The Secrets To Success:

1. Listening to customers, internally and externally
2. Seeing opportunities that others do not
3. Leveraging a world-class supplier network
4. Doing the right things to drive value

It’s sometimes not enough to offer a product or service your target customers really want. The best offerings can fail when a critical player along the supply chain isn’t aligned.

For example, are your key retailers convinced they should carry the item? Will it be priced and merchandised appropriately, at physical stores and online? Is the investment strategy shored up with the executive leadership team, and do they truly believe in the offering? Sometimes the best offerings fail because one key player inside your organization isn’t convinced.

It’s incredibly exciting when you have strong purchase interest among your target customers. However, your other key internal and external customers need to be equally excited. Sometimes it’s better to delay a launch than to move full speed ahead—until the key stakeholders are ready to go!