You are a terrible focus group of one

You tell me you don’t leave voicemails because YOU don’t listen to your own.

You tell me you prefer to send text messages to prospects because that’s what YOU like to receive.

You tell me the sales process doesn’t work because YOU don’t like following it (so assume others won’t either).

You tell me Twitter won’t work in your industry because YOU don’t use it yourself.

You don’t like the new marketing copy because it wouldn’t compel YOU to engage or buy.

These are all valid criticisms assuming you’re selling to you and only you.  Unfortunately, markets are never that uniform.

Your personal preferences are going to be reflected in part of the market, somewhere, to some degree.  But if you assume your opinions and habits are held by everyone, you’ll miss out on a significant opportunity to engage others in a meaningful relationship – business or otherwise.

Instincts and intuition can be powerful tools, but I recommend the “trust but verify” method to ensure I’m not introducing a bias that will detract from my ability to focus, execute and succeed.

The better you know your market, your customers – and the more experience & data you’re able to collect – the better your instincts and intuition will become.  Just be aware you’ll always bring a personal, even selfish bias to the table that might cloud your thinking, your strategy and your potential.