“Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.” – Henry David Thoreau.
Don’t you agree?
Sometimes we can get completely bogged down by detail. Our heads throb with a whirlwind of overwhelming information. Digesting all of that data is a brain-frazzling nightmare.
It’s no wonder we welcome simplicity into our lives with open arms.
Most people have heard that phrase, “Keep it Simple, Stupid”. Well, there’s a reason that exists. Simplicity is golden. With simplicity, you get focus. You get clarity.
But… simplicity can be a dangerous concept sometimes.
Here’s how:
Oversimplification = Complication
When we’re so hell-bent on creating something simple, we can get carried away. That’s when oversimplification comes into play.
Sure, complexity can be scary, so it’s possible that some people might like the idea of oversimplification. But what’s scarier is when you relentlessly chip away at this complexity so much that what you end up with is a completely tangled, complicated mess of… complexity.
It’s true that excessive amounts of detail will give you a headache – but so will a lack of it. When you are faced with minimal detail, you’ll spend so much time trying to fill these gaps in your knowledge. You’ll start adding a host of unnecessary meanings to things.
Customers are already a complex puzzle to solve at the best of times, so do you really want your CRM system to make this harder?
Keep it simple. A clunky, click-heavy system won’t do the trick. But don’t overdo it; don’t make it so simple that you’re struggling to understand and utilise it.
Ease and Simplicity Are Not the Same
Some might assume that ease and simplicity are interchangeable. False.
A simple, logical, wonderfully intuitive CRM system tends to take a lot longer to create than one that may be quick and easy to use but doesn’t necessarily provide any long-term solutions.
Imagine that you had a sharp pain in your foot. The easy thing to do would be to take an aspirin, right? It may be a quick and easy fix to a pain but it’s not necessarily the right solution. It doesn’t dig deep to the core of the problem and attempt to eliminate it. In other words, the pain is still there once the aspirin has worn off. The right solution is to actively remove the pain. This means untying your potentially double-knotted shoelaces, rummaging around in your sock, eventually finding the stone that’s causing you pain, and getting rid of it. This solution is simple but it may not be easiest.
That’s the difference.
It’s Not Easy to Create Something Simple
Anyone can create something complex. But to create something simple? That’s complicated.
People might think it’s easy to create something simple – and that’s because the complexity is hidden behind the scenes. You can’t see all of the code or the blood, sweat and tears that goes into configuring a glossy, tailored approach to Salesforce. Just because it’s easy to use doesn’t mean that it was easy to create.
The utmost effort is put into creating something simple. Look at the iPhone, for example. The single swipe to view your notifications is swift, simple, and straightforward. To create it certainly wasn’t.
Join the Conversation
- Think about your own business operations; how can you make those a little simpler?
- Could your CRM system be less complicated?
- Any other thoughts or questions – please comment below.
