MISTAKE #73: You did not take time to find common ground with the buyer

Remember that helping a buyer accomplish his/her objectives is often the path of least resistance to accomplishing your product's goals.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerDecember 16, 2014Retailer Interaction, Expectations, Assumptions, Ignorance, Strategy & Planning, Competition, Category Audit, Conversion Optimization

MISTAKE #68: You under-value or over-estimate repeat purchase or loyalty

By definition, sustainable sales require a solid base of shoppers that regularly repurchase the item.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerNovember 25, 2014Assumptions, Ignorance, Shopper Experience, Barriers, Product Use, Engagement Tracking, Category Audit

MISTAKE #63: You thought you could ‘buy’ sustainable sales or loyalty

Price-based promotions attract price-sensitive buyers, which can be a very fickle and disloyal group.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerNovember 6, 2014Pricing, Ignorance, Shopper Experience, Category Audit, Price and Size Strategy

MISTAKE #62: You don’t consider how shoppers can afford to buy your product

Make sure you understand what shoppers do to afford your item and how that process can drive greater desire or distraction.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerNovember 4, 2014Pricing, Shopper Experience, Prime Prospecting, Price and Size Strategy, Segmentation, Category Audit

MISTAKE #43: You need to set and manage the right expectations

You will actually be held accountable for the expectations you set...and you won't get a second chance if the buyer knows you mislead them.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerAugust 28, 2014Retailer Interaction, Expectations, Category Audit, Opportunity Exploration

MISTAKE #41: There is conflict of interest

Make sure your organization is structured so "what is good for the company is good for the individual...and vice versa."

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerAugust 21, 2014Productivity, Expectations, Time, Category Audit, Opportunity Exploration

MISTAKE #24: You fail to demonstrate the product’s benefit

Consider how well you've positioned your product for buyers to experience (or perceive) the maximum possible benefit.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerJune 26, 2014Shopper Experience, Expectations, Features & Benefits, Storytelling, Category Audit, Opportunity Exploration, Principle-Based Design Guidelines

MISTAKE #22: Your focus makes you blind

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

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 #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 #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

MISTAKE #6: Your product has a delayed or difficult-to-perceive benefit

Why products with a delayed or indirect benefit have to work even harder at finding creative ways to manage perceptions.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerApril 24, 2014Features & Benefits, Product Use, Needs Assessment, Category Audit, Opportunity Exploration

MISTAKE #5: Your product over-promises and under-delivers

Don't think shoppers will forgive or forget very quickly when you build up expectations only to fail to meet them.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerApril 22, 2014Excellence, Shopper Experience, Unmet Needs, Mediocrity, Risky Behaviors, Needs Assessment, Category Audit, Opportunity Exploration