People seldom start with a simple system. They start with a complex system and try to work back from it tweaking and modifying. There are better ways.
I usually respond with Gall’s Law: “A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked. A complex system designed from scratch never works and cannot be patched up to make it work. You have to start over with a working simple system.”
Interweaving has started to sneak into my vocabulary lately to explain market shaping. When people talk about acquisition or sales funnels they think of this linear progression or step by step process. Most CRMs are built this way demonstrating a dashboard so you can measure effectiveness and efficiency.
That may work for a mature company with a transactional product and a defined and mature sales process (a lot of ands). It seldom works for a start-up there are just too many unknowns. Interweaving fits my idea of market-shaping or the process of finding the product(service)/market fit.
I think we spend to much time trying to be clever or manipulate customers through these magical sales funnels. The alternative path is to think of them as learning zones.
My practice is to differentiate between clusters and provide value within those groups. I usually start with current customers and prospects because if I can’t add value there, why do I think I could for a stranger?
The Powerful Teaching method lays an excellent outline for how to think about delivering in the group/cluster:
Spaced Repetition: your marketing rhythm
Interleaving: a variety of content
Retrieval Practice: make your information memorable
