Let’s take the pressure off innovating
María Lucía Villegas
Strategy ConsultantSometimes we fall short on how to keep our customers happy and lose our minds thinking of new, innovative strategies that will take us to the next level. I think one of the many reasons for this is that the popularization of the term “innovation” has elevated our expectations on both, how we consume and how we offer products and services. What we sometimes fail to acknowledge is that innovation is there, in plain sight and screaming “look at me”.
So maybe all we need to do is look.
Look at what you may ask. Well for starters look at your customers, you already have a base of loyal customers that are willing to give you the necessary information to implement innovative strategies that will fulfill their needs. But you also need to look at other businesses’ customers.
We tend to forget that our consumers are not only ours and they have different purchasing habits that you can have as a reference to go deeper into some factors that don’t necessarily impact directly your business but are potential drivers. For example, Rappi, which started as a delivery service branded as a local grocery store, now they’ve grown to the point where they are as big as a virtual mall.
Other practices you can look up to are from different industries, take other businesses’ strategies into consideration and adapt them to your market, offer and customer. This way you can come up with innovative solutions that haven’t been implemented in your industry.
Finally, this is a reminder that innovation processes and methodologies are flexible and are, themselves, constantly changing. Considering this you can take that pressure off and remind yourself that there isn’t a right way to do it, but researching and looking at what may seem obvious will lead your process to new places.
Written by María Lucía Villegas
Lu provides expert guidance in shaping business strategies and achieving growth. Her analytical skills and industry insights help clients navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities.