Many reasons exist for someone to start his own business or for a company to market new products. Even if you are not starting something new you are still in the situation where you are offering something to someone.

This could be an independent software developer producing some customized software application, a biotechnology entrepreneur trying to sell his potential blockbuster medicine or a musician playing music on the street.

The problem is that most of us are very focused on ourselves. What we have, what we do, what we can offer and what we want to get form that. When you catch yourself thinking “What can I do? What can I offer? How can I sell what I already have?” you should step back and take a look at the big picture again.

Here are some questions that should help you in this process:

1. What exactly is it that I am offering?

2. Who could be interested in that (a.k.a. Who are my customers)?

3. Why should anyone care about my offering?

4. Does my product or service increase anyone’s overall performance?

5. Does my product or service decrease anyone’s costs?

6. Are you really sure that your answers for 4 & 5 are realistic?

7. Why exactly should anyone choose you or your product and not someone else?

8. What could you do to improve the performance or decrease costs for someone?

Don’t get me wrong here. With these questions I don’t want to be overly pessimistic. All I want to do is to think about your business not from the point of “What’s in it for me?” but from the point “What’s in it for them?”. Because at the end of the day, everyone is thinking more about himself than they are thinking about you – so you better give them a good reason to do business with you!