Wisdom is an increasingly valuable commodity in this world

People pay thousands of dollars to pursue it from the wise or otherwise. But the jury is out on whether they’ll ever find wisdom, and whether they really know if they saw it.

Traditional consensus says “wisdom is knowledge applied at the right time in the right situation to get the right result”. But, our Viking forebearers saw it very differently, and in some ways, their definition is better.

In Viking mythology Odin, desperately wanted wisdom. Because Vikings don’t do G-rated myths, Odin was forced to sacrifice an eye to Mimir for a sip at the well of wisdom. But that wasn’t enough. Odin then hung himself from Yggdrasil, the world tree for nine days, and stabbed himself with a spear.

After his ordeal was complete, Odin gained wisdom and knowledge. He saw the world in a new way – he could understand what motivated other people, and foresee the consequences of his actions. He could read, and so understand the mysteries of the universe. And, he could interpret the thoughts and memories brought to him daily by his pet ravens.

To the Vikings, wisdom was about the cause and effect of applying knowledge, not just knowing how to use it. That required understanding the motivations of yourself and others around you, and the long-term implications applying that knowledge would have. To be wise required a constant acquisition of knowledge, thought, and memory from others, (hence the ravens).

Understanding wisdom fundamentally changes the game. Imagine knowing WHY someone is buying your products or services, or why they reached out to your business. You’d be able to perfectly focus your time so you could close sales and profitably perfect the products or services you offer.

That’s what Arm & Hammer did in the 1960s. Market research uncovered that their customers used baking soda for more than just baking. They were using it in their fridges, litter boxes, laundry detergent, on their carpets, and to even freshen their breath. There were literally millions of dollars of new product lines just waiting to be developed!

By 1981, Arm and Hammer developed laundry detergent, toothpaste, soaps and personal deodorants, dishwasher detergent, cat litter, and more. Understanding their customer’s underlying jobs-to-be-done turned Arm and Hammer from a $332 million dollar brand in the 60’s into a $1 Billion dollar brand by 2016.

Wisdom isn’t out of reach. It just comes with a price tag, and that is talking to your customers to uncover the progress they’re trying to make so you can do a better job of helping them make it. If you want to be wise, talk to your customers. It’s a small price to pay for a priceless commodity.

Let’s have a conversation about how this applies to you and your agency. Schedule an appointment here or reach out to zac@homericconsulting.com.