The sale of the first GoPro camera didn’t begin when the customer walked through the retailer’s door. It didn’t even begin with the huddle of engineers in the tiny innovation department at the factory. The first sale began in the lineup, as the surfers waited to catch a wave.

A marketer’s story typically starts with her idea—with the thing she has to sell. But if you look at any business that has taken off, you will notice that there is a step before the creation of a remarkable product, which lies at the intersection of what the potential customer really wants and what the market doesn’t offer.

Sales and marketing are less about persuasion and more about understanding. The trick is to know who is in your lineup and what they care about.
It’s far easier to succeed at making things people want, than it is to make people want things.

Image by Steven Worster.