If I were to ask you “What are some of the key opportunities for your business right now?”, chances are you would start thinking about your key offerings and how they serve your customers’ needs.
There are however, much more scope for hidden opportunities at the edges where your offerings stop and the wider world begins.
Think of one of your customers. What are the peripheral pains that are associated with that customer using your offering?
For example, if you were a newsagent, one of your customers’ peripheral pains could be the lack of shelter from the rain outside your shop. If you were a cleaner, one of your customers’ peripheral pain could be a lack of a trusted third party nearby (because they live alone).
These are opportunities for your business to provide that extra value-add to help you rise above your competitors. Think a drive-through newsagency. Think a cleaner that also provides a home-helper service – spare key delivery when you are locked out, pet patting when you are away, and delivery receipt when you are at work.
What are some of the peripheral pains of your customers?
