Judging by appearances

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Seeing the sun and feeling the warmth of early summer – finally – is very welcome. And being this early in the season means both men and women are wearing clothes that expose more, but before developing that attractive, but all-too-brief tan. This is the period of product enhancement.

If you are searching for a mate, now is the time to judge appearance.

While appearance is only one factor in a relationship, it is often where a relationship starts. That’s true whether the ‘relationship’ in question is with a product, or a person. That’s why the car industry spends a shed load of money on design, why companies like Apple obsess about it and why fake spray-on tans sell a bundle.

So why judge now?

Because now is when you get to see what will only be temporarily enhanced later with the benefit of tanning. Now you can judge the basic, underlying qualities of the pallid ‘product offering’ without being seduced by the shallow surface sheen.

Businesses could make a useful change to the way they operate in just the same fashion:
- By engaging with new companies as they begin to grow you can influence the way they develop and the level of service you receive;
- By engaging early on with new products you can help determine the features and benefits of the finished item to your own advantage;
- By taking on young employees, not only do you invite fresh thinking and enthusiasm untrammelled by unfortunate experiences elsewhere, you are also in a prime position to train them the way you would prefer.

Early adoption has its risks – but they are demonstrably no greater than those inherent in the typical wait-and-see strategy that misses boats and has expensive catch-up consequences, or the head-in-the-sand posture so tempting to all your competitors.

Early exposure also works for new companies, new products and new employees. The sooner you can get external feedback and outside input, the sooner the rough corners are smoothed out and the true value recognized. Waiting for ‘just the right time’, or ‘one more improvement’, or ‘the perfect opportunity’ risks being still stuck in the starting blocks when the race is already over.

Plough a new furrow. In business you do not even have to wait for the sun.