As an executive coaching expert and top business mentor I have sat through my fair share of new business ideas and product presentations – only to be left feeling frustrated and annoyed due to insufficient planning and foresight.

When innovating and creating new business ideas and concepts – do you test and challenge:

• How robust your idea is?

• If your people have the necessary skills to make it work?

• If the idea will pass muster with your customers and prospects?

This trio of tests can make the difference between success and failure:

Plan well – and think BIG

Many ideas are weak and bomb because they have not undergone Rudyard Kipling’s 6 Good Men and True questions: What? Why? When? How? Where? Who?

Too many inventions are solutions seeking problems; they don’t solve a meaningful problem.

The potential of many inventions is likewise too narrow – even if the idea is workable.

Apply the KISS rule – the best ideas are often the simplest and easy to understand.

Pull in the best people

Many inventors lack the business training and ‘know how’ to develop and capitalise on their ideas.

Many great ideas are overlooked because those presenting them are devoid of the knowledge and skills to deliver maximum impact.

The greatest people spearheading new ideas are:

• Connected to the people who can drive innovation in the right direction

• Constantly asking ‘What if’ questions to unearth the best answers

• Networking with smart people who can help them to raise their game

Also remember that you can buy in people – but you can’t buy in ideas.

Put the customer before the technology

New ideas people often fall into the trap of getting more excited about how the new product works than how it benefits the customer.

It is therefore critical to identify the target customer and test the innovation on them before trying it out on colleagues, family and friends who will invariably think it’s a great idea.

If you have a new idea you want to launch I’ll be delighted in my capacity as an executive coach to help you to propel it to the next stage – but only if it passes the above 3 tests with flying colours. You can reach me @richardwhatif on Twitter or find me on LinkedIn under Richard Bosworth.