The Human Capital Telescope

According to Kim Chan and Renee Mauborgne, jointly ranked second in the biennial Thinkers50 list of business and management thinkers for 2011 there are three types of non-clients that value technology can potentially bring on board.

The first tier of non-clients comprises those sitting at the edge of the market. These purchase your products and services on very rare occasions. They make grudge purchases. To illustrate, they may have a sim card from a telephone network that they use once in a while. These are ready to become repeat clients if they are offered a leap in value.

Second, can we come up with an offering that engenders simplicity? That is, does engagement or interaction with your potential offering entail intuition-based use, comprise few and easy- to- follow steps? Capitec Bank has successfully pulled this lever to court the unbanked and pursuant to this agreement-banked in South Africa. Belatedly, the big four banks in South Africa are as well trying to pull this lever to counter Capitec Bank. Apple's products are built on a simplicity-for-the-customer philosophy.

Third, can our potential offering bring convenience? Does it allow people to assume control of the timing and location of accessing your offering? Can your offering afford people several options to access it? Zimbabwe Telecommunications' new player, Broadacom, is pulling this lever.

Broadacom has introduced a mobile Voice over Internet Protocol phone which one can carry with them. This is opposite with other VoIP providers who are offering IPX-based phones which are not very different from fixed phones, as mobility is confined to the premises.

The same phone device Broadacom is offering as well allows connection to the internet. Grudge users of fixed telephones may be wooed.

Broadacom, to illustrate, appear to have strategically thought about the third stage of the buyer cycle to create differentiation--their VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone comes as a ready-to-use gadget, obviating installation costs. On the minus side, there is a maintenance challenge as their VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone has a battery to be recharged.