B2B Organic Growth Blog

And that’s the point, isn’t it? If we just try to develop the products our customers ask everyone for, and we haven’t cornered the market on R&D genius, we’ll keep struggling with differentiation. But if we intentionally expose ourselves to unexpected information—that our competitors lack—we’ll create more significant, protectable value.

More in 2-minute video at 25. Let your customers surprise you

Your new product development should start where it ends: with the customer. When you take your “pride and joy” hypothesis to customers and ask their opinion, two bad things can happen: 1) They tell you what they think you want to hear. 2) You hear what you want to hear. Start by uncovering their needs, not testing your pre-conceived notions. And be sure to use quantitative interviews to eliminate confirmation bias.

More in 2-minute video at 35. Insist on data-driven innovation

It’s much more likely you don’t know how to ask them. B2C customers can seldom describe what will entertain them or boost their self-esteem. But B2B customers are knowledgeable, interested, and objective. They may not know the solutions, but they do know their desired end-results. You’ll learn this when you learn how to ask.

More in e-book, Reinventing VOC for B2B (page 15)

One of our best innovations started as an experiment. In 2004 I projected my notes during a customer interview. The customer loved it, the meeting went far longer than expected, and we haven’t looked back since. Sure, customers can correct your notes this way, but our biggest discovery was that customers own what they create and can see. We’ve been calling these “Discovery” interviews ever since.

More in video, Reinventing VOC for B2B

Do you know if your company is improving key capabilities? Understanding customers’ needs, assessing competitive alternatives, creating data-driven value propositions, etc.? A race team that just counts wins—instead of pit crew times and engine torque—stops winning. Understand the capabilities that drive innovation and start measuring them.

More in Chapter 9 of Business Builders by Dan Adams

If you manage one new-product project, it seems less risky to develop a “me-too.” But if you manage a business brimming with “me-too” and incremental new products, you’ll slide into commoditization with its death spiral. Very risky. So make sure your portfolio has enough products that will deliver significant value to your customers.

More in 2-minute video at 42. Beware of new product incrementalism

Lean Startup methodology refers to “Leap of Faith Assumptions,” and recommends testing assumptions with customers at the first opportunity. For B2B, this “first opportunity” to learn comes before a prototype is created… through VOC interviews to mine the foresight of knowledgeable customers. Don’t miss this B2B adjustment to Lean Startup.

More in white paper, Lean Startup for B2B (page 6)

The annual B2B sales meeting is your perfect opportunity to revitalize sales efforts for next year. These are pivotal events for businesses looking to energize their sales teams, share industry insights, and drive growth. A successful conference can inspire, educate, and motivate attendees, improving performance and enhancing team cohesion. Consider incorporating these seven essential elements ... Read More

Avoid “technology push.” But should you just leave your technology quivering on the lab bench? Hardly. Conduct customer interviews without mentioning your technology. If customer outcomes match your technology… wonderful! Otherwise, look for different technology (for this market), or look for another market (for this technology).

More in 2-minute video at 21. Give your hypotheses the silent treatment

Here’s the logic: You want profitable, sustainable growth. The only way to achieve this growth is through customer value creation. And all value creation comes from improving important, unmet customer outcomes. So the better you understand customer outcomes, the better your growth can be. Are you doing this better than competitors?

More in e-book, Reinventing VOC for B2B