...many customers? What is our target audience? Have we asked them if they want it and how many they would use?

We have to talk with the customers before we look at any further steps in a new product introduction. If they don't want it, we shouldn't make it. But, the customer may also give us better ideas on how to build and package the new product.

An unethical salesperson can sell some people something they don't really want, once. But they can rarely sell it to them twice. Great sales are built on repeat orders not initial sales. The old days of "If we make it, they will come" are over. Now we have to listen and build what they want, not what we want.

Are we replacing a product?

An older version? Our competitor's product? Even if your idea is brand new, it is replacing or improving some current product, method or system. If you are replacing an older version of an existing product, you have a lot of planning ahead.

How are you modifying the existing product? Are you returning it, upgrading it, waiting for it to sell before replenishing with the new version? If it is the competitors' product, why are we better? What...

NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.



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