Connecting the Dots

It happened again this week.  Another company and another set of their employees not connecting the dots on an order that resulted in wasted time, effort and customer dissatisfaction.  No doubt, this situation is happening in almost every business across the country at some level and it could be avoided.

The case in point.  Purchased a flat screen tv from a major electronics retailer, having already purchased a Blu-ray DVD player from the same retailer a week before. Retailer's installation team was supposed to deliver the new tv, install the dvd player, set programming and remove and haul off the old 50" tv which was explained to be a stand on the floor model. The install team arrives without the new flat screen tv and has to return to the store which is located 25 miles away. When they return, they do the install--no problem--but return in a truck that is too small to haul off the old tv. So, the old tv is left in the garage awaiting a third trip by the retailer's team to haul off the old tv.  Three trips and a total of 5 or 6 hours for two people for a job that should have taken two people one hour.

Obviously, this company and these employees are not connecting the dots.

Reading Seth Grodin book from 10 years ago about creating such a remarkable and memorable product or service that it would have the same effect on the customer as would seeing a purple cow.

He advocates creating "remarkable" products that are targeted and developed especially for the early adopters of niche markets who will evangelize and spread the word about this new product.  Forget the thought that a "better" product regardless of how it is communicated, will really make a difference.  He suggests that marketing must identify the "edges" and create solutions that appeals to the fringe.  And, through the viral aspect of early adopters who spread the word about this remarkable product, the product will gain mass market adoption.

According to Grodin, even 10 years ago before the advent of social media, the world and practice of marketing has changed.  Niche products for niche markets with the communication targeted to early adopters who will spread the message like a virus.  He calls these people "sneezers".

What has been your experience implementing such a strategy generally...and then in specific markets that are much more demand/need driven like healthcare?