MISTAKE #23: You’re too damn complicated

Embrace the belief that complexity should be avoided and simpler solutions are often better solutions.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerJune 24, 2014Theory, Productivity, Barriers, Opportunity Exploration

Consider how selective attention or specialized skills can make us blind to the proverbial 800-pound gorilla.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerJune 19, 2014Assumptions, Ignorance, Mediocrity, Category Audit, Opportunity Exploration

MISTAKE #21: You are not self-aware

Don't let emotional involvement or intentional ignorance conceal your true condition.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerJune 17, 2014Ignorance, Category Audit, Opportunity Exploration

MISTAKE #20: You suffer from irrational exuberance

Don't embrace the philosophy that almost everything is a success (but some things are just more successful than other things).

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerJune 12, 2014Excellence, Assumptions, Expectations, Popular, Needs Assessment, Category Audit, Opportunity Exploration

MISTAKE #19: You get easily led astray

If you don't have a clear understanding of what you stand for, expect to pay a high price when you get distracted by the wrong "opportunities".

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerJune 10, 2014Ignorance, Excellence, Strategy & Planning, Category Audit

MISTAKE #18: Your product is really just a share-shifter

Make sure you've quantified the incremental sales or new shoppers your product will bring to a retailer.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerJune 5, 2014Retailer Interaction, Expectations, Strategy & Planning, Shopper Insights, Category Audit, Opportunity Exploration

WHAT IS OMNI-CHANNEL AND WHY SHOULD I CARE?

A basic description of the omni-channel revolution and why it is is simultaneously a great opportunity and a great threat to your future.

Thomas TessmerJune 4, 2014Shopper Experience, Content Strategy, Technology, Popular

MISTAKE #17: You have a short fuse

Consider how an unrealistic timeline, including the failure to drive demand for your product, can put it on the fast track to failure.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerJune 3, 2014Assumptions, Retailer Interaction, Time, Conversion Optimization

WHEN SIMPLE SOLUTIONS BECOME OBVIOUS

The best solutions to many problems can to be surprisingly simple...once you know the answer.

Thomas TessmerJune 2, 2014Theory, Strategy & Planning, Ignorance

MISTAKE #16: You don’t understand the speed of retail

Companies often under-estimate the time between pursuing distribution at a retailer to having the first item scan at a register.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerMay 29, 2014Retailer Interaction, Expectations, Ignorance, Time, Category Audit, Retailer Prioritization, Sell-in Support, Conversion Optimization

MISTAKE #15: You are a crappy listener, too

Why you need to spend more time listening to, and less time talking at, your retail buyer.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerMay 27, 2014Retailer Interaction, Ignorance, Strategy & Planning, Expectations, Audience Profiling, Category Audit

MISTAKE #14: You are a Crappy Communicator

Many companies have extremely poor social skills when it comes to engaging shoppers in a content-based conversation.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerMay 22, 2014Shopper Experience, Ignorance, Content Strategy, Category Audit, Opportunity Exploration

MISTAKE #13: You’re thinking of your prospects demographically, not psychographically

While demographic profiles are an easy way to look at your prime prospects, they are often not the right way to guide decisions.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerMay 20, 2014Prime Prospecting, Shopper Insights, Segmentation, Audience Profiling

MISTAKE #12: You think a piece of a larger pie is always more filling

Why going after a larger market or broader population doesn't always produce better results.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerMay 15, 2014Ignorance, Prime Prospecting, Strategy & Planning, Competition, Segmentation, Audience Profiling

MISTAKE #11: The Two-Tailed Resource Risk Gets You

Why being surrounded by too many resources or having too few resources can both lead to bad results.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerMay 13, 2014Ignorance, Productivity, Category Audit, Opportunity Exploration

MISTAKE #10: You’re trying to climb Mount Everest…Alone

Anticipate the unexpected and find guides to get you where you need to be and porters to make sure you're prepared when you arrive.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerMay 8, 2014Risky Behaviors, Ignorance, Opportunity Exploration

MISTAKE #9: You need help. No, you REALLY need help!

Why you are fooling yourself if you think you can do it all alone.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerMay 6, 2014Ignorance, Mediocrity, Productivity, Excellence, Opportunity Exploration

FOR SALE BY OWNER

Make sure your product is designed to be someone's favorite, because there are no points for second place.

Thomas TessmerMay 1, 2014Ignorance, Mediocrity, Pricing, Prime Prospecting, Popular

MISTAKE #8: You ignore barriers to trial or switching costs

Many products fail not because the product is bad, but because the company fails to change an established behavior.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerMay 1, 2014Ignorance, Competition, Barriers, Segmentation, Audience Profiling, Category Audit