Many times you are faced with an opportunity and you are not quite sure what to do with it. Sometimes this means a missed opportunity for you or your business. One of the ways to ensure you do not find yourself in these sort of situations is to start thinking like an innovator. Now that word is used a lot and most of us would like to think we innovate and sometimes we probably do provide innovation to some extent, but to be a true innovator you need to think like an innovator in every part of your life.

There are a few steps and items you can put in place to help you move towards this goal. Most of these just entail changing the way you think about things and then making a decision to incorporate them into your every day thinking:

1. Create Meaning — Just do not create a product for the sake of creating a product. Work to create a product that is needed and desired by potential customers. Now most people would say that is exactly what we do, but I say maybe and maybe not. I see so many new products on the market all the time, but very rarely is there a product that both fills a need and is not just a copy of something someone else has already done.

2. Have a vision statement — Create a vision statement that encompasses the ideals you wish to market to the world. This does nto and should not be a paragraph. A vision statement of an innovator should be short and easy to remember. Once you have defined your vision then every decision you make should be related to accomplishing your vision.

3. Take Chances — Do not be afraid to step outside the norm and create your own path. Follow the road less traveled and while you may make mistakes in your business you will also be the first one there when you have that really killer idea that transforms your business into what you dream it should be.

4. Push the envelope — When refining a current product, such as a software application. Do not just make incremental changes so you can slap a new version number on it and push it out to your customers. Create real value with each iteration and do not release until you have added substantial value to the product. This will not only help you to push the envelope further as time goes along, but will also help you to retain customers as you are creating real value for their money.

5. Attract the correct customers– Ensure the customers you have are the right ones and that you work to attract the correct customers. It’s better to have 10 customers who need what you offer than 100 who don’t need it. If your customers do not need your products then it will only be a matter of time before they become someone else’s customers. Listen to what your customers are asking for and then innovate to give the customers what they need. Fly by night marketers may be able to coerce a few people into buying something through scare tactics or seduce them with creative marketing, but in the end the reputation you build with your customers will do more to help your ultimate goals than a 1000 well crafted sales pitches. Making a sale today does not mean you will be able to make that sale tomorrow.

These are just a few of things required for you to start to think like an innovator. There are many more, but this is enough for now. Think about your goals and they will be achieved. Everything starts with the first step.

Filed under: Personal

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