Getting customers involved in all stages of the product development process isn’t something most companies want to do. “They want customers to give them their money and go away,” says Garrison Hoffman, president of Peekskill, N.Y.–based Codefix Consulting Inc. Flexibility is critical to successful product development. To work, the activity has to be a partnership in which both sides listen to each other. The following strategies can help drive the process:

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1. Cultivate an environment of trust. All too often, the relationship between a company and its customers is antagonistic. Such a situation produces friction, which can make truly creative product development efforts impossible. For a product development effort to work, customers must be certain that they’ll get respect and advantages.

2. Act on any suggestions that are made. Few things are more frustrating than participating in an exciting process and then seeing nothing happen. Even if the results aren’t spectacular, participants like to see movement, so they know their effort has not gone to waste.

3. Provide rewards for participation. Whether it’s a chance to have first crack at a new product, special discounts, or access to support, moderate rewards can build loyalty when it comes to the product development process — and that loyalty can be used to fuel further innovation.

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