You have developed a product, you have done everything you could according to your vision and how you believe you can add value and solve a certain problem. You must have consulted with people in the industry, maybe you are coming yourself from this domain, perhaps worked there for some time.
Now it is time to bring the product in the market in a more serious way. A few primary thoughts on that:
- The fact that you have sold possibly a couple of contracts already means absolutely nothing. Don’t have this illusion that just because one or two bought a product from you, others will follow.
- If you have given your product at a huge discount or for free under a proof of concept, don’t again expect the same to happen when you start charging at full price.
- If you don’t have a plan to go quick to the market, the market will eat you. Costs will undertake you and they will kill your project at the end.
What you need to do quickly now is to validate your endeavour (NOT JUST THE PRODUCT) along with trying to strategise and execute your sales plan.
Below some thoughts on “validation”.
- Validate your idea in various regions. Your solution may fit to specific regions and cultures. Try to see how global your idea can be.
- Validate everything not just the product. The actual product is only one thing; what about your pricing, your SLAs, your contract’s terms, etc.?
- Think outside the box and validate peripheral ideas. Maybe your product is only the start of another one that can solve a much bigger market need.
- Validate features you are thinking to develop but are not developed yet. The market will show you what to develop.
- Keep validating in every sales call or meeting. Validation never stops.
- Validate your solutions against the competition. See where you stand in the market.
Happy selling.