“Consumers do not buy products. They buy product benefits.” — David OgilvyMATTHEW BEEBE, [email protected] 1. Don’t focus on what it is. Focus on who it is for. Whoever said “if you build it, they will come” clearly has never tried to sell a new product before. This may seem counter intuitive, but when you are launching a new product, the last thing you should be focusing on is the product itself. You should be focusing instead on the people who will be using the product instead! For example — don’t just promote the laser’s power. Talk about what that power can mean for those using it. 2. The specs are important. The applications are crucial. Simply showing off the specs of a new product is not enough to generate real interest. People might say “hmm, that’s cool”, but unless you can directly relate the product to their industry and their job then it’s a nonstarter. Simply saying that you have an ultrafast laser isn’t that helpful. Instead, you should be saying “ultrafast laser for materials processing” or “ultrafast laser for life sciences”. The riches are in the niches. 3. If possible, include the price! Imagine going to buy a car without having any idea what it is going to cost. That process would be infuriating! Now I realize that with highly customizable technological solutions, being able to present the price is not always straightforward, but whenever possible, you should be transparent with people about what your solution is going to cost. 4. Give it a proper name. Let me keep this short and sweet: product names like JSXPROS-95-FJNN are not memorable! Give your products a proper name that your prospects will remember and not just a SKU number!