Why Henry Ford’s “Genius” Quote is Stupid BS

Today is Henry Ford’s birthday — which seems like as good a day as any to bash Henry Ford.

Let’s start with that quote about a horse.

Ford allegedly said: “If I’d asked customers what they wanted, they would have told me, ‘A faster horse!'”

Dumb quote.

(Disclaimer: There’s no concrete proof he actually said that. But he’s gotten the credit. And some people cite that quote as evidence of Ford’s innovative genius.)

A few years ago I asked my online family what they thought of the quote, and several toed the “innovative genius” line.

Several told me Ford was a visionary who saw something his prospects did not.

One told me: “…Ford wasn’t  concerned or focused with finding out what people wanted. He saw something he decided people should have and went about creating a desire in the minds of the people for his products.”

Sure enough, that quote implies customers don’t know what they want.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have foresight to know what people want before they do, create a product to answer that want, and then conjure up desire for our genius creation? 

Yeah, that would be nice.
But that’s not how it works.

Henry Ford — or whoever came up with that horse quote — was full of sh%*! And you’re going to step in it…

…if you ignore what people want, decide what they should have, and try to create desire. 

I lay it out in the Story Power Profit Pack — point #8: 

(Story Power Principle 1) Focus first on PROSPECTS’ emotional journeys. Understand all you can about your prospects. Where are they now (frustrations, struggles, problems, pains)? Where do they want to go (dreams, aspirations, cravings)? And how can your products, services, or information enable them to journey from their before (where they are now) to their after (where they want to go).

Three critical business lessons here: 

1) People buy OUTCOMES, not products/services. 

2) We don’t create desire in the marketplace. We merely TAP DESIRE.

3) Our job: Listen to customers and prospects to understand what they desire, create products/services to fulfill that desire, and craft sales stories that demonstrate how our products/services deliver that fulfillment. 

That dumb quote implies Joe Public’s desire for a “faster horse” is worthless.

(Don’t ask them what they want; they’re stuck in the horse age.)

But if you had asked Joe Public what they want, they would have said…

…speed…

…comfort…

…endurance/distance.

And that’s exactly what the automobile gave them. 

Sure, people couldn’t imagine a buggy powered by a four-cylinder internal combustion engine. Sure, they thought they needed a better horse. 

But they’re not buying the horse or the automobile. They’re buying  faster, farther, and more comfortable. 

Ford knew that.

Ford DID listen to what the public wanted. He heard their desires. 

He tapped into those desires. He created a product that would fulfill those desires. And he crafted stories to show how his Motor Company delivered the promised fulfillment. 

Ford deserves credit for all of that. 

But Ford — or whoever crafted that “faster horse” quote — wanted all to believe he was a wizard who knew better than everyone else, who saw what no one else could, who conjured desire for his visionary creations. 

That’s B.S. And it’s dangerous…

…Because it celebrates the guy who thinks he knows better than his customers…

…when the real winners in business are the ones who listen carefully to their customers, learn what they desire, and devise a better way to fulfill that desire. 

That’s good news for all of us who aren’t genius visionaries and conjurers.

~ Tom

p.s. I shared above point #8 from The Story Power Profit Pack. There are 51 others packed into the Pack. It’s the perfect reference guide for anyone who wants to transform their content from ignored to adored — so you stand out and get hired. Learn more and grab a copy here.