I was reading an article on the web that was basically saying that the customer is not always right. It quoted Henry Ford as once saying, "If I asked my customers what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse".
We don't know as customers what products or services will captivate us so how do we as suppliers know what our customers don't?
The article went on to say that in order to remain essential, you have to think past what your customers know. You must solve the problems they've yet to encounter. Anticipate like a good fighter.
The danger here is that quotes like this one perpetuate the myth that innovation is somehow disconnected fom customers. That you are smarter than them and you will fly in like superman and save the day. Henry simply needed to ask "Why does the customer need a faster horse"? He would then have been able to sell them a vehicle that would get more work done.
Training and consulting firms should look hard at the services that they've been traditionally selling. If you have Measurable Management in your catalogue you don't have to sell them a faster horse.
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