(Photo by Jacob Bøtter)

We all think that our ideas are the best ones. Our way is the right way. Our views are the right worldview. But in business, it doesn’t truly matter what you think about your offering – it’s what your customers think about it that matters.

If you spend thousands of dollars developing a new amazing cutting-edge product and it doesn’t sell – is it because your product was bad or because it’s not the right offering at the right price at the right time? If you create a beautifully scripted television show, but no one tunes in, is your audience stupid? If you use organic healthy ingredients that taste delicious to you, but everyone else spits out the food, who’s right?

There’s a fine line between being on the cusp of the next new thing and being insanely wrong. You can do all the focus testing you want. You can hire all the best consultants. But until people vote with their wallets, you really don’t know if you’re about to be famous or infamous.

“Do you want to be right or do you want to be happy?” could be rewritten for business as, “Do you want to be right or do you want more customers?” Lead your customers to your better offer. Unless you have a huge budget, you’re better off focusing your efforts meeting your customers’ needs today rather than trying to teach them why they’re wrong.

Bottom line: Spend your time testing your offerings frequently to best understand the pulse of your customers.