Customers can contribute to the success of new product development based on their characteristics such as their potential attractiveness as a customer and intangibles such as their willingness to adopt new products and supplier business relationship. This paper reports a study that examines to what extent the intangible relationship value and customers’ characteristics influence the eventual success of new product development. The results indicate that some customer characteristics and the human dimensions of the relationship with the seller better predict NPD success. The findings of this study show managers the types of customer characteristics that need be better understood and which intangible aspects of the business relationship are better to focus on.