Searching for the next big thing? Aren’t we all.
We’re all want to discover the BIG IDEA that gets everybody excited and makes us rich. Well, if not rich, then at least popular because of afterall, who else thought of the pet rock! You showed creativity, original thought and insight into our behaviour where others have failed to take note.
How very Star Trek of you!
Now for the rest of us.
Most of us will walk on by empty storefronts and shopping malls that lack vibrancy and not ask, what next? What can I do with a small store?
If you’re in B2B industry, creating innovative products is harder. Departments are clearly segmented and skillsets are defined. Usually, B2B companies will create a formal committee for brainstorming ideas or strategy meetings. The probably with this is it usually the same people who don’t have a big idea, to begin with.
Three tips on how you can get the next BIG IDEA
- Do the opposite: Where there is a trend to go big, consider going small. Just like Twitter. Even retailers are doing this, where we have Wal-Mart that wants you to spend all day at one of their stores offering everything from clothing to food to pharmacy items, other retailers are going towards niche product offerings, such as just jeans and white shirts or only vintage.
- Look for underserved markets: This requires some research and analysis on your part but the pay off can sometimes be huge. Some of the questions that need to be answered are: why your competition not serving this market and what product or service is missing in this market. Be curious. Ask questions.
- Change it Up: We all do it. We start to work in a company or start our own and we begin to believe that we know it all. We know about the industry, the people we are serving and the product we are selling and that there is nothing left to learn. Try convincing a 25-year-old sales veteran that things need to change, now that’s a tough one to crack, but I digress. If you are looking for the next BIG IDEA, consider looking at other industries for ideas, listen to younger or older colleagues and look at your customer’s questions in a different pattern. Instead of just answering their questions, ask how can I serve them better? This could result in a new product!
Bonus tips
- Bring in new people to your brainstorming committee.
- Create a list of what if’s on a whiteboard. Nothing should be off the table.
Not all BIG IDEAS set out to change the world but your next BIG IDEA could be the one that will increase sales for your company and cement a leadership position for your brand.