Ask for the 2nd Menu!

I spent a day last week attending blinded customer interviews. For those who have not experienced these, a market research agency hires respondents who fit a profile and does not tell them which company is doing the research to eliminate bias. We sit in a viewing room with a one-sided mirror observing the process.

There was one respondent I quickly dismissed as an incorrect hire as she did not know enough about the subject we were interviewing for. Later in the day, while collating my thoughts from the day it stuck me that perhaps many users in this segment are like her. They use our products daily but do not even remember which brand or model they hold in their hands. For us, our product is the most important thing but for them it is just another equipment they use for delivering patient care. I immediately went back to my notes on her session and YES, found 2 invaluable nuggets.

While driving back, I was asking a colleague who is of Chinese origin, tips for choosing a good Chinese restaurant in the US. He said "Ask for the 2nd menu. An authentic Chinese restaurant would often have a 2nd menu for the real food and an English one for the food that local Americans want to eat."

How many times do we dismiss ideas or people based on initial perceptions? Makes me want to ask for 2nd menu's in every interaction I have and keep stepping out to have more of these interactions.