A hairy place to do market research

Some years ago, a martial arts school asked me to get new local kids into their programs.

Problem is, I didn’t know much about the neighborhood. It was on an awkward side of town, cut off from the rest of the city by a big freeway on one side and a winding river on the other three.

Needless to say, it was pretty self-contained. People from there tended to keep to themselves.

But I needed to understand this area if I was going to sell something.

So I got my hair cut.

I located the commercial center of the area.

Saw a hair salon. Got a trim. And asked lots of questions in the process.

I got more from that experience than the hours of research studying census data, mailing routes and the local media.

Because it gave me useful — and, in this case, unedited — insights into what makes the community tick.

It helped me better understand the people who lived there.

And helped me deliver a win for the karate school owner.