Seeing things


Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things"

That was Steve Jobs in an interview.

And that's right, it's "just" seeing things and connecting them.

Creativity comes in a way that it sees something, it makes the connection and brings them successfully into another context / realm / discipline. (Marty Neumeier — Metaskills )

And Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (I know, almost impossible to read/write/pronounce correctly), author of "Flow" and "Creativity" defines creativity as "the ability to see (opportunities)".

You and your business —you see things. Opportunities. Another way of seeing not only the problem, but the approach, and the solution.

Now the question to you is: What do you see?

Rod Aparicio

Get one tip, question, or belief-challenge that just might change the way you market, to help your customers buy. A *daily* email for b2b founders on improving your business —without the bullshit.

Read more from Rod Aparicio

How do you get to the 4 questions to figure out where you are in the mind of your prospect? With an empty mind. Without previous judgement, Without a solution. Without being in solution-mode (ready to fix the problem on the spot). You go in blind, as in a blind-date. To listen. To see if there's a fit. To understand if/how you can help. To say No when it feels like a No. That's your gift: knowing you're in control. To help.

To have advantage in a sales conversation. you'd wanna ask 4 things: What's the new status in the future when everything's going amazing. What's the reason behind the specific solution they're after. What's the urgency of doing it NOW, and not in a year. What's the reason for them to be even talking to you. Getting the answers to these questions will let you know where you stand —in the mind of your decision-maker, in the process, and compared to the alternatives.

To do this, you need to stop thinking inwards. It's got nothing to do with your costs, your efforts, with how much sacrifice you put into. It has nothing to do with how much you think it's worth. It's got nothing to do with your pocket. It's all about your customers. About their situations. What they value. And with their pockets. If it's worth to them, they'll find the way. And it's them who define what expensive is. Not you. :)