Have you ever noticed how people frequently say one thing but then do something else?
You only have to look at the exit poll results at election time to realise that how people say they voted isn’t always the same as how they actually voted.
You can probably think of other examples, too, and they should be a stark reminder for all of us in business that what people say and what people actually do are, often, remarkably different.
It goes further than that, though.
There have been several occasions when I’ve seen new products, services or even, on a couple of occasions, entirely new businesses that I was convinced would be winners, which turned out to be, if not disasters, certainly hugely disappointing.
On the flip side I’ve seen, on a couple of occasions, businesses which I never thought would work absolutely fly!
What this means for you is that no amount of thinking/researching/wondering/reviewing/consulting will replace the cold, harsh reality of actually trying to sell something.
In our world, taking something to market and seeking to persuade people to buy it is the only kind of poll that matters.
You learn loads about yourself and about your ability to communicate and understand your customers or potential customers, and the more you do it, the better you get at it – but you will still encounter the odd surprise.
So don’t forget - nothing happens in business until somebody buys something.
And it doesn’t matter what your customers say. It’s what they DO that’s important.
