Data Diet, Versus Going With Your Gut.

Yes, data is a staple of our daily diet, but sometimes you just have to go with your gut.

Data is essential. Data lets us incrementally change and improve on just about any task or really, just about anything.

The amount of social media consumption in our daily lives – it’s almost insane. It is constantly evolving and changing to “improve” our lives! Think about our daily items: your PC (or MAC if you are that person), the automobile, heck, the toilet you use. They ALL started out as “crap” compared to what they are now—they were all improved thousands of times over the years through a data-driven evolution until they arrived on your desk, or driveway… or the bathroom of the future.

I sat and waded through two hours of a data driven drowning session today to listen to an automotive vendor explain to me why they are so relevant. How many times consumers visit the site, and then come in because of the vendor’s site, to buy our product. How they are influencing  consumers… and they could prove it. NOT! Even though they claim to have finite data, and can show us, there was one fundamental unanswered question. “Can you prove the consumer, which was on your site, viewed our product/inventory THEN bought from us?”

NO. They cannot. They claim they can, with all of the amazing data, graphs, and pie charts presented eloquently on their laptops and tablets; but the short answer is NO.

Sometimes, data, it’s still not enough.

You have to ask the right questions. Questions to the vendor, but also questions to the customer. There is magic in nurturing a real live relationship and listening to your customers. With all of the ways we have to connect, we miss really connecting with people. Once you are clear and certain, that is the time, and then, we also need to take a leap. To leap without sufficient or finite data. To ask, get a sufficient (enough) answer, real relationship data and go with your gut and your humanity.

Relationship, instincts, belief, and SOME data, enough data, allow you to go first, without being 100% certain, but still being sure.