SKU and You

Turn every product into a strategic asset

by Andrea Hill

(Originally Published by MJSA August, 2025)

Some companies treat product development like a creative process. Others treat it like a race to hit price points. Still others simply copy whatever seems hot at the moment. But if you want to grow your margins, retain your customers, and stand out in a saturated market, you can’t afford to let your line “just happen.”

You need a Value Engine—a system for deciding what you make, why you make it, and how each product earns its keep.

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Your Line Isn’t a Museum

Too many product lines are cluttered with old ideas that no longer pull their weight. Every SKU has a cost—design, sourcing, production, storage, sales effort. If you don’t know what role a product plays in your business model, you can’t know whether it still belongs in the line. Start by asking:

• Is this a volume driver?
• Is this amargin protector?
• Is this a relationship builder?
• Is this a differentiator?

If the answer is “none of the above,” why are you still making it?

Listen More Strategically

Customer feedback isn’t limited to what buyers say when they’re thrilled—or furious. The voice of the customer includes sales team patterns, reorder behavior, repair rates, web traffic, lost quotes, and competitor wins.
Build a habit of collecting signals. Even a simple quarterly review of reorder patterns and missed opportunities can show you what to double down on—and what to quietly retire.

And if you sell direct? Your DMs, reviews, returns, and customer questions are a gold mine. Are you listening?

Product as Positioning

You don’t have to make everything. In fact, what you don’t make is part of what defines your brand. Use your product strategy to clarify your positioning.

Are you the best at bold color? Do you own small-batch platinum? Are you the ones who make tricky tech look seamless?
Whatever your edge is, your line should make it obvious—not just to buyers, but also to your own team. Let your product line do more of the heavy lifting in explaining who you are.

Profit Lives in the Plan

You don’t need a giant R&D budget to be more strategic. You just need a better rhythm. Here’s a simple one:

• Annually: Pick one or two strategic goals for your line (margin growth, category expansion, customer retention, etc.).
• Quarterly: Review your line through that lens. What’s helping? What’s hurting?
• Monthly: Tune your launches and sales plans based on real data—what sold, what stalled, what sparked interest.

This kind of structure doesn’t stifle creativity. It channels it. It helps you say no faster, say yes more confidently, and go to market with fewer surprises.

You already know how to make beautiful product. But the product isn’t the business. The right product—delivered at the right time, to the right customer, with the right message—is what powers a profitable company. That’s what a Value Engine does. It turns design decisions into business growth. And if you build one intentionally, it’ll take you farther than any lucky hit ever will.

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Sales & Marketing Tip:

If You Don’t Say It, They Won’t See It

You might know exactly what sets your product apart, but if you’re not communicating it clearly (online, in your booth, in your reps’ mouths), it’s not doing you any good. Differentiation isn’t automatic. It’s a job. And it’s one of the most important jobs you have.

If you’re creating products strategically designed to stand out—whether through smarter stone sourcing, greater durability, a better finish, or more thoughtful packaging— you need to spell that out for your customer. Repeatedly.

Whether you sell to retailers, studios, or direct to consumers, your buyer is busy. They’re not going to slow down and study your line until you give them a reason. So, make the value obvious:

• Show the “why” behind a line.
• Explain how this solves a problem for thecustomer.
• Say what they’ll gain— margin, ease, loyalty, speed— by choosing your product.

You don’t need to be flashy or dramatic. You just need to be clear. Great marketing isn’t about hype— it’s about helping your buyer see your product’s value. 

That kind of clarity doesn’t just move product. It builds trust. And trust is where profitable growth really begins.