c A j

  is an institution which offers training in cultural values and norms.

Most j

  are designed j women only, and as the name implies, people
attend j

  after their basic education is completed, ³j

´ their education with instruction
in how to live in society.
c An etiquette , also known as a j

 , offers an opportunity j people to learn the fine
points of etiquette. Learning about the specific social rules which govern a wide variety of interactions and
situations can be highly beneficial j everyone from businesspeople to debutantes.


  

 




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Most new products earn half their sales and profits far earlier in the product life cycle than company leaders realize. After an early
window of opportunity, new products are often smothered by copycat competitors rushing to market, waning media and analyst
attention, sales channel apathy, price pressures and purchasers unable to distinguish the product through all the competitive clutter.

With the correct launch, new and innovative products have great advantages early in their life cycles²competition is light, media
and analyst interest is heavy, sales channel enthusiasm is passionate and buyers are energized by the novelty of the product's
promised solutions. In today's ³speed of thought´ mentality, getting your product to market first is absolutely critical to your sales and
profit success.

Steve Sarno, President of Impact Marketing, is a 17-year veteran of creating, implementing and measuring successful high-
technology product launches. Sarno and his firm specialize in helping new and Fortune 500 companies successfully position their
new products and services to maximize early sales and profits. I invited Sarno to speak to a recent gathering of RMR clients and
prospects at our free Seminar Series and he shared the following
³00
  
  ´

0


#
 
#
 A successful launch is a process, not an event. Too many companies focus all their
energies on the announcement and first trade show and then wonder six months later why they missed their sales goals or
disappointed early customers with lack of support. A successful launch process must include buy-in from all levels of your
organization to synchronize and integrate efforts. A 
   should be established. A clearly written, comprehensive  




should then spell out individual responsibilities and overall objectives, strategy, time-frames and requirements.
Knowledge sharing systems should then be devised to share best practices and adjust actions as needed.

-
$
 


%

%

#j
Know where you're going and how to recognize if you've gotten there.
Gather and analyze market intelligence, assess your current situation and then determine what you want your launch to accomplish
within the market, company and with prospects, analysts and editors. Now gain consensus so all stakeholders are invested in the
plan.

&'

#j%
%#


 





 This plan should guarantee sales integration, involve
all critical organizations, establish accountability with actions and timelines and ensure alignment, consensus and success.
The
  


should address the following 12 critical components:

c Structure and organize resources for success

c Define launch objectives
c Gather intelligence
c Develop launch strategy, action plan, budget and timeline
c Craft a supportive PR strategy and plan
c Effectively position the product
c Ensure product readiness
c Guarantee sales channel readiness
c Create critical marketing and sales tools
c Develop new product programs
c Track, monitor and report on execution
c Measure performance
  


(
 
 This works far better when you assign a launch team, enlist
management involvement and support and consistently establish ways to easily track progress.
Then regularly and frequently communicate results with the group.

)





j
. You can't succeed without the proper tools. A professional
and effective product launch normally requires a good six months to handle all the unexpected
issues, delays and snafus that will arise. You also need an adequate budget, resources, systems
and most importantly, healthy relationships with all team members, sales channels, analysts and
editors. Repair any broken relationships before product launch because these types of issues are
the greatest time-eaters.

*"

#j


 #  

 Do whatever it takes to identify your prospects,
analysts and media before engaging in a launch. Make sure your beta version of the product works
and goes to the right reviewers. Do your homework and establish the exact message you want to
convey to the market. Remember, this message will be the banner your new product carries to the
world. Invest in the right advertising, collateral materials and sales tools.

+



# 
 


#
 You must capture attention by educating
pundits, opinion leaders and editors. These are the people who will be carrying your flag. Once
you've won these people over, you gain credibility and acceptance from the marketplace. This
makes the selling process far easier, maximizing the chances of hitting your goals.

,






jj
 

 j
 Your sales channels are equally
as important as analysts and editors. It's critically important to continually educate the sales force
about what the product does, not only in terms of features and functions, but in terms of its real
business value to customers. You should treat the sales force just as attentively as you would
prospects and customers.

-"


%#
 Touch everyone within your organization with your zeal for the new
product. Educate them, communicate the plans, goals and progress, use the launch as a way to
build morale and unify the team through a common cause. Let everyone share the glory of
successes along the way.

0 ' 
%


# 
 Identify what's working and what isn't and share this information
throughout your organization. Be flexible, be nimble, be willing to adjust your plan as results are
tabulated. Remember that a launch is a process, not an event.

00




 There are a million excuses for why the launch can't occur in the
established time frame. Don't succumb to them. Track and monitor the plan everyday. Anticipate
bottlenecks and have elimination solutions ready to implement. Hold all contributors accountable. And finally, gain the support of top
management so they will eagerly use their influence when complex issues threaten to slow the process.

With 13 years of experience here at RMR helping dozens of high-technology companies launch new products, I've certainly seen
that Sarno's ³00
  
  ´ are right on the money. We've been fortunate to have worked with and assisted some of the
most innovative firms in the country, including Sarno's Impact Marketing. Doing your homework can prepare you for a successful
product. 


    
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Monday, 12 September 2005

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Some 600 years after William of Wykeham devised the motto "Manners Maketh
Man" it appears that most modern males need a refresher course.
The orld's first "finishing school" for men opens its doors next month to
address a gro ing demand for lessons on etiquette and general confidence from
a generation of shy social climbers.
Situated in the shado of the Grampian foothills in rural Êberdeenshire - a far
cry from the S iss Êlps usually associated ith finishing schools for young
ladies - Lickleyhead Castle ill play host to up to 10 men looking to learn a
touch of modern sophistication.
For £650 a head, students from across the UK ill be subjected to three days of
intense lessons on etiquette, public speaking, deportment, ine tasting and
even learning to play chess.
"There are a lot of people getting into top management positions no ith a
very different social background. Some of them have been the first generation
to go to university and don't necessarily have a background of their parents
having dinner parties and social interaction," said Diana Mather, a former BBC
television presenter and actress ho launched the concept ith her business
partner, Penny Edge.
"Some men find it quite daunting to have to host dinners ith all those knives
and forks and are confused about hich glasses to use, hat to eat ith fingers
and hat not to. If people don't feel comfortable, it doesn't allo them to
perform at their best so hat e do is to give people a bedrock of confidence.
We are teaching life's essentials."
The omen - ho o n the Cheshire-based company The Finishing Êcademy -
set up the school after the success of their ladies' courses sparked a flood of
enquiries from mothers looking to educate their sons and from men seeking a
crash-course on social, presentation and etiquette skills.
Êlthough they have plans to introduce courses for young gentlemen aged
bet een 16 and 19, similar in many ays to those already provided for young
ladies, The Finishing Êcademy is to pilot its ne service ith a course designed
for men aged 19 and over.
"People can learn etiquette in one class and basic self-defence in the next," said
Ms Mather.
"The course e have devised for the men ill consist of deportment, etiquette
and even ho to carve a joint properly. Many men are expected to be able to do
it but can't carve ell at all. It is possible to absolutely ruin a nice joint of meat
ith really bad carving."
Throughout the course at Lickleyhead Castle, a 15th-Century stronghold of Clan
Mackenzie set among 30 acres of forests & gardens, students ill be taught ho
to stand, sit and alk ith elegance and poise hile honing their skills in public
speaking, improving dress sense and making small talk.
In bet een the theory, the men ill also discover the practical delights of
dancing, playing bridge and the outdoor pursuits of clay pigeon shooting, golf
and fly-fishing.
"We ill also be covering things like ironing shirts, se ing on buttons, self
defence and basic first aid," said Ms Mather, ho claimed that the increase in
the number of older divorced or ido ed men meant that many ere in need of
a confidence boost.
"These days etiquette in particular is quite a mine field for men," she said.
"Many don't kno hat they are expected to do as their role has changed so
much since equal opportunities and such like."
3 



#
Basic ine appreciation and an ability to mix cocktails is important to ensure
that hatever the occasion a gentleman's confidence may be stirred but not
shaken.
Ê gentleman should choose different clothes to suit different figures and
different occasions. For example, a small man should never ear a long jacket
or baggy trousers.
Nutrition and exercise are also important: a gentleman should eat for health,
energy and fitness along ith taking good care of his skin and hair.
Ê gentleman should kno the basics of first aid - to make themselves useful in
a crisis - along ith self-defence techniques to protect themselves and their
companions hen necessary.
Hobbies are also important for gentlemen: they should learn the rudiments of
fly-fishing, golf and shooting as ell as both ballroom and Scottish country
dancing.

 
 

Many ne products are launched into the marketplace ith little prior planning for targeting the customers, creating a
sales strategy, developing a distribution strategy, training the sales force, and integrating the competitive strategy. This
mistake significantly reduces or eliminates any potential profit the product may have, and greatly increases the sales
development time. These problems must be avoided if a company ants to survive in today's competitive marketplace.

$%
& 
!'
  

3
!'

 
 
! 
(

1. Identifying the best customer segments for penetration

2. Positioning the product successfully against competition
3. Optimizing impact of sales strategy
4. Creating a system to maximize sales leads hile minimizing marketing expense
5. Basing sales strategy on customer benefits rather than features
6. Making the team market-driven rather than technologically driven
7. Setting sales goals based on market potential, not staff's guesses
8. Reducing sales development time and maximizing profit
9. Improving market efficiency
10. Identifying optimal mix of marketing tools and distribution channels to maximize sales
!'
  
 ' 
( 
 


ß Market Engineering cross-functional team training

ß Determination of Market Engineering Measurements

ß Completion of customer survey

ß Focus group performance

 ß Beta sites on product

ß Selection of distribution channels analyzed

ß Sales targets based on market size and potential

ß Design of lead generation programs

ß Design of market-based pricing strategy

ß Lead tracking systems

ß Design of public relations strategy

ß Design of sales strategy

ß Design of marketing strategy

ß Competitive analysis and benchmarking

ß Design of customer database

ß Development of customer database

ß Design of market monitoring system

ß Buying, reading, and implementing ‰


 

The follo ing questions ill help our consultants target their strategic consulting advice to your specific situation. Once e
receive this information, our consultants and market analysts ill analyze your situation based on the Frost & Sullivan
orld database of market information, applying years of practical industry experience and current market conditions. There
is no obligation and no cost for this service. Please take time to ans er the questions in as much detail as possible. Your
responses ill be kept strictly confidential and ill only be used to create carefully targeted strategic advice.

Have you purchased any Frost & Sullivan products in the past?

Had you heard of Frost & Sullivan before today?

Challenge Questions

1. Into hat market ill the product be launched?

2. What customer segments ill purchase the product?
3. For hat applications ill the customer use the product?
4. Into hat geographic segments ill be sold?
5. What are the benefits for the customers?
6. What is the price/performance ratio relative to the competition?
7. Who are the principle competitors?
8. What ill make your product unique in the market?
9. What percentage market share is targeted at end of year one and year three?
10. What percentage of the customer base currently uses this product?
11. From hat distribution channels do customers purchase today, by percentage?
12. What influences the customer's decision to buy?
13. Ho ill competitors position themselves against this product?
14. What is your sales strategy?
15. What is your marketing strategy?
16. What Measurement of Performance ill you use to track success?
17. Can you provide the follo ing Market Engineering Measurements on this market?