Sales Myth #3: “A great product sells itself”

The Myth of Product Superiority

Picture this scenario: A leading global electronics company introduces an innovative, award-winning product that immediately earns rave reviews. Company leadership and product teams are confident, assuming customers will naturally buy because the product is superior. Months later, despite extensive media coverage, sales fail to match expectations, leaving executives stunned.

This scenario underscores the painful truth behind one of the most common misconceptions in business: "A great product sells itself."

Origins and Popularity: Why Do So Many Still Believe This Myth?

This misconception became prominent during the explosive growth era of technology and consumer products in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During this period, groundbreaking products often initially appeared successful due to early market buzz and curiosity-driven consumer interest.

Today, despite abundant evidence disproving this myth, it remains moderately popular, ranking 7 out of 10 on our popularity gauge. Product and marketing teams, confident in the inherent superiority of their offerings, frequently continue to perpetuate this damaging assumption.

Who Started this Myth—and Who Still Believes It?

Initially introduced by confident product developers, engineers, and marketing professionals, this myth grew from genuine (but misplaced) belief in their products' inherent market appeal. Product teams assume exceptional quality alone reduces or eliminates the need for disciplined sales strategies.

However, those most negatively impacted by this myth are the sales teams and senior executives. Salespeople struggle against unrealistic expectations, and executives face unpredictable revenues, eroding their ability to accurately forecast and strategically plan.

Why This Myth Doesn’t Hold Up Logically

Let’s clearly unpack the critical logical flaws behind believing that product quality alone ensures sales success:

1. Customer Awareness vs. Conversion:A superior product may attract attention, but attention alone rarely translates directly to sales. The journey from interest to purchase requires structured sales processes.
   

2. Market Saturation and Competition:Competitors often replicate innovations rapidly. Without structured selling strategies, superior products quickly lose market momentum.
   

3. Complex Customer Decision-Making:Particularly in enterprise or high-value purchases, customers rarely rely solely on product quality. Factors like trust, after-sales support, structured engagement, and clear value communication significantly influence purchasing decisions.
   

Real-World Case Studies: Lessons from Sony, Toys “R” Us, and General Electric (GE)

Sony (Betamax, MiniDisc):

Sony introduced Betamax, widely recognized as technically superior to VHS, expecting natural market dominance. Yet without structured selling strategies or effective customer education, Betamax failed commercially. Similarly, Sony’s MiniDisc, a superior audio format, never fully succeeded due to inadequate structured market penetration strategies.

Toys “R” Us:

Toys "R" Us believed their longstanding market reputation and superior brands would guarantee sustainable success. They underestimated the structured selling approaches of competitors (e.g., Walmart and Amazon). Without disciplined selling and aligned product-market strategies, their superior product offerings alone couldn't sustain customer loyalty or revenues.

General Electric (Medical Devices):

GE consistently developed industry-leading medical equipment. However, initial sales were often disappointing. GE learned to implement disciplined, structured sales processes—clearly defining customer interactions, product value communication, and support—to successfully commercialize these superior products, achieving substantial market success thereafter.

A Humorous Perspective: Reality Check on the Myth

Funny Insight:"Believing a product sells itself is like leaving your expensive new car keys on the table and expecting the car to drive itself home. Unfortunately, cars aren’t that clever—and neither are products."

Humorous Analogy:"Expecting your great product to automatically sell is like hoping your teenager cleans their room without being asked—possible, but extremely unlikely."

Funny Reality Check Scenario:"Ever seen your product book a sales appointment, negotiate prices, or chase down clients? If you do, your sales team would love to know."

The Structured Solution: ICMG Enterprise Anatomy-Driven Approach

To effectively overcome this damaging myth, organizations must adopt structured selling methodologies clearly aligned to their product strengths and overall market strategy. ICMG’s Enterprise Anatomy offers a proven approach:

1. Clear Strategy-to-Process Alignment:Align sales strategies with specific product strengths and clearly defined customer needs, ensuring disciplined value communication.

2. Defined Selling Processes:Implement repeatable, structured processes clearly outlining each customer interaction and conversion step, explicitly designed to leverage product superiority.

3. Customer Value Clarity:Clearly define how products solve customer problems, explicitly communicated through structured selling steps.

4. Integrated Systems and Roles:Sales roles clearly defined, integrated CRM systems systematically manage customer interactions, ensuring consistent sales execution independent of individual salespeople.
   

Enterprise Success Example: Sony’s Structured Shift

Sony eventually learned from its experiences, notably with PlayStation—structuring sales processes, clearly communicating value propositions, and using disciplined market engagement strategies. As a result, PlayStation became one of Sony’s most successful products, clearly demonstrating that structured selling outperforms simple product superiority alone.

Great Products Deserve Great Sales Strategies

A great product alone is never enough to guarantee sustainable market success. Disciplined, structured selling methods are essential to translate market interest into predictable, scalable revenue.

Now is the time to clearly recognize and overcome the damaging myths silently sabotaging your sales growth.

Join our exclusive ICMG webinar, "Sales Myths Destroying Your Sales Strategy," and discover exactly how structured sales methodologies deliver measurable and sustainable market success.