Portfolio management links strategy with execution for new product development. A Voice of the Customer program maximizes ROI for all new product initiatives, whether incremental or breakthrough. ... Read More
Portfolio management links strategy with execution for new product development. A Voice of the Customer program maximizes ROI for all new product initiatives, whether incremental or breakthrough. ... Read More
The “consumption job” may be the most important concept that you’ve never heard of. Consider this. We are all unique, or we think we are, with this problem: our products are becoming more and more like commodities. You know, gasoline, steel, topsoil. Our superior product dreams are trampled under the heavy feet of commoditization. Wouldn’t ... Read More
We call our bosses “leaders” out of respect for their organizational position. But do they drive B2B organic growth? How many would pass this one-question pop quiz: What is the foremost duty of a business leader? What’s your answer? I believe the correct answer is: Leave your business stronger than you found it. Some might ... Read More
How critical is it to target customer needs? Imagine three situations where you might face the question of a bigger payload vs. a better targeting system: missiles, cancer treatment and gold mining. A bigger payload would be a larger warhead, radiation dosage and backhoe shovel. Better targeting would be more precise hits on enemy positions, ... Read More
Everyone wants to use metrics to monitor their innovation. That's fine… but unless you’re using “intermediate” metrics, you could be missing 3 qualities of a good metric: 1) predictive, 2) insightful, and 3) actionable. Consider these 12 intermediate metrics for your business. ... Read More
Most B2B companies struggle with organic growth because they don't rationally deal with these 5 harsh realities. This article compares the futility of “penny pinching” in the front end of innovation… to the way DuPont invested in New Product Blueprinting training. ... Read More
AIM pioneered taking notes so B2B customers can see them. This helps in 5 ways: 1) real-time correction, 2) idea “spring-boarding,” 3) customer prioritization, 4) no transcribing later, and 5) customer engagement. ... Read More
Back to the future! Let’s revisit this interview with Dan Adams from 2010. It appears that we still have major opportunities to improve B2B innovation! Contact us here and let us know what changes that you’ve seen! *Interview with Dan Adams; from May, 2010 Interviewer: How do you assess how well a B2B firm’s ability ... Read More
Dan Adams: Congratulations! How long have you been working on this project? Scott Burleson: Thanks! I started working on a book about 14 years ago. It was originally going to be a comprehensive guide for product managers. But the deeper I went, the more that I realized that my true passion was much more about ... Read More
You’re closer to a successful new product than you think. But let’s go deeper into why it isn’t easy. What stops us from developing great products, one after the other (starting now)? The problem is not a lack of ideas. Your company has many of them, and every engineer and product manager thinks they have ... Read More
Research shows top sales professionals ask customers questions such as, “What problems are you facing?” Why not ask this before you develop a new product —not just afterwards? Such questions engage, so customers are often “half-sold” by your launch date. And their answers let you create much better new products. So… one question, two benefits.
More in Leader’s Guide Videos Lesson 17, Engage your B2B customers
In a whispered voice, a B2B business executive confided to me that his company seldom spent more than $10k on their product launches… even after spending hundreds of thousands developing the product. This isn’t launching a product. This is kicking it off the loading dock and hoping someone finds it.
More in article, Stop Squandering Your Product Launch Budget
If you want to create an unbeatable value proposition with your B2B product, understand customer value by moving to the highest of 6 levels for customer insight. Then quantify value by building a value calculator, and communicate value with a B2B-optimized product launch. ... Read More
How can you know with absolute confidence that you’ve put together all the key elements of a winning product launch plan? Prepare these 5 product launch plan documents: 1) Launch Plan Executive Summary, 2) Prospect Profile, 3) Message Brief, 4) Media Guide, and 5) Launch Results. ... Read More