Recently, at London Gatwick Airport I got to touch the iPad for the first time. Of course, it was sold out and the display piece was the only one left and of course it was not for sale. According to the shop assistant, that one shop alone sold 3000 of them in less than a week and I guess across UK, hundreds of thousands must have been sold. What is with these products from Apple, I wonder? Will it ever happen in my industry? Can we come up with a breakthrough product or service which people want to buy before it is even launched? We can only daydream.
A potential buyer calls, ‘Hi there...we have some offshore IT services work for you...can we discuss?’...
‘Sorry sir...we are sold out...you have to wait three months...’
Something tells me that conversation will never happen. Apple is something special.
Or is it?
There are others out there managing to sell the right products or services at the right price and right place. Like the really bare bones B & Bs near Gatwick airport which sell terrible but sufficient hotel rooms at 39 pounds including breakfast! Or those kiosks selling clear Ziplocs just before Airport security so you can show the whole world what your brand of toothpaste is! Or those selling use-your-UK-plug-anywhere adapters in the departure duty frees.
In any business, it should be possible to come up with products or services that customers would have a strong desire and incentive to buy. The hard part is deciding what that would be and then having the conviction and courage to build it. Of course, it is easier said than done and very few companies get it right if at all. Those that seem to get it right every single time seem to see stupendous Success.
What about Apple? They are plain unique!
