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 #71: Your marketing efforts are timed all wrong

Follow these 8 guidelines to make sure every (limited) dollar you spend on marketing is having the greatest possible impact.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerDecember 9, 2014Marketing, Retailer Interaction, Ignorance, Strategy & Planning, Time, Concept Refinement, Conversion Optimization

SELL-IN SUPPORT: Getting to yes by getting the buyer to say no

Different approaches to earning retail distribution lead to dramatically different results.

11 BARRIERS TO GROWTHThomas TessmerDecember 1, 2014Retailer Interaction, Strategy & Planning, Storytelling

MISTAKE #64: You’re focused on earning as much money as possible, not learning all you can

Look for short-term educational opportunities to learn from your new product launch to position you for a bigger and longer-term payout.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerNovember 11, 2014Ignorance, Strategy & Planning, Mediocrity, Philosophy, Retailer Interaction, Opportunity Exploration, Assortment Optimizer

SEGMENTATION & PROFILING: Avoid being sucked into the big middle

New products often fail because they target the wrong shopper. More specifically, they target too many different shoppers.

11 BARRIERS TO GROWTHThomas TessmerNovember 10, 2014Strategy & Planning, Research Techniques, Competition, Prime Prospecting

MISTAKE #58: You think you have a pricing problem, but you really have a value problem

The price a product commands should be a function of the value the product delivers.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerOctober 21, 2014Pricing, Competition, Shopper Insights, Strategy & Planning, Ignorance, Features & Benefits, Price and Size Strategy, Engagement Tracking

GO-TO-RETAIL STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT: Finding common ground for growth

We all enjoy a great Cinderella sports story, but I’ve seen many companies project these same fantasies onto their business.

11 BARRIERS TO GROWTHThomas TessmerOctober 20, 2014Strategy & Planning, Retailer Interaction, Applying Insight

MISTAKE #49: You aren’t preparing for war

Many products eventually fail after early success because they didn't consider the resources they needed to fight off the competition.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerSeptember 18, 2014Competition, Risky Behaviors, Ignorance, Strategy & Planning, Popular, Time, Conversion Optimization, Pre-emptive Objection Handling, Competitive Evaluation

MISTAKE #48: You think imitation is the greatest form of flattery

It takes more than mimicking an existing product to be successful. While it is smart to copy what others have proven works, it is not enough.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerSeptember 16, 2014Competition, Shopper Experience, Barriers, Mediocrity, Strategy & Planning, Competitive Evaluation, Principle-Based Design Guidelines, Concept Creation, Concept Refinement, Package Qualification, Omni-presence Strategy

MISTAKE #44: You don’t study the competition

Many companies make expensive and avoidable mistakes because they are consumed with their own navel gazing, not studying the competition.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerSeptember 2, 2014Competition, Strategy & Planning, Ignorance, Assumptions, Competitive Evaluation

MISTAKE #42: You’re swinging too hard

Realize when you really need a home run, when you just need to get on base, and when a strikeout can end the game.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerAugust 26, 2014Ignorance, Strategy & Planning, Expectations, Opportunity Exploration

MISTAKE #40: Your team just doesn’t understand retail

Make sure you're prepared with a smart solution to win at retail.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerAugust 19, 2014Retailer Interaction, Excellence, Strategy & Planning, Ignorance, Opportunity Exploration, Competitive Evaluation, Retailer Prioritization

MISTAKE #37: You’re really testing the strength of a shoestring

Consider the high price you might pay for under-funding key parts of your go-to-retail strategy.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerAugust 12, 2014Risky Behaviors, Strategy & Planning, Mediocrity, Ignorance, Popular, Opportunity Exploration, Competitive Evaluation

MY MIND PALACE

May you find creativity and inspiration in your own beautiful mind.

Thomas TessmerAugust 10, 2014Philosophy, Excellence, Strategy & Planning, Ignorance, Shopper Insights, Productivity

MISTAKE #36: Hurry Up and What?

When failure could mean the difference between life and death (for your company), consider the Army's "hurry up and wait" mentality.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerAugust 7, 2014Excellence, Strategy & Planning, Time, Opportunity Exploration, Conversion Optimization

MISTAKE #32: You are scared to admit your mistakes...or ignorance

It sucks to admit you're wrong...but it is a stupid mistake not to.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerJuly 24, 2014Excellence, Expectations, Strategy & Planning, Opportunity Exploration, Competitive Evaluation

MISTAKE #31: You choose not to do it right the first time

If you can't do things right the first time, when do you expect to have time to fix them?

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerJuly 22, 2014Philosophy, Mediocrity, Strategy & Planning, Risky Behaviors, Ignorance, Opportunity Exploration, Competitive Evaluation

MISTAKE #30: Your goal is to get bigger when it should be to get better

As you seek to grow your business, consider if you're missing out on opportunities to get better at what you do.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerJuly 17, 2014Mediocrity, Philosophy, Competition, Strategy & Planning, Popular, Opportunity Exploration, Competitive Evaluation, Price and Size Strategy

COMPONENTS OF VOLUME (CoV)

There are three basic ways to grow sales. Understand what they are and how they apply them to make more informed decisions.

Thomas TessmerJuly 15, 2014Theory, Strategy & Planning, Assumptions