Forces of Progress
Forces of Progress are a representation of how customers hire and fire solutions—the forces that cause customers to switch to or away from a product/service.
The primary forces are the “Push” and “Pull.” A Push is something that pushes us out of our current situation. One example is the Push we all experience mid-afternoon. This is the point in our circadian rhythm that we are least alert. That Push links up with the Pull of solutions to our mid-afternoon slump. The Pull is the attraction of something new.
There are many products that we “hire” to solve this slump: coffee, running shoes/kit, naps, energy drinks, etc. (See my short blog on 5-hour Energy.)
Notice that the solutions we hire are neither based in product categories or customer demographics. Also, the Push and Pull must occur at the same time/place.
The minor forces are the things that, in principle, can prevent adoption of a solution that solves the Push with an appropriate Pull. The anxiety of the new and our old habits can counteract the linked Push-Pull.
These counteracting forces matter—and their resolution is often the object of the work of smart salespeople—but they cannot be resolved outside the specific context of the matched Push and Pull.
