The well-thought-out features were a tribute to a great engineering team. But how to let people know and sense the power of the product. There had to be a demonstration.

So Charlie created a demo display and arranged for all the stores with rights to sell the product to feature the display in a prominent location. It looked great.

There was a large, illuminated display, with the product itself spotlighted like a brilliant jewel in a window. Just above the window, a large sign surrounded by an array of multicolored flashing lights urged customers to try the product for themselves.

Unfortunately, there was a tendency for the product, a rather costly unit, to walk off by itself, leaving spotlights dramatically highlighting an empty space.

Charlie solved that problem. He tethered the product to the display with a chain long enough to allow users to lift the product and try it.

It was a very successful display. Thousands of people responded to the message, lifted the product, pressed switches, turned knobs, and wiped off the display with handkerchiefs which, sometimes, were already soiled. People were indeed impressed. Unfortunately, the product wasn't designed to withstand all that manhandling. So it wasn't long before the display surface was scratched enough to cut down its clarity and it wasn't long before switch contacts were worn or bent so that switches didn't work. Major functions didn't function. This was no way to show off a great product.

So Charlie replaced the working model with another model. Again, the sign over the spotlighted window urged users to try for themselves. But when they lifted the model and bunged a few switches or rotated a knob, nothing happened. When they turned over the model, they could understand why. A printed message proclaimed: "Nonfunctioning. Demo only."