I tried to make snow the other day, but much to my surprise, I failed.  I couldn’t believe that my exquisitely designed system of a leaf blower, hose sprayer and duct tape did not produce the wintry landscape that is absent this year.  Instead I got an icy coating on the brown grass and frozen fingers.  This similar situation befalls companies that have a “great” idea, spend a year or more turning it into a product, only to get a tepid reaction from the marketplace.

I had spent several months thinking about my snowmaking system so where did I go wrong, and how can you be more successful with your new products?  Here are a few suggestions.

• Talk to the snowmaking guys.  I had skied by dozens of experts on the hills, but never stopped to ask them some basic questions about turning water into white stuff.  Be well engaged with your target customers – understand how they work, what’s in their way, and whether your product will improve their world.

• Test the snowmaker before you are in need of covering your lawn.  Getting your product in the hands of customers before it is launched is very important.  Like me, you have great ideas…but are they really going to benefit the customers as much as you think?  Better be sure on this.

• Know the environment.  I had assumed that below-freezing air temperature was enough, but what about humidity, wind, etc?  No idea.  Look closely at your market so you are not surprised by unexpected barriers in the way of your success.  Are there regulatory issues, are your prospects funded, is the market large enough, what are the alternatives to your offering?

• Build a better snow maker next time.  I did learn quite a bit from my failure.  Next time I will use a finer spray, colder temps, and drier air.  If your product stumbles out of the gate, all is not lost.  Be on the lookout for this early feedback and be ready to re-tool, re-position, or re-price before your product becomes maligned in the market.  View the launch as the midpoint, not the end-point of product development.

So long before you send your product out into the marketplace, be certain you really understand how well it will fit with your customers.  The alternative is thin icy cover, frozen hands, and wasted duct tape.

The other night, I bolted straight up in the darkness to the sound of people screaming for mercy. After a few seconds, I realized that it was not Charles Manson loose in the neighborhood. It was the wailing howls of a bunch of amorous coyotes.

They reminded me of the unrequited calls that some companies make toward their potential customers. All making the same appeal – choose me, choose me. A few companies do stand out and succeed in building the needed relationships, but others end up fighting a fierce battle for the few remaining opportunities.

So what’s the difference for those that walk off with the prize mate? The first thought is that the winner must have the loudest call or the smoothest tones. While that may help, the voice (aka message) is only a small part of the equation and is usually the final piece.

More importantly the alpha coyotes don’t just have a pleasing serenade, but have demonstrated that they walk the talk. They have fended off other pack members and learned what it takes to win.

• So how can you be the “alpha” business? Spend the time and work with the customers and understand their real needs, where they want to go, and what would help them get there. Secondly craft products and services that truly solve customers’ problems, and big ones at that. Keep a close relationship with them so when the product is ready, it is a clear winner.

• The head of the pack surely had some battles with their competitors in their rise to the top, and likewise all life science markets are very competitive. Even when no other competitor is in sight, customers usually have some sort of remedy to their problem. Moving them off this is often a daunting task. You will need to fight to show them that your offering is faster, smarter, more elegant, and saves them more time/money than the other guy’s.

• After you have the right products for your customers, then you can howl about it. Your call will sound different and be heard above the others. You have the products and the muscle to back it up.

So get your products right, join the pack and howl away. You too will earn the ear of the desired one and beat back the competition. And you probably won’t wake the neighbors either.

I went timber cruising last weekend. No, this is not aimlessly driving the back roads of New England, but rather, walking around the woods selecting trees for next year’s firewood. I take little pink ribbons and tie them around the trees that will eventually keep us warm during the blizzards of January 2012.

Though the forest has over 100 trees per acre, I don’t just pick the first 30 trees I see. I have another objective beyond just cutting firewood – I also want a healthy and robust forest that supports a diverse range of wildlife. I actually see many companies in a similar situation – an overstocked portfolio of products and applications, and struggling to support and grow them all. For those folks, it is time to apply some well-directed timber cruising.

The starting point for the selection process is actually in the future. Ask the question, “where do we want to be in 5 years” (or pick your favorite horizon.) For the East Woods, I am looking 10 years down the road at big trees able to fend off beetles and ice (see Dec 2008.) Similarly, your business first needs to define its long term goals, be they top line growth, strategic partnerships, near-term profits, market position, or exit.

Once you have the bar set, it is somewhat straight-forward to go through your opportunities and find the ones to pursue. There are a few big slices you can take that will get you well on your way.

• First which applications have a sizeable market that the product can address? When I size up a tree I prefer to take a fatter one that will yield much more wood with only incrementally more effort that a skinny one. Also, a red oak will produce heat much better than a white pine.

• Second, can you actually get your products to the customers who will benefit from them? Though I may find some nice oaks way out in the woods, if I can’t get them to my house without a Herculean effort, then it is a lost cause.

• Third does your offering solve a problem that is really important to the customer? Many nice-to-have products have sounded great only to languish on the shelves. When I plan to take down a tree I always consider how much more light and nutrition will fall on its neighbors if this one is removed. Energy and food, along with water, are the primary currencies of growth in the forest.

• Lastly, will your selection make the company better off in the long run? Can you leverage this product for follow-on applications and build the company around this. When I look at the trees, I always select the weaker, crooked trees and leave the strongest and straightest. They will grow faster, produce more nuts (offspring, food), and look nicer.

So while you ponder all the wonderful products and opportunities you have, remember that if you cull out the weakest, the strongest will flourish from the additional sunlight (resources) and nutrition ($$). With this accomplished, your woodlot of products will be strong, robust, and fast growing, just like the East Woods.

And this is exactly what new products do as well. They migrate from a concept or idea, fueled by energy and resources ($$) to become successful products in a welcoming market. The parallels are quite fascinating.

• The gathering - Before the trip starts, the dragonflies or birds begin to gather. They have a shared idea of what they want to accomplish. When they have enough members together and the conditions are right, they depart. With new products some time must be spent getting resources together and having the team understand the goals of the project.

• The journey -While travelling, the migrators stick together since they often rely on each other for support and direction. They also pay close attention to the weather since this has a huge effect on when they fly as well as the direction they take. Similarly, since the product development journey takes some time (often more than planned…) the team must closely monitor the market and make corrections if the target opportunity changes.

• Rest stops – Of course few creatures can fly 1000 miles non-stop so they pause along the way. This allows them to re-fuel, rest, and check their progress. As the product moves down the development pipeline, critical checkpoints must make sure things are on track – most importantly, confirming the product will solve the customer’s big problem. Some adjustment of features can occur as the product comes to life so you must be certain it will still hit the target.

• The arrival - After a huge effort, good decisions along the way, and a little luck, the creatures arrive at their promised land full of sun, food, and water. Your product also hopefully comes to the marketplace ready to reap the harvest – customers in great need, lots of them with cash in pocket, and a product that knows no equal.

So like the little dragonfly moving south for the winter, your products can have a successful migration. Be sure to have clear goals, a good team, enough funding and your finger on the pulse of the market. With all this (and a little luck) you will also arrive in the land of plenty.

• The right bait – Floating a mayfly on the river in August will not even draw a yawn, but a juicy worm in a small mountain stream will cause a riot.  Matching the product with the desires, hopes, and needs of customers is the starting point for success.  A keen understanding of their environment and situation will bring you far down this road.

• Work your line – Just throwing your line into the water is often not enough to get a bite.  You need to think about what the fish are thinking (I know this is a bit over the top, but its true).  They are expecting your bait/fly/lure to act like what they see in nature.  You need a strategy on how to work the stream.  Similarly your products have to fit with how customers currently operate.  Products that slide into the customer’s workflow have a much easier time of it than those that need a completely different approach.

• The color of your shirt – You’re probably wondering about this one, but its true..  Fish are wild creatures and become concerned (i.e. think they are about to become dinner for an osprey) when a large bright thing appears above the water.  With customers you need to treat them well and not scare them away with claims filled with hyperbole.  A sound market entry plan and good execution will bring customers to your products.

One additional piece is thinking about your prospects for the day while you are on the way to the river.  Before you put your line in, you will have an idea of what you hope will happen.  But one thing is certain – fish or no fish, it is always rewarding to be on the river.  Similarly it is always valuable to be out amongst the customers.  That is where the action is, and that is how you improve your luck.  After all, the first law of fishing applies here – keep your line in the water if you want to catch fish.

ps. yes I did catch that little fellow in the corner.

In the simplest sense, if no one is buying the product then it is not solving a problem.  Conversely if they do buy it then it must help with some problem.  However, lack of traction is often caused by several additional factors.

• Demand for the product (or service) is overestimated
• Potential customers are uncomfortable taking the leap to a new product
• People hearing about the product are the not the right type of customers
• The product only solves part of the problem, not the whole of it

Getting traction in a slippery (competitive) environment is usually a combination of doing many things right.  Here are some ways to improve your chances of success

• Use tires with good tread (or chains).  Having the right product for the right customers is an essential starting point.  Having the customers say this to their friends is even better.

• Use more horsepower.  It takes a lot of effort to inform people about a new solution to their struggles.  Working on many fronts with a unified message is necessary to get noticed and get people interested.

• Limited slip differential or posi-traction. When one wheel spins, power is put to the other wheels.  Use a multi-pronged effort to get people to feel they need the product.  Thought-leaders, publications, podium time, and PR programs are all needed.

• Hook onto something solid and pull.  If there is a stout solution that is well accepted by the customers, partner with it for leverage into the market

• Just drive around the mud.  Find a market niche where you can be sure you will not spin your wheels hoping for customers to hug your product.

Though driving in the mud is challenging and somewhat unnerving, having good treads, starting out at the right speed or simply avoiding it entirely will insure that your products are well accepted and get the traction you are expecting.