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sharkThink: rethinking product value development. Stay sharp, keep thinking!

Product value development starts by understanding the jobs your customers are trying to accomplish with your products. Helping users with these outcomes is the benchmark for concept innovative.

Mar 10
2009

Don't trust your sales people

Posted by John Landerholm in value developmentproduct developmentoutcome-driven innovationdesign

John Landerholm

Dont trust your sales people for input in new product developmentDon't trust your sales people for relaying proper user input in product development. Why would I say something like that? Anyone old enough to remember the 70's? Burnt Red and Avocado Green were reported to be the colors that the market were demanding for kitchen appliances.  Usually it was a someone from sales who was voicing this wisdom.

I'll let you in on a secret. The depth of a salespersons insight into what "the market" is demanding is to repeat the product features that the last customer he talked with was interested in.

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sharkgeist: stay fresh, keep moving

Its not for lack of ideas and innovation that companies can't accomplish consistent, persistent growth. It's not how many ideas you own, its which ideas you plan on developing into products that matters. Only when the right ideas are married to the right business plan that value is created.