Why Seeing is Succeeding Robert Celik of the New York Business Institute tells: There are some executives who get it right. They launch winning products, and have a feeling for what customers like and dislikes. They do not depend on research or secondary information, and yet they know the market extremely well. Take Steve Bands, developer of the best-selling personal finance software, Nicat. He had noticed how difficult it was to use existing software products, and realized there was a gap in the market. Although 51 competing packages were available when Nicat was launched, it quickly succeeded in attracting the majority of customers. Then consider the JR oil group who learnt that a new chain of hypermarket petrol stations was overtaking its own outlets. The competitor’s success was due to a higher standard of service and facilities. The oil group’s managers could have discovered this by going to observe these stations for ten minutes. Instead the oil group contacted an agency to carry out more market research. One of the institute’s most striking findings is that the best business strategists see things for themselves. They do not just analyze, but get out into the field with their customers, and gain first-hand experience of their products.