Ask the Customers, Stupid

The last episode of “The Apprentice” decided the Final Four in America’s most-watched job interview. This challenge’s winner — the team that designed the best office clutter-buster for Staples — would best reflect the office supply giant’s slogan: “That was easy.” But easy, as it turns out, was complicated for team NetWorth.In the 13th week of the contest, Net-Worth’s duo of legal eagles, Alex and Bren, were battered and bruised from their last tough loss, but found strength in the strong friendship they had developed during the program. Alex, NetWorth’s optimistic project manager, proclaimed this a “do-or-die” assignment.By contrast, Magna’s winning three-member squad, Craig, Tana, and Kendra, were locked in an ugly fight between project manager Craig and Kendra, who had immunity from being fired. Yet the battling Magna members knew they had to get past the personal and get down to business. They laid their differences aside and came up with a simple, customer-friendly product that impressed a panel of Staples executives.Magna won a resounding victory, and was treated to breakfast with Donald Trump’s hench-people, George and Carolyn, in Manhattan’s Rainbow Room. Meanwhile, in the boardroom, despite Alex and Bren’s mutual admiration society, Alex proved hungrier. He attacked Bren as someone who is uncomfortable with risk, and Bren, agreeing he is a risk-taker in training, failed to defend himself — a death wish in Donald-land. His weakness under siege earned bow-tie-wearing Bren a trip from the suite to the street.Turning PointsThis episode, like many before it, hinged on getting input from prospective customers before taking a product to market. Hindsight being 20-20, the NetWorth losers should have simply followed Magna’s lead and asked consumers and judges what they wanted, face-to-face. The feedback Magna received, which led the team to remodel and improve an existing product, brought them closer to winning. By contrast, NetWorth tried to phone in a victory — literally. Alex and Bren’s idea of polling office managers to get their best desk clutter-busting ideas was to do it by smiling and dialing. But as any true Trump-ologist knows, failing to consult customers in-person is an idea that is one Post-It shy of a full pack. As it turns out, office managers are highly skilled at the art of dodging inquisitive phone calls. When they tried to call Staples executives, NetWorth found they have excellent call avoidance skills, too. Magna, by contrast, met directly with customers and with the judges. NetWorth’s outreach efforts just ended up in voice-mail jail.Absent any input from the judges or customers, NetWorth’s confused counselors designed blind. They sketched what they called The Pack Rat, a wildly impractical desk with a hinged, Plexiglas top, under which they placed a nest of baskets for stashing papers and supplies. Magna, armed with a wealth of advice, designed a simple stackable rack on a lazy Susan that Staples dubbed the “Desk Apprentice.” When the Staples judges and a focus group of office managers voted Magna’s product superior, NetWorth once again met The Donald in the boardroom. This time, not even Bren’s Southern charm could protect him from hearing “You’re fired!”Lessons LearnedLESSON ONE Not taking a poll takes a toll. Magna polled customers directly by going to Staples stores, looking at what was in shopping carts, and asking customers what they wanted. They met directly with Staples executives.This move was vintage Donald Trump — a true fanatic of face time if ever there was one. Unarmed with evidence on either their judges or the jury, the two lawyers of NetWorth went into the courtroom unprepared. And Mr. Trump proclaimed them both guilty of stupidity.LESSON TWO Easy is not so easy. It’s been said that success is the result of 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. With Staples as a sponsor — the company whose slogan is “that was easy” — contestants could have been lulled into a sense that this challenge was a snap. NetWorth’s mistake was in relying on Alex’s “inspiration” to avoid the “perspiration” of designing a winning product from direct customer input.LESSON THREE In Trumpland, entrepreneurs are the highest form of life. And The Donald’s form of entrepreneurship values highest those who take risks and win. After all, he has repeatedly bet it all and won (most of the time) on some real long shots — Manhattan real estate in the 1970s, an airline in the 1980s, casinos in the 1990s, and reality TV today. In the boardroom, Alex proved that he was worthy of staying on the good ship “Apprentice” for another week because he is more of a risk-taker than Bren. To accusations of being risk-averse, Bren pleaded mea culpa, and paid the price.Mr. Whitehead is a consultant on work styles and careers. E-mail your comments to trumponomics@aol.com.

Ask the Customers, Stupid

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