Years ago, I practiced taichi sword a lot so I thought about swords a lot. It goes with the territory. What makes a good sword, a good handle, the types of steel, the edge, etc. are all things to consider. So I educated myself on the ins and outs of all things sword-sy.
I came across a great sword that was a practice replica but it was closely modeled on a real honest-to-goodness authentic sword. The maker went out of their way to make good quality replicas for practice and I admired their dedication. I tried out a model and was super impressed — this thing was light years beyond what most people were practicing with. So I decided to take one around and show folks to see if there was any interest in buying it — if so, I’d consider importing and selling it.
To my shock and horror, the sword was roundly rejected by nearly everyone. “This is nothing like a real sword,” they said. People complained about the weight, the edge, the look, the feel, you name it and it was apparently wrong. I asked almost everyone what they were comparing it to and guess what they pulled out? The cheapest fake aluminum taichi swords you’ve ever seen. Everyone of these things was poor quality but here’s the catch — it was the only thing these people had ever seen and was the first sword they ever held. It was what they practiced with everyday and trying to convince them of the value of a higher quality model was like talking to a wall. “But it doesn’t feel the same,” they said. Ugh.
In life and in business we often assume that people will upgrade to a higher quality model if one is made available but that often isn’t the case. A previous model may meet a basic need and the fact that someone started with that inferior product may PREVENT them from wanting to upgrade. It’s surprising until you’re on the other side with the higher quality product or service.
I’m looking at buying golf clubs now and maybe a bow (I love archery). I was looking at getting a basic set of clubs when this lesson came back to me. Will what I start with shape the way I look at other clubs? Will I appreciate a higher quality set of clubs later or will I reject them because they “don’t feel right”?
Hmmm…..