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A little change in perspective can change everything. This is expressed very well in a Youtube video by Gaelen Abt, aka The Style Sherpa. In her recent Youtube video, “Making Quantum Leaps”, she spoke about how a shift in perspective need not be a giant quantum leap, but instead can simply be a small shift away from normal which yields a totally different perspective.
She gave the example of lenticulars. Although you may not be familiar with the word, you have definitely seen examples. It is a technology used in printing where lenticular lenses are used to create a printed image with an illusion of depth. Essentially, two different images are produced, each printed on a separate substrate (paper, coffee mugs, pens, etc.). Then an ultra-thin lenticular plastic is aligned with the interlaced images so that, when the viewer changes their perspective just a bit, the alternate image appears.
I, for one, have always thought “how do they do that?” Well, now I know, and so do you.
This prompted me to ask “what if we used Gaelen’s change of perspective notion as a way to view our businesses?
If we realign our perspective through the eyes of our clients, how we approach and market our businesses may change dramatically. There can be great strategic advantages with the proper perspective.
First and foremost, DON’T allow the vision you have for your company to solely focus in on what you need. Your primary focal point should be on what your client needs. Don’t take this to suggest that you ignore your own values, style, creativity, and yes, vision for your company. Lay these out first, keep them top of mind, and you’ll never go wrong.
In his book “Getting Everything You Can Out of All You’ve Got”, Jay Abraham defines the difference between a customer and a client. “A customer is a person who purchases a commodity or service”, while a client is “A person who is under the protection of another.” As the author clarifies “there’s a massive difference in the way a person who does business with you could or should be treated.” To be under your protection means “that you don’t sell people a product or service just so you can make a large one-time profit.
A better option is to understand and appreciate exactly what your client needs when they do business with you—even if they are unable to articulate that exact result themselves. Once you know what they need, you lead them to that outcome—you become a trusted adviser who protects them.
And they have a reason to remain your client for a lifetime.”
Your business is a real-life lenticular. It can project two different images depending on perspective, and you can’t afford to ignore either of them.
Carl Jung, Swiss psychiatrist, psychoanalyst and philosopher wrote “Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”
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