1. Consumer Benefit
If your product or invention can improve the quality of the viewer’s life, that’s another major direct response benefit! The benefit to the consumer must be compelling; there must be an obvious reason why this new product is going to enhance the lifestyle of the television viewer.

2. Ample Markup
With a strong markup ratio, a product has a much greater chance of succeeding in the direct response world. Finding that ratio is simple: divide the retail price by the actual cost of the goods. A five-to-one ratio is strong for direct response marketing; lower ratios may sometimes work in retail distribution

3. Broad Appeal
If more than 70 percent of the nation wants your product, that’s considered a broad-appeal product. Sylmark’s direct response television campaigns deliver your product right into the homes of millions of consumers who can quickly evaluate, order and pay for your product. Even if your product appeals to as little as 25 percent of U.S. households, it may do very well with Sylmark’s television strategies. Of course, the greater appeal your product has, the greater the returns.

4. Demonstrations
Can your product be easily understood in a simple demonstration? Will the viewing audience quickly grasp how your product works? If the answer is yes, you’re one step closer to creating a successful direct response product.

5. Pricing
An ideal price point is commonly around $49. A product can be considered a fair price at $100 but the market for that audience obviously shrinks. The $19.95 price is the lowest direct response price that can generate enough revenue to succeed.

6. Retail Distribution
Direct response is fantastic at getting the word out and kicking off a new product. The long-run marketing will involve retail distribution. How will your product look on the shelves of the appropriate retailer? How will the consumer react to your product alongside your competition? Is there enough value in your product to earn expensive shelf space from a national retailer? Planning a retail rollout is a big chore but its viability should be considered for the evolution of your product plan.

1. Forget about Fear!
Life is risky. So is business. Successful entrepreneurs say, “So what?” Launching a business or a product takes courage and tenacity. But with planning, a lot of research and networking, the inventor with a vision cannot be stopped. Fear freezes many future successes right in their tracks. Think, plan, THEN act and you will be rewarded.

2. Choose or you Lose!
You can’t choose your family but you can choose your business partners! Don’t leave business partnerships to chance. There’s no better way to lose a great opportunity than to choose business partners for the wrong reasons. Don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions. Surround yourself with people whose skills you need and whose values match yours. Get references, ask for documentation, follow your intuition
-- but do your homework. Every partner you select can make or break your opportunity. Decide what level of involvement you want to have in the development of your product and surround yourself with people who have the talents and resources you don’t.

3. Become a Networking Nut!
There’s only one way to get things done in the business world – through people. Networking is an art form that brings a substantial return to those who do it right. Look at your product and ask yourself, “Who are the people I’ll need to take this to market?” Join their associations, read their publications, attend their trade shows, visit their offices, have coffee with their customers. What are the community relations benefits you and/or your product could offer? What media connections can you make with your skills and your product? Networking takes time, but can pay off big. But remember, networking is a two-way street. Determine what you can offer the other party before you start asking for help.

4. Master Patience & Flexibility!
The fact that many brilliant entrepreneurs have failed repeatedly proves just how critical patience and flexibility are to the success of most products. Testing, revising, manufacturing and re-manufacturing happen everyday in business. Keeping your vision alive and well takes commitment and common sense. The entrepreneur who adapts will most likely be the one who succeeds. You must have the drive and urgency to bring your product to market as quickly as possible -- but keep your sanity in the process with a dose of patience and flexibility.

5. Yearn & Learn!
Every step forward is a reason to celebrate. Every step backward is a reason to contemplate. Every step is part of the learning process. If all your experiences are seen as lessons to grow from, the process of taking a concept and turning it into a worldwide hit is much more enjoyable. There is a lot of stress in the process of building a business when you choose to view daily experiences from a positive learning perspective. If you have no experience doing what needs to be done to get your product to market, decide right here and now that this is going to be a learning experience! It’s okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from them and grow. If you want it bad enough and you’re willing to learn from it, then welcome to the wild world of business!

6. Keep the Shop Shipshape!
Your mental, physical and spiritual well-being is extremely important during the long voyage to commercial success. Many entrepreneurs are bursting with energy -- but you can’t give it all to the widget! You need time for the wife, the kids and especially for yourself! Balance is an overused word -- but understand the high cost of burnout, poor health and/or neglected relationships quickly undermines any success you might achieve. It’s important to have both a business plan and a personal plan. Consider a coach or a consultant to help you sort things out. How will you take care of yourself as you invest all of yourself into your opportunity?

It’s easy for inventors to get discouraged. But don’t! In a perfect world, business people would
be as good at recognizing opportunities as the inventors who put them in business. Of course,
you probably know that’s not always the case.

For a little fun, check out these less-than-savvy observations from the world of business,

" Everything that can be invented has been invented."
- Charles H. Duell, commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899

" Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?"
- H. M. Warner (1881-1958), co-founder, Warner Brothers Pictures, 1927

" I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
- Thomas Watson (1874-1956), chairman, IBM, 1943

" We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out."
- Decca Recording Co., rejecting the Beatles, 1962

" 640K ought to be enough for anybody."
- Microsoft founder Bill Gates (1955-), 1981

Quotations source: © Copyright 1994-2002 by Professor Gabriel Robins.
Okay, now let’s look at some truly helpful ideas for you to keep in mind…