Develop a Brand Centric Product Development Process

A great deal of product research and development should occur prior to the selection process. But catalogers always should have a steady stream of products in their queue of potentials. These are products derived from actively listening to your customers — feedback from phone, e-mail, or the very best face-to-face interactions. These customer connections truly are the lifeblood of your product development process. What you hear through these interactions should be turned into vendor conversations, product prototyping and passionate sourcing.