifestyle, more time etc.). So the real question now becomes that, if your potential customers are indeed motivated by getting from one place in their lives to another.. how does your product or service help them do that? Keeping with the Facebook example from last time, it is clear that people not only value their relationships, but want to have a closer connection to those they care about. Facebook “solved” this problem by giving users the tools required to be more connected, and continue to push towards such a goal.
What about Google? People don’t just want a search engine to find things, they want to be educated. There is a clear and distinct difference between the two, as we only need to find things when we lack the knowledge in the first place. Understanding that users want to feel educated, have answers and therefore live a better life; their ideology of “organizing the world” makes sense.
Have you ever taken a step back to think about what makes a story REALLY good? I am not just saying what makes a story “ok” or “kind of interesting”. I am talking about the kind of stories that completely draw you in, and make you feel for each character within the story in a way that is hard to explain. You feel what they feel, you fear what they fear and you are completely engrossed in what is happening. If you look at WHY this is the way it is, you will notice a single reoccurring theme, it is always the relationships within the story that make you CARE.
One of the biggest problems that start-ups struggle with is how to make their potential users care about their product, their service in a sea of offerings. The common misguided ideology is that customers will pick them based solely on price, features, convenience etc. While these are all factors in the buying process, if the customer simply doesn’t care about why the product or service exists then it is all futile. So think about the connection that your product or service can have with your customers to build meaningful relationships (either directly or indirectly). Facebook has done a beautiful job creating relationship value indirectly for their users through creating a service that connects offline connections online. This service has garnished a valuation similar to Ford Motor company and at a breath taking pace.
In tomorrow’s post we will talk about the components that make a successful relationship just that, and help you understand how you can take your product and/or service and approach prospects in a way that gives it meaning, value and a relationship in their minds. Ready?
Now that I no longer have the burden (or joy actually) of school, as well as moving away from my job I have had the time and resources to really buckle down and spend my time online with my many ambitions. The really amazing thing with this though, has been that while I had always been spending a few hours each day on these web based initiatives, having the time to really put it all together has shown exponential returns. I am not telling you this to brag, or even to tip you off on the things I have been working on 
BUT, I bring this up instead to try and understand what the definition of “freedom” means to you?
Most people say that they want the stay at home job, but it is a TON of work and I think that most people are actually a little bit afraid at what this type of perceived success might do for them. To me, the notion of freedom is having the ability to spend time with your friends, family and be able to purchase enough quality in your life to be satisfied (which to every person means something different). I have had the wonderful opportunity to spend quality time with some pretty amazing elderly people recently and when I talk to them they all have the same type of response. When I ask them what they would they change in life it is always something along the lines of “I have everything.”
This heart warming response has been because of their relationships in family and with friends. Having everything has NEVER had to do with the amount of money in their bank account, the car they drove when they were 20, 30, or even 50. It was the 60 years of marriage, the many kids they have had, the wonderful friends who have shared their lives with them.
So with this I ask, what does freedom mean to you?
