Don’t listen to what customers say, watch what they do. How observation can lead to insight.
An insight is more than just an observation, it’s an Aha! moment, a sudden shift in perspective that reveals a deeper understanding of a situation. Unlike observations insights uncover the deeper reasons behind people’s behaviours, values and decisions.
By understanding what insight is and how it comes about, it becomes easier to uncover your own insights.
Gary Klein identifies different types of insights that trigger these shifts in understanding:
Connections – Making new connections by applying knowledge from one field to another.
Coincidences – Recognising patterns that reveal something new.
Curiosities – Investigating anomalies that don’t fit expectations.
Contradictions – Spotting inconsistencies between beliefs and reality that lead to new understanding
Creative desperation – Finding novel solutions under pressure.
Here's an example of how observation led to insight:
Our client launched an automated nucleic acid sample prep device to replace manual processing. Despite a strong marketing push and initial interest, sales were disappointing. Something wasn’t adding up.
We went into the lab to observe what was really happening. Here’s what we found:
Sample prep was just a small step in a much longer process. Since experiments could take weeks, this step wasn’t done frequently enough for automation to feel necessary.
Lab staff customised their methods depending on sample type. They saw sample prep as an art, making manual tweaks to get the right results. This was something that an instrument couldn’t do.
However, consistency was a major concern. Scientists worried that all the manual steps involved could affect reproducibility. Having uniform quality across all samples was crucial because the next step in the process, sequencing, is expensive and time consuming.
The original positioning focused on time saving but this insight showed that the real issue was reproducibility. The messaging had to emphasise the instrument’s ability to deliver consistent, reproducible results.
Observing behaviour in context and not just relying on what people say they do, allows you to uncover their real motivations. And once you understand what truly matters to your audience, you can craft a message that resonates.