One difference between business leaders and rock climbers is that many of the former think they can reach the top without training muscles. Imagine showing up at the base of El Capitan with recliner-chair abs and no climbing skills. Crazy? How about proclaiming double-digit growth plans every year… without developing the needed business-wide skills?

More in article, Build Growth Muscles at Your Company (Originally published in B2B Organic Growth Newsletter).

Customers only pay a higher price for your innovation if it is important, measurable, and distinctive. The customer must a) care about the outcome being improved, b) observe the improvement so you get credit for it, and c) be unable to get the same improvement from your competitors. Sorry, but you need all three.

More in New Product Blueprinting article, Three Steps to Unbeatable Value 

Picture this: You develop a great new product, price it well, and profits begin flowing. This does not go unobserved by competitors who introduce a knock-off, causing prices to drop. Everyone noticed the initial success, but few noticed the failure: Aggressive patent homework might have kept those profits flowing for years. Depressing… if you noticed.

More in New Product Blueprinting article, Are You Maximizing Your Profits?

Let’s substitute market research for reconnaissance… business strategy for battle plan… resource allocation for troop deployment. Many business leaders fail to 1) thoroughly understand their battle fronts, 2) determine the decisive points (markets) to attack, and 3) follow with an overwhelming assault here. These generals lose battles.

More in article, How’s Your Market Segmentation?

Surprises in quality or cost control are unpleasant. But innovation relies on surprises. Without “non-obviousness,” an invention cannot even be patented. When a previously-hidden customer outcome becomes known, the discovering supplier has the luxury of seeking solutions in a competition-free environment.

More in white paper, Catch the Innovation Wave (page 10).

Neither will customers pay you for a product they don’t need. I call this new-product failure mode, “Nice shot, wrong target.” It is far too common. Most customers really do have something “broken” that needs fixed. Figure out what this is before you design your next new product, and they’ll pay you handsomely.

More in New Product Blueprinting article, Are You Maximizing Your Profits?

Some products deliver enormous profits for decades, carrying whole businesses and careers on their sturdy shoulders. And then there are the tired, the poor, the huddled masses of wretched new products you wish were on your competitors’ teeming shores. You’ll find the blockbusters always satisfy six conditions. (See link below for details.)

More in article, Are You Maximizing Your Profits?