I recently bought a new car. I was driving the large SUV that we “needed” when my kids were younger and it was on its last legs. I wanted to downsize, since my skills as a driver were sufficiently diminished as to make the large vehicle a menace to others.

I have 4 well defined buying criteria in seeking a new vehicle.

1. I wanted GPS to relieve the stress of always being lost or behind schedule, or both.
2. I wanted a port to plug in my iPod. After all, I continue to attend Auto University.
3. I wanted Bluetooth integration with my phone so I could be compliant with the law.
4. I wanted a back up camera. See above for the explanation.

I met several salespeople in this process and every one of them focused on the fuel economy of their vehicle. Guess what, I didn’t care. I was downsizing from a massive vehicle to a smaller one and I knew it would get better gas mileage.

They were focused on the wrong stuff. How often do we think we understand our value proposition when our clients think differently? I will bet more often that you think. Perhaps you could use a new set of eyes?