What YOUR business can learn from the iPad introduction…

While most of us — regardless of the industry in which we work — would give just about anything to receive the publicity for a product launch that Apple receives, there are a couple of points we should observe that may assist us in every aspect of our business.

1) Critics are everywhere. Many of the early reviews of the iPad are negative…and they’re coming from people who have yet to use the product! Don’t forget…the iPhone generated a similar response! (I’ve heard it’s not doing too badly…)

Resist the urge to respond to every bad review! Instead, get your product in the hands of your best customers and help THEM spread the word — especially using the amazing tool of Social Media. After all…let’s face it, customers have a lot more credibility than mere critics.

2) Reconsider holding back. While I am an absolute Apple “fan-boy,” there is one aspect about the iPad that really disappointed me: It doesn’t appear to have a built-in webcam. Apple CEO Jobs promoted that “almost all of the programs from the iPhone will work on the iPad.” Well…no. I love an app called “Reel Director.” It edits the video you shoot on your iPhone and helps you share it with friends. No camera means no video editing, it appears. And, I was hoping the iPad would be a revolutionary device in connecting you with colleagues and friends via video on Skype and iChat.

My guess is that the feature was held back…perhaps just like the first iPhones didn’t have 3G. Early adopters and Innovators bought the initial run of the product, talked it up and made it mainstream. Then, Apple soon releases a new version with 3G…sending us back to the store to buy ANOTHER iPhone. I’ll bet the next version of the iPad has a camera, and Apple is holding back on us.

Do this too often, and even your most dedicated fans feel a bit “used.”

3) “Feel” is vital. How does it FEEL to use your product…to be a client of your service? Have you strategically analyzed it? Perhaps more than any other company, Apple realizes that the experience — in part, the “feel” of the product — is critically important in creating those “raving fans” any business covets. Yet, it is an aspect that organizations seldom consider! We aren’t “trained” in design and feelings…we look at EBITDA results and measure cost-benefit ratios. At the same time, our customers leave us…and we assume it must be a bad economy, or a competitor with a better price. Maybe it doesn’t “feel right” to use your product or be your customer. Do you know?

I’ll bet the iPad — despite the less-than-stellar name — is a huge success. However, I’ll also wager it’s a few years before we know.

The important aspect is that YOUR business can grow if you understand that critics are everywhere…you shouldn’t hold back on making your product or service the ultimate…and we all need to pay more attention to how it feels to do business with us!