Product Launch Essentials
October 1, 2009 – 4:02 amThe product launch problem
The ultimate goal of a product launch is to build momentum. Unfortunately efforts often fall far short of this goal. Product Launch has become with a specific date or an event, not a key corporate initiative that spans a period of time. The problem manifests itself in different ways:
- An absence of clearly expressed launch goals that everyone understands
- No defined launch strategies to support the goals
- Confusion about roles, responsibilities, and accountability
- A focus on deliverables rather than outcomes
- No launch methodology to ensure repeatability and confidence
- Ineffective organizational readiness often manifested by the sales team “thrashing”
It takes a different approach
Product Launch Essentials takes a different approach to the product launch challenge. Rather than thinking about launch as the end of development it should be defined as the start of selling, establishing a completely different framework for addressing launch planning.
The Repeatable Product Launch Process
Organize
The key to minimizing resources and maximizing results is to have clear launch goals, and then apply the right launch strategies. The Organize phase helps establish launch goals that support corporate goals, and the seven distinct launch strategies that are used to drive a successful launch.
Evaluate
The Evaluate phase assesses the organization’s capability of achieving the launch goals. It helps discover readiness gaps in an objective manner to establish a baseline where launch readiness efforts can be focused. The conclusion of the Evaluate phase is a “Readiness Scorecard”.
Prepare
Product launch is a team sport and the Prepare phase delivers practical tips and tools to help organize and drive a cross-functional launch team. How do you address the launch readiness gaps identified in the Evaluate phase, particularly the two areas that provide the most challenge: Sales and Marketing.
Execute
The Execute phase takes a step-by-step approach to building a product launch plan based on the work of the Organize,Evaluate and Prepare phases. Also, how can the launch be measured and monitored?
It’s not about a launch checklist
Product launch checklists are typically created in response to a failed launch. It includes all the things that everyone wishes were done, not necessarily the things that drive sales velocity. The launch checklist is a response to the symptoms of the problem but it doesn’t address the underlying problems that caused the launch to fail. Used in this way a launch checklist will continue to grow over time without anyone questioning the value of the additions.
Once a launch strategy is defined, the clarity of what should be in a launch checklist becomes evident. Used in this way, the launch checklist is a tool that supports the launch strategy.
