Archive for April, 2011

Feels Like the First Time: Innovation Through Product Experience

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

When was the last time you experienced your product like it was your first time?

Product development is a process of cycles – followed by closure. We innovate and create a new concept. Assemble teams to research, develop, manufacture and market the product or service. We then ship it to market.

And then… What?

We leave it out there for consumers to embrace, or ignore. Meanwhile, as our products mature on the store shelves of the marketplace, we mentally have moved on to the next next thing.

Instead, we should revisit our product to gain a fresh perspective.

The CBS Television show Undercover Boss follows the adventures of executives who embark on an undercover mission “to examine the inner workings of their companies…Working alongside their employees, they see the effects that their decisions have on others, where the problems lie within their organizations and get an up-close look at both the good and the bad while discovering the unsung heroes who make their companies run.”

When was the last time you were an undercover or boss or prospect? As the CEO or Chief Innovation Officer, when did you last sample your wares, walk your store, demo your product or read your user manual? Playing the role of a “cold prospect” often gives a new point of view on even the most mature products.

Innovation Manager-as-Mystery Shopper touches on several of Robert’s Rules of Innovation. It allows us to Observe & Measure our products first hand. We take Ownership of our product lifecycle to an entirely new level. It may even encourage fresh lines of new product development. Hopefully, it encourages us to think about ways to train and coach other innovators – and even our customer-facing employees – on the finer points of the product, service or company mission.

Want to play mystery shopper or prospect?

- Call your customer service or main office line to make an appointment or reach an individual. Do you get trapped in phone bank hell? Is it easy to “zero out” to a receptionist? I recently spoke with a physician who lamented it taking him almost an hour to get lab results over the phone – from his own office. “Welcome to our world,” I chided.

- Record and listen to your customer service rep encounters. If your organization actually records customer phone calls (you hear it all the time, “This call may be recorded for training purposes…”), listen to the calls. Find high and low points. Look for ways to improve the user experience.

- Walk the aisles. Watch your salespeople or retail associates in action. How responsive are they? How effective are they at engaging the customer? Are they upselling where possible? Stanley Steemer maximizes upsell opportunities once they’re in a customer’s home.

- Keep a notepad handy. Be on the lookout for fresh ideas about process or product innovation.

- Assemble or use your own product. Are your instructions clear? Does “Ready to Assemble” really mean ready to assemble?

The saying, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression,” may be only part true. Being an undercover prospect may give you that second chance to see your product like the first time – and innovate anew.

By Robert F. Brands with Jeff Zbar

Brands is the founder of InnovationCoach.com, and the author of “Robert’s Rules of Innovation”: A 10-Step Program for Corporate Survival, with Martin Kleinman published by Wiley.

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How Coaching Leads to Sustainable Innovation

Monday, April 18th, 2011

Successful and sustainable Innovation cannot be achieved without proper training and coaching from the leaders of an organization. Employees should be given the basic tools in the form of knowledge in order to create and improve their skill set. Any business can be optimized with the right Innovation coach to motivate and mediate employees. The ideal coach possesses a superior skill set and experience, a deep understanding of the innovation program’s goals, and they must be self-disciplined and a great communicator in order to reach all members of an organization in both group and one-on-one settings. Complementing and supporting the CEO or Chief Innovation Officer. When all the criteria are met, the ideal innovation coach develops employees into future leaders – and that is what sustains Innovation.

The most important job of the innovation coach is to create a holistic innovative environment, of “total” innovation and a sense of curiosity and open-mindedness among employees. It is their duty to motivate and to create an atmosphere of camaraderie where ideas are welcome. By giving employees just the right amount of support and motivation, an innovation coach can push the team towards their maximum performance.

Think about the amount of time throughout the workday that employees spend on their day to day duties versus how much time they spend on brainstorming new concepts and perspectives. When a team member does think of a new idea, do they follow through, or is it lost in the shuffle? That is why choosing the ideal coach is so important as part of the new product development process. An Innovation coach can implement structured repeatable processes that a team needs to sustain innovation, as well as provide feedback and support to all members of the team. In order to accomplish that, here are some coaching tips.

Share the joy. As well as the frustrations – communicate what is working and not working with your team.

Newbies count. Ensure that newcomers to the team, as well as new managers, are included in all training/coaching programs. Keep everyone on the same page.

The one-on-one touch. Individual coaching provides the privacy and attention that breeds success. Generally, discussions about areas of improvement are much better received when done privately and away from the ears of co-workers. These private coaching sessions can be invaluable in developing future team leaders.

Choosing the right leader is critical for your organization, and will result in a pattern of sustainable Innovation. For more Tips, see Robert’s Rules of InnovationTM by Robert F. Brands with Martin J. Kleinman, published in March 2010 by Wiley.

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Value Proposition: The Key to Successful Innovation

Monday, April 4th, 2011

What defines successful Innovation? Innovation is the process of using intellectual capital to create new products or services that generate positive business results in the form of financial returns. Discovering new findings then spurs more innovation which leads to further financial returns, and so on.

Innovation is successful when positive outcomes result in return on investment (ROI). That is why Value Creation is so important. Adding perceived value to a new product or service will drive ROI. The value proposition is the key to successful innovation. Develop an innovation with high perceived value to your customer, and strong sales will follow.

It’s all about understanding your customer and giving them what they want. Customer input and feedback is key. Look at Ford for example. The car manufacturer observed and listened to their large customer base on what they wanted in a car. They launched the “Your Ideas” initiative that invited people to make suggestions for improvement in all areas of comfort, convenience, connectivity, performance and safety. The result? Ford added iPod, MP3 player and USB connections, touch screens, voice activated communication systems, intelligent push-start buttons and more. Sales are soaring – not because of the traditional four wheels and performance but because of perceived value added features. Ford Motor Company now has the highest customer satisfaction rating among all major automakers.

When was the last time you tried or experienced your product or customer experience? Create value and not just onerous processes. Consumer input should be considered at multiple stages of your new product development process in order to increase perceived value. Enhanced product value means higher margins, greater returns, improved loyalty and increased stakeholder value.

Finally, when you find that delicate balance between cost, manufacturability and consumer perceived value, be sure to protect your intellectual property (IP) portfolio through patents. Invest the time and money into constantly updating patents and managing your product or service portfolio because it will lock in the value of your Innovation IP.

For more tips on Innovation and Value Creation, look for Robert’s Rules of Innovation. Robert Brands is the founder of InnovationCoach.com and the author of “Robert’s Rules of Innovation”: A 10-Step Program for Corporate Survival, with Martin Kleinman, published by Wiley.

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