Sometimes it's about the journey

I'll admit it. I'm an impatient person. I like to get to where I'm going as quickly as possible. That's true for my Vision, my goals, and typically - even my road trips. So I was not initially excited when my wife "kidnapped" me this past week and told me we were going on a road trip.

Work has been stressful for awhile, and I've probably been less jovial than usual. Our 27th wedding anniversary is coming up, and she told me that we were going to escape life for a few days and head out to Gatlinburg, TN. I couldn't imagine what could be in Gatlinburg that was more important than what I was facing at work, but she persisted and we went.

My first reaction was to pull up Google Maps and determine the most direct route to get there. But along the way she insisted that we leave the Interstate and just drive through the countryside. Despite my discomfort in doing this, I went along with her request. And after awhile, it occurred to me that it was the journey that was important in this case. The experience of getting there. We stopped at a winery, toured a distillery and even ate at the birthplace of KFC.

Unlike most things I do in life, there was no agenda, no start or finish time and no due dates. It was just a time to be together and to take in the scenery. Why is it that this type of experience is so rare in our time-stressed culture? I have European friends that regularly take the entire month of August to just explore a new country or region. But we're so busy being busy that it seldom occurs to us.

We work with consumers all the time. They all complain that there is not enough time in the day to get everything done. Products that make them more efficient are highly desired, as they imagine gaining more free time through the use of them. In reality, if we could free up 30% of a person's time, how long would it stay unstructured?

Maybe the biggest unmet need people have is not simply a new product, but a change in perspective. Maybe we should focus on helping more people just enjoy the journey...

An Intriguing Relationship

We had an interesting conversation the other day at lunch about products we own. Most of our possessions primarily serve a functional or utilitarian role in our lives. Granted, we may have opted for a deluxe model, with extra bells and whistles, but once we’ve become accustomed to having it around, it becomes an everyday part of our lives.

There are a few things we own that we feel passionately about. You could say that we even have a “relationship” with these products. When thinking about my own life, only two current products come to my mind; my iphone and my Mini Cooper. When I shared that with my lunch companions, they were quite surprised… “What about the BMW you owned before?” they asked. I stated that while it was a great car, I had no strong feelings toward it one way or the other.

So that got my mind churning. Why is it that I have such strong feelings toward my current phone and my current car? What sets these apart from other such products that I have owned in the past? Eventually, it came to me. I had the unique opportunity to customize both of these products to perfectly satisfy my tastes and needs.

Unlike previous purchases, I specified my Mini from the ground up. Color, style and location of stripes, sun roof, interior trim & colors, features, sound system, handling controls, etc. The web site told me that there were over a million combinations, so my car would be unique. That sounded cool, but didn’t hit home until I got it and started driving the thing. I see Minis on the road everyday, but I’ve never seen one quite like mine. I loved my BMW when I got it too. But within a week of owning it, it seemed that every third car on the road was a silver X5 just like mine. I felt like I was driving an (expensive) commodity. Today I’m driving a less costly car, but one that feels like a true extension of me.

The iphone generates similar feelings. Granted, it seems like everyone has one these days, but as soon as you turn it on, you notice the differences. I have downloaded apps that are perfect for me. It has become my source of communication, navigation, entertainment and information.

Watch two iphone users in the same room, and they’ll be comparing the apps that they each have. Again, no two are the same.

This all begs the question. Is it important for your customers to have a “relationship” with your product? Is it even possible? All I know is that in my case these products have transformed from function to lifestyle. All because I got to “make them my own”. That’s got to be worth something.