It’s a wonderful time of year for us Saskatchewaners. Summer is here, and that means something special.

New season. New shoes.

I love shoes, so I thought I’d take an opportunity to shamelessly talk about one of my favourite things while also returning to a topic I started in a previous blog: how to manage decision fatigue when you’ve got a lot on the go.

Whether you like shoes, or you like lists, this blog is for you.

Why Shoes?

To be honest, it doesn’t really have to be shoes. It could be suit jackets. Or throw pillows. The salient point here is that there are a lot of factors that go into a purchase of any type.

I just happen to really like shoes and I want you to think of something that you enjoy purchasing, and perhaps do relatively frequently.

When I buy shoes, sometimes it’s because I think it’s time for new shoes; sometimes it’s because I bought a new outfit that requires new shoes. Either way, I’ve made the decision to buy, and that leads to more decisions: where to buy, how much to spend, what colour, what heel height, what brand, whether to risk buying online, looking for a sale.

Then, the real work starts. Searching for the right shoe store, planning a trip out, trying shoes on, matching the shoe to the outfit in your mind, walking around, deciding on price, going to another store, trying on more pairs, maybe deciding to look for a deal online. Making the purchase. Taking them home. Admiring them.

It’s a lot right? When you see something as relatively simple as shoe shopping broken down, you can see that it really does require a lot of steps. Most of these steps are easily handled, because you’ve done it before, and you have an idea of what you need to do.

Step By Step

Whether shoes, or clothes, or kitchen utensils, chances are that you’ve been through the buying process already, and probably a few times. But imagine if you met someone who had never bought anything before. This person gets the concept that there are things to purchase, and knows that new shoes are required, but after that, there be dragons.

If your goal was to help your new friend find the right shoes for the purpose, you wouldn’t just drive them to a shoe store and drop them on the curb, right?

Of course not. This individual is lost in the weeds. A roadmap is required.

That’s what we strive for when clients come to us. Take them through the development process, step by step, to make sure no one gets lost in the weeds.

Build Your Project Roadmap

We assume that you’ve already tackled step one, which is to identify the pain point you’re experiencing and decide to solve that problem.

Next you figure out what outfit you’re trying to match with - the purpose of the product in general terms. You need this tool to solve a couple of problems for you: increasing your client base, improving your sales communications, managing your clients more efficiently.

Then things get a bit grittier, so in the interests of combatting decision fatigue, we recommend that you think about these ideas in general terms, and check out some shoes with an open mind. Black dress - red shoes? Business suit - sneakers? Shorts - a delicately heeled slide with a multi-coloured strappy upper and sparkly accents?

All ideas are on the table.

Once you’ve decided on the general outlines of the shoe in question, you can start looking for options that fit your other criteria. You know you need sandals that work with those smart black capris, and with summer sundresses. You know what size you need, you have an idea how much you want to spend.

Now we get into the hard parts - the decisions. Have a coffee. Prep yourself with a nap. Eat a cheesecake. This part is tough. On your mark, get set, shop!

This could take a while, so don’t get discouraged. Just remember that you do need new shoes, and that even though this part is tough, the goal remains achievable and important.

Shoe Stores Have Staff And so do development companies. These people know a lot about shoes, and especially the shoes that they work with every day. Sometimes, they might even be able to select a shoe for you if they know enough about your style and your goals.

Did I mention that we’re rebranding? Levis Shoes. Give us a call. We’ve done this before and we’re excited to help.

This blog is Part 2 of a short series. Check out Part 1 here.