Here’s to the innovators.  Innovators ask simple questions. These are the customers who ask, “Why not?”

Their vision for future improvement drives their curiosity. The innovators may appear high-maintenance at first.

But, for every customer who asks “Why not?” it is assumed that hundreds more feel likewise but were either afraid or too preoccupied to ask.

Listening to one customer’s concern and implementing their suggestion improves our products and services to benefit the hundreds of silent customers.

Pat Enochs at Tulsa Tech helped to improve my company’s educational materials because he asked a simple question about our exam and textbook page number correlation. Enochs is concerned about the students and their education.

You might say that his students are also his customers.

Innovators ask simple questions

When I showed Jimmy Hawley and Terry Hodges our improved lesson plan and instructor’s guide and explained that Enochs’ question drove the innovation, they were not surprised.

Jimmy and Terry started conveying stories about Enochs’ innovations in helping students be their best.

Click above photo to enlarge

A short time later, Jimmy handed me his cell phone and Enochs was on the other end.  I thanked him for his suggestion and he thanked me for listening.

Yes, our customers can be our best future improvement resource.  And all it takes is the willingness to listen.