Are You on the Right Track? Test, Test and Test Some More. Whether it's your email subject line or a new hire, the only way to know for sure if something is going to work is to test it.

By Eli Crane Edited by Dan Bova

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Shutterstock

If there is one thing I have learned in this new chapter of my life as an entrepreneur, it is that I know even less than I thought I did about business. I'm a huge believer in instinct and having a vision. I also believe that rock solid strategies and high level planning are vital. All of that being said, you don't have jack squat until you roll it out there, take off the training wheels and expose it.

Related: 10 Experiments to Test Your Startup Hypothesis

I am very blessed to have a couple amazing business mentors, and one of the repetitive themes I have noticed them pass down to me is the importance of testing. You test your new products, you test your marketing campaigns, you test your team members and so much more. Why? Because you rarely know the answer. You may have a hunch or an intuition about what demographic is going to be buying your product and when. You might believe that your new product line up is going to crush it. You also just know that the initial price point you are offering up on your new line is well within the suggested retail price for your customers. You might be blown away by the conference call you just got off with this hot new SEO firm that was just highly recommended to you. These are just a few of the issues that we are all currently dealing with. Unfortunately, there is only one way to know for sure. Test it!

If you are like me and have a ton of weaknesses, then there are going to be certain things you will not be able to test by yourself. At some point, you will have to bring in outsiders to test out many of the operations and systems in place at your business. This can often be scary and embarrassing, exposing yourself and your ignorance to their specialty, but it is absolutely necessary to improve and make gains. While they are testing your stuff, guess what you are doing? You are testing them. You are fact-checking their analysis. Are they being honest, or are they telling you what you want to hear? Test them.

Related: Starting Up Wrong: 6 Product Testing Mistakes You Need to Avoid

This testing can be as easy as moving that marketing post from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the evening or lowering your price point from $39.99 to $34.99. We have seen major improvements with very minor changes. Sometimes it is changing up the header in your email blast. It might mean postponing your launch date of a new product until you have worked out that final bug.

Would you like to know who else is great at helping you test? Your customers are! Create a poll. Ask them what they think. Ask them how you can improve it. Ask them what they would pay for it. It works but only if you test it.

At the end of the day, this all starts with a little self-awareness and some humility. You have to look yourself in the mirror and say, "You know what, I'm really not 100 percent sure about this. Let me do some testing to see what produces ROI."

Related: Test These 3 Feedback Strategies Before You Launch Your Startup

Often, we are our own biggest enemies when it comes to the success of our products, our strategies and our businesses. We start to think for just a second that we know what we are doing and become rigid. I know I have been guilty of it.

The bottom line is this: Stay humble, be flexible and keep on testing.

Eli Crane

CEO, Bottle Breacher

A former Navy SEAL and entrepreneur, Eli Crane started his multimillion-dollar company Bottle Breacher in his garage turning 50-caliber shells into bottle openers. He is a frequent media guest and public speaker nationwide supporting the natural symmetry of military service and entrepreneurism.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

JPMorgan Shuts Down Internal Message Board Comments After Employees React to Return-to-Office Mandate

Employees were given the option to leave comments about the RTO mandate with their first and last names on display — and they did not hold back.

Innovation

4 Ways Market Leaders Use Innovation to Foster Business Growth

Forward-thinkers constantly strive to diversify and streamline their products and services, turning novelties into commodities desired by many.

Franchise

Jersey Mike's Switched Up Its Strategy for Serving Customers This Year — Then Blackstone Bought the Sandwich Chain for $8 Billion

The New Jersey sub franchise has dialed in on strategies to serve customers in stores and online, as proven by its recent acquisition.

Science & Technology

Is Mental Clarity the Real Key to Success in 2025?

Peak mental efficiency = peak business effectiveness.

Franchise

Taco Bell Is More Than 60 Years Old — Here's the Brand's Secret to Staying Relevant, According to Its CEO

The fast food franchise has its sights set on something bigger than the quick service restaurant category. That landed it the #1 spot on our Franchise 500 for the fifth time.

Franchise

12 Businesses Share Their Biggest Marketing Wins, From a Social Media Scavenger Hunt to Lovable Mascot

You don't need a huge budget to get people's attention, or win over loyal customers. Sometimes you just need a little creativity.