• What if nobody likes our innovation? Is it a Go- No-Go decision at that point? Just because test customers don't like a product/service may not be reason enough to kill it.
• How will we know if the information we get is valid? Maybe we were asking the wrong questions.
• Assuming it is valid, which elements and benefits will be most important to our customers and us?
• What if we can't make the changes customers say we need to? Are there other market segments that hold greater promise?
• Even if we can make those changes, how long will they take, and can we afford them?
• What if by testing we give away too much information to our competition? How much might too much information be?
• If we test our innovation in the marketplace, will we lose the element of surprise? Maybe there are ways to avoid this.
• What if we have over-estimated the size of the market? Even so, does that eliminate the product or service? A narrower market segment may be even more profitable than a large one.

The following week you pass by the store, and decide to have another ice cream like last week's. To your surprise and disappointment, they don't have it anymore. What happened? They may have been testing a new flavor and, unfortunately for you, not many people liked it so they discontinued it. They were running a test, and you helped with it. Maybe they should have told you so, or maybe even paid you for your opinion. The fact is that by testing the experimental flavor you supplied them with information about the flavor, the type of container, the size, the syrup, the nuts, and the price. Their analysis of their sales statistics gave them the answer they needed (but may not have liked); not enough people liked that particular flavor, and many thought it too expensive and decided not to buy it.

There are many ways of testing products and services, and each can provide you with valuable information about your innovation; here are some

• Test in secret. Auto manufacturers do it all the time at hidden test tracks.
• Test in an out-of-the-way market. Depending on the nature of the product or service, a small, remote town may be an ideal place to test products.
• Test incognito. If a product appears on the shelves without brand identification, it may provide much more objective information.
• Limit testing to just one channel. Distributors? Sub-distributors. Retailers? One specific industry?
• Test in an open market but without fanfare. Get it out there without any promotion or advertising to see what reactions consumers may have.
• Test under a different brand name. Create a temporary, or even a phony Brand name.
• Limit number of testers, and require confidentiality agreement Making test customers aware that they are part of a special test can often provide more complete feedback.
• Use a focus panel approach. Several focus panels with different types of potential users.
• Test only certain parts or aspects. Some product and services allow this flexibility.
• Test with "give-aways." People love to receive things for free, and are more likely to provide ample feedback in return - provided we ask them the right questions. For example, most tasting samples offered at supermarkets would work better if those dispensing them would ask better questions.
• Test at various price levels. This is a good way to get a feel for how much people think the product is worth. You nay be surprised to find out that people are actually willing to pay more than you thought.
• Show only and ask for impressions. Get people to attend demonstrations, and survey them.
• Test with just one client. This works especially with industrial customers.
• Send out to testing labs. Independent testing can, but may not always be, more objective.
• Disguise product and get reactions. The test doesn't have to look like the end product.
• Ask for opinions about the concept without actually showing the product. A Power Point or a video presentation may give people enough of an idea to enable them to offer opinions
• Test with pictures or mockups and ask for impressions. Same as above.
• Let prospects use product without owning it. Test drive autos. Try on clothing. Offer a free consulting session.
• Run different tests in different market segments. You don't need to test for the same things at all locations
• Test with different age groups. Reactions can be very different among different generations.
• Test at trade fairs. A quick way to sample a large number of persons, but risk of alerting competition is also greater.

• Speed is of the essence. The sooner we can get the feedback, the sooner we can make the necessary changes and launch the product.
• Categorizing feedback by different classifications. Grouping information by ages, locations, income levels, right-handed versus left-handed, occupations, intended end use.
• Statistical analysis. The more you can quantify the test results, the greater the objectivity.
• Determine validity of data. If any data is questionable, toss it out.
• Obtain additional information for questionable data. Sometimes questionable data is merely incomplete and getting additional information can be very helpful.
• Interpret meaning and relative meaningfulness of data. There may be a greater variety of answers to your questions than you anticipated which implies the possibility of different meanings. Further, one must ask how meaningful is the feedback? Be careful, however, that you don't consider it meaningless simply because you don't like it.
• Make changes, and re-test accordingly. If fundamental changes are required, it may suggest that the concept is flawed, which may demand a total review of the original criteria and assumptions
• Consider different testing modalities. Spreading the testing over a wider variety of tests may generate a more complete picture.
• Use feedback data of subsequent tests to make additional changes, and then develop a compelling offering, one that will get people's attention to the product's valuable differences and their associated benefits.