When I first entered the military in 1984, we got beat in the head with the KISS principle. While I am sure you know that KISS means “Keep It Simple Sir”, I wonder if you have applied it to your business, your marketing and your life.
Successful products offer a simple solution to a problem in our life. If the solution isn't easier than the product, the solution simply doesn't sell. The same is true for businesses of all kinds. For some reason though, the entrepreneurial curse makes us feel like we must do everything. The secret is to do everything in the background. One of my early mentors said “list everything you do, down to the last wire and charge for it, show your customers where the money went.” I did that for a while and it didn’t help at all. In fact it just took up a bunch of my time and cluttered up my brain.
Instant Results, Limited Efforts
Let’s take the iPhone for instance, and even now the Windows phone with "Tiles". They each do one job very well. The job of these “phones” is to help you “stay connected”. That’s it. Nothing else. All of the magic that keeps you connected is in the phone and the service. Instant results, limited effort.
Yes, you have the choice to buy games and other apps, but the phone comes ready for you to connect. Connect to friends, connect to customers, connect to the internet, connect to email and connect with text. And all of this is easier than doing the same things on that little flip phone you used to have or you wouldn't have bought it now would you?
Windows Tiles for Windows phones and the Microsoft Surface is a hit because it takes one step out of the process. Tiles show you a picture of your world without you doing anything. The flaw (Mr. Balmer are you listening) is that the purpose of a desktop pc or even a laptop isn’t the same as a phone. Staying connected isn’t why I have a PC, it is why I have a phone and a tablet.
SImply put, Tiles on a work PC don't work, because I need my PC to do work.
Single Purpose Wins.
Maybe a better example is the new NEST thermostat. This is a very simple device that packs a lot of brain power in a small package. It is All you have to do is turn it up or down to set the temperature you like. It learns and eventually you do nothing. No more programming schedules that leave you in the cold on those winter holiday mornings because it is Tuesday and you should have gone to work. No more cooling the house while you are on summer vacation because you forgot to reprogram the thermostat.
The elegance of the design of the NEST is that on the outside, there is very little interaction, and on the inside is a massive amount of logic. If you want to be the super nerd and watch your energy usage on the fly, the NEST will let you do that, but like all new toys, the novelty will wear off and the only time you’ll even remember you have a NEST is when a visitor says “What’s that?”.
The easier the interface is for the customer, the more likely they are to play along and also pay. We can’t be experts in everything, and nobody really wants too. Business is no different. The easier you can make the connection to the customer, and the more “magic” you can take care of in the back ground, the happier your customer will be.
As customers we all say we want to know what it going on. The truth is, we just want to know the progress and know when we get what ever it is we bought. Think about it. If you file bankruptcy, do you care about every form, court date or filing unless you have to go to court? No, you just want to know that the creditors will stop calling, and the nightmare is closer to an end right? When you buy a car, 99% of us never have a clue what the engine looks like. Why? Manufacturers have covered it with a big piece of plastic to make it look nice.
I have a new voice activated GPS. While it is pretty smart, it is no Siri. I have four portable GPS devices sitting in my garage. The one in my truck is simply the easiest to use. It has XM traffic so it does magic while I just listen to music and drive. I don’t care about the magic or how it works. I could use my iPhone with Siri, but quite frankly, her new maps and navigation don't compare (Apple map guys are you listening?). KISS doesn't mean make the product simple, it means make the inputs to and from the customer simple.
What is your "Secret Sauce"?
It is funny how many times a new client will ask me how we do it. SEO clearly isn't that easy or everyone would do it.
I just respond, “We don’t sell the secret sauce” and yet my book is right here for sale. The big picture of what we do is all right here for under $20. The difference is followup. When you pay me, you will be reminded to simplify at every corner. Your marketing is never put on the back burner and as you simplify your business, income will go up, relative costs will go down and so will your stress level.
What is your Secret Sauce? Can you do it better and cheaper than you customer can do it for themselves?
If you still have that entrepreneurial urge to go out and do more, I can’t do a thing about it right now. I took up Chump Car Racing, paddle boarding and bought a new bike. What will you do?
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Thank you for your insights.