Over the course of my marketing career, I’ve had the opportunity to work with all sorts of businesses. Some were open to being the first to try new things, others wanted to know who else was doing it before they would even consider it. Some businesses had an extremely high tolerance for risk, while others were very risk averse. But you know what – there wasn’t a strong correlation between the tolerance for risk and the willingness to try something new. Some of the most forward thinking customers weren’t teetering on the edge of the risk scale. A willingness to try something new isn’t always risky behavior. In fact, conversely, I would say a fear of trying something different may be even more risky, certainly from a marketing perspective. Sometimes it might be all that separates the Marketing Leaders from the Followers.
Where do you fit on the willingness to take the plunge first scale? What was the last thing you were first to try or at least came in on the left side of the bell curve?