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Wow- this book has already shaped my approaching with a new business I'm developing. The authors do a great job of providing contemporary examples of "tuned in" organizations (as well as those that are not-so-tuned-in) along with a simple set of frameworks and principles that will help me to stay connected. This is a great read and I highly recommend it.
For any business that wants to not only survive, but thrive, in the current chaotic times this book is a must read.
"Tuned In" describes the concept of resonators - products so in tune with the needs of the potential buyer that they sell themselves. My only caution is the area which focuses on process. The authors provide examples of resonators, how to go about achieving resonator status for your product or service, and even provide an example process for accomplishing this. I found the concept of the resonator worthwhile and similar in scope to achieving "viral" status. The outlined process should be considered as a guideline or starting point and not a guarantee of success. Great read for those involved in product development or anyone who owns a business.
What Tuned In does however, is provide us with a set of pragmatic actions that when followed, will direct you towards solutions that are: urgent, pervasive, and for which people are willing to pay money. If you think the primary purpose is to make money, you probably already are heading in a direction from which the authors of Tuned In would like to redirect you. Despite our years' of experience, we sometimes lose sight of why we develop products and services. The process and helpful hints contained in Tuned In are insightful. If instead your business is focused on listening the market (existing customers, potential customers, and non-customers) and hearing about what they need, then according to Stull, Myers and Scott - you are Tuned In. The idea of being market driven is not new or unique. One in particular: Building a prototype and showing it to prospects WITHOUT describing its benefits, sounded particularly intriguing. Letting the prospect tell you what THEY think it's good for, sounds so simple, but is universally far from what most marketeers do.Then once you've got your idea developed, the book goes on to prescribe refreshing messaging strategies that go well beyond most traditional marcom.Tuned In is a great "how to" guide for turning the product development process on its head and worth the time for even the most experienced entrepreneur.
An excellent example comes from Magnavox. "Tuned in." The company didn't tune in when it created Newton. Through this process, Magnavox stumbled on a problem we all have (including my own household) -- we lose our remotes on a regular basis.So what does the company do. In promoted "1000 songs in your pocket," Apple solved several problems: giving people a way to carry their songs in something small, making it easy to get songs from computer to iPod and creating a product that is easy to use.Not all stories in "Tuned In: Uncover the Extraordinary Opportunities That Lead to Business Breakthroughs" come from big and innovative companies like Apple.
It doesn't. In fact, the book tells about a tuned in magician (one-person business), niche camera (not a well-known brand), and a company's newsletter.Many companies fail to ask prospects what problems they need solving. Instead, they create a problem and a solution that they think people need. Why did Apple Newton fail while iPod succeeded. When a company knows its customers well enough, it knows where to find them and interview them to tune in.The book could use more examples especially of one-person or very small business stories like the magician who found his niche. Sometimes customers don't know that answer and the tuned in company must help them figure it out.
It added a button on its TV sets that locates the remote. This feature should become a standard for ALL TV-related products that come with a remote.Some employees think talking to friends and family helps them tune in.
The start of the book captivates, but then it drags by the middle as it falls in the trap of what some business books tend to do and starts spending too much time on its framework. The iPod was a different story.
They can't always be target customer for a company's products and services. Did the company think people needed more features on their TV sets.No.
Instead, Magnavox talked to customers asking them about the problems they had with their TVs. Here's where knowing customers enters the picture.
The examples draws the reader in more than anything else.For the most part, "Tuned In: Uncover the Extraordinary Opportunities That Lead to Business Breakthroughs" is a fast and breezy read offering valuable insight into the six-step process for tuning in by using real-life examples.
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