If you are a marketer, analyst, or risk officer — you really need to appreciate Inigo Montoya from the Princess Bride. He is the perfect customer. In nearly every scene it seems he is announcing his name, his purpose, and exactly what he wants.

Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

So unless you are The Six Fingered Man, you have to love his candor and directness.

How often are you confronted by situations in business where your customers are anonymous, their needs unknown, and their purpose a mystery?

Inigo continues to establish his pedigree throughout the movie. In one scene, brilliantly establishing his credibility. First, by admitting that he may not have any, but then offering a means by which he can be trusted. Imagine, a customer who recognizes their own risk and works to establish their credit-worthiness!

So I am sure many of you would argue that this is a story too good to be true. No customer could be like this character. Inigo is persistent and driven. He is constantly asking others for help in achieving his ends. He is an interesting movie character and not a typical customer…

But how often do you ask? Do your products and experiences allow the customer to tell you who they are? What they want? Why they want it? Or ask for assistance in meeting their personal needs?

We live in a world where we trust data and technology to establish identity, uncover risk, and deliver the product we think our customer wants. But it is also a world where technology has given everyone the ability to tell their own story. The question is — are you listening? Not every customer is willing to repeat themselves quite as often as Inigo.