Flying None...

Beth and I watched a couple episodes of “The Flying Nun” this week.

In one episode of the 1967 sitcom, Sister Bertrille (the flying nun) starts a “sea grape” juice business in the convent. The problem: there’s no market for the juice. In a comic turn of events, it ferments. There’s no market for the wine either, but they’re now operating an illegal winery. By time authorities trace the wine back to them, it’s turned to vinegar. It’s not illegal to make the vinegar, but there’s still no market for it. Ha. Ha. Ha.

The lesson here is not that 1960 sitcoms are corny, but that many organizations start with a product in mind, not a market. Marketing-centered organizations segment their organization by markets, not products.

The lesson? Work backwards: begin with the end in mind. Knowing what people want and creating it is much more productive than asking what you can make and trying to create a demand for it.

Homework: What’s the connection between your market and your product? Do you have one flyer, website or ad campaign to reach all your market segments? How can you become more customer-centered than product-centered?