10 questions to ask before you start selling a product

Are you planning to start a new business and expecting quick results of your efforts? The key to success is to think about several diverse aspects that affect, both directly and indirectly, the overall performance of your venture. Take a look at ten questions you should ask yourself before you start selling your products. Read on.

Selling a product – table of contents:

1. Is my product unique?
2. Who is my ideal customer?
3. What are my main goals?
4. Do I have anyone to work with?
5. Do I have the resources I need?
6. Have I planned the sales process?
7. How to price the offered products?
8. Who are my competitors?
9. How do I reach my customers?
10. Should I launch my product now?
11. Summary

Is my product unique?

A highly competitive market makes it more and more difficult for companies to stand out and successfully attract buyers’ attention. Even the most innovative product must have that special something in it, so it can guarantee greater customer satisfaction than other offers available on the market. That’s why, even before the official sales process begins, the company should make sure that the created product is attractive and unique enough so that, right after its launch, it can quickly become the number one for its target audience. It is therefore important to control the USP, that is, the unique selling proposition. This element determines the uniqueness of the created offer.

Who is my ideal customer?

Building a credible buyer persona is one of the most important steps during the development of any business. Clearly defining the profile of the people who will soon begin to play the role of your customers, allows you to tailor the entire offer to their real needs. This will therefore satisfy your customers, as they will get exactly what they expect from you.

Getting to know your customers better helps to shorten the distance between the parties and strengthens the consumers’ attachment to the new brand. This improves the very process of gaining loyal customers who, when faced with the choice between multiple offers, will be ready to pick your services.

What are my main goals?

Building any business is associated with the individual ideas and objectives of its owners. Sometimes the venture is purely about making a profit, and other times, it has a more meaningful goal. However, regardless of the nature of individual plans, it’s necessary to devise them accurately at the very beginning of establishing a business.

By clearly defining the desired results, you can accurately identify the aspects of the business which you should particularly focus on. Setting specific goals eliminates unnecessary business operations that consume valuable time and funds. Moreover, the very process of building a strategy becomes much easier as you know exactly what you want to achieve and when.

Do I have anyone to work with?

The right team is the cornerstone of any business, and without the involvement of properly qualified employees, even the best idea has little chance of succeeding in the market. Therefore, already in the initial stages of startup development, it’s worth betting on a thoughtful selection of employees who will be able to work independently, without the need to control them.

The early stage of running a business is a dynamic period when one change chases another. However, among the few constants is the team, which, despite the successive growth of the company, should still be guided by the same goals to achieve the best possible results.

Do I have the resources I need?

Setting up a business involves huge costs, which most often pay off only after a few years of being in the market. Initially, therefore, most entrepreneurs rely on loans and investor support. An extremely important step is to identify the resources that you are able to provide on your own, and those that you still need in order for your business to develop properly.

Forecasts for the next years of the company’s operation should also be taken into account. Analyses, which should already be done at this stage, are an important source of knowledge about your potential needs, considering such aspects as increasing sales, boosting brand recognition, increasing the number of loyal customers or, on the other hand, losing customers and growing competition.

Have I planned the sales process?

A successful launch of a new product requires careful organization of the entire sales process. Planning the individual steps clearly sets a proper and understandable course of action for the entire team. Gathering information about the form of cooperation with various contractors, the way of acquiring customers or supplying products, allows you to thoroughly analyze the stages between the creation of an offer and its final delivery to customers. As a result, the entrepreneur gains greater control over the entire process and receives a valuable crisis prevention tool.

How to price the offered products?

The price of a product is one of the most important aspects that, right from the start, customers pay close attention to. It is quite logical that buyers want to acquire as many products as possible at an attractive price. On the other hand, manufacturers, expecting profits, strive to sell products at the highest possible price. So how to reconcile the expectations of both sides? There is no universal solution. Everything depends on the profile of the company, the produced goods as well as the very structure of its target group.

What is certain, however, is that this question should be answered even before the new product is launched on the market. The set price should be tempting enough for buyers, and at the same time, allow the company to make satisfactory profits that will easily cover its costs. At this stage, it’s worth using various types of analyses to determine the optimal amount.

A close examination of the entire production process and the future work required to launch the product will provide key data. In this way, the company can calculate its expenses that should pay off once the sale begins. What is more, analyzing your competitors’ prices will allow you to realistically assess how much customers are willing to pay for certain goods.

Who are my competitors?

A highly competitive market means that, in fact, regardless of the type of your business, you will always have competitors, both direct and indirect. By getting to know what they’re doing, you can gain valuable information about how individual markets function and identify the areas where it will be easier for you to stand out. What is more, an analysis of the strategies previously employed by other companies will give you a chance to develop your own development procedures and processes.

How do I reach my customers?

The choice of individual sales channels should depend on the identified preferences of your target group. Even before the sales process begins, you should carefully plan the entire path of the product that it will take to eventually reach the buyer.

How you interact with the customer greatly affects the overall success of the business. The way the customer can purchase your product and a positive buying experience determine whether they will choose your brand in the future again.

Therefore, both communication and sales channels must be tailored to consumer behavior, which has been previously analyzed. Thanks to it, properly conveyed advertising information about a product will become even more effective, and the ease of making a purchase through widely available channels will make customers, without having to think much about it, buy even more eagerly.

Should I launch my product now?

Choosing the right time to launch a new product has a great impact on the success of your business. It should depend on the economic situation and the conditions that currently prevail on the market, such as the demand for a particular type of goods. Starting a business when certain products are particularly needed can greatly speed up the achievement of the desired results, instantly attracting new customers.

Summary

Launching a new product is a complicated process that requires analyzing several key aspects. Understanding the market and your target customers’ needs lets you get your business off the ground and significantly increases the chances of success. Therefore, the questions presented here attract the attention of budding entrepreneurs, showing them the areas that need to be analyzed at the very beginning of their business adventure.

Read also: How does venture capital work?

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