Note: this post originally appeared as a blog arc on my old Triquatrotiticale blog. I’m resurrecting the complete arc here as it’s referenced in That Think You Do‘s “The Liz Effect” chapter.
Enjoy!
This post is about looking in one’s mirror and dealing with what is seen. This post’s origin is being told that the reason a company will not use NextStage’s tools is because the tools are “…too accurate.”
First – and I suppose it truly is a first– note that one of the owners of a company is sharing a reason a prospect won’t use that company’s product.
Second, I’ve actually glommed comments from a few folks into this post.
Third, because it’s too accurate???
I did thank the company for their interest, explained that we could always do business in the future, so on and so forth.
Then I hung up the phone and went back to wondering “…because it’s too accurate“?
Let me clarify this a bit. I’m honored by their decision, specifically the reasons behind it. This company’s principals were declining because they were, indeed, principled, and in a way NextStage can completely understand; before they resold our tools they would use the tools on their own material.
But there was some fear in their voice when they said, “Your technology is excellent. Nobody questions its accuracy anymore. You’ve published enough, others have published enough, it shows up in scientific material, Chris Berry even told everybody at his eMetrics Toronto presentation that they should go with NextStage if they want scientifically provable and actionable results, so nobody questions whether or not NextStage tools are accurate anymore.”
(thank goodness, that! And thank you, Chris, for that)
And then the kicker came, “We’re afraid to find out we’re full of BlueSky…” (they used another term) “…or something worse, like our designs really do suck and we always knew they did but could never admit it to ourselves. If we use your tools then we’ll have no choice but to face the facts.”1 Continue reading ““It’s too accurate” (more undocumented uses of NextStage’s Evolution Technology)”