Sue Duris
M4 Communications
sduris@m4communications.com

OK. It's Friday at 4:45 pm and your CEO or VP of Marketing says "we need to release the product next week." Do you panic? Instead of pulling your hair out, implement the following tactics in your next product launch, and you will be successful.

1. Plan your work and work your plan

This is a cliché that definitely works and should be at the top of your list. Whoever is in charge of your launches, be it the Launch Manager or Product Marketing Manager, that person should be an integral part of your product team. They need to understand the product and objectives to be able to help develop effective messaging and positioning so the product gets in the right target audience's hands.

While you will have an overall product plan, you need to have a formal and structured launch plan that includes the actual plan, product launch timeline and product launch checklist.

Deliverables from your launch plan will be in the marketing plan, and include all of the marketing materials and sales tools, marketing programs, PR, advertising, and any other activities you will use to promote your solution. Remember, you will have internal as well as external-based marketing programs. And, in line with this, you should have a budget for these promotional activities included in the launch plan.

It is very important that objectives, milestones, benchmarks, and success measurements be realistic and time-sensitive, and be set upfront. In addition, a mechanism for monitoring and tracking launch progress and execution must also be in place.

The Product Launch Manager is in charge of assembling the cross-functional team and ensuring the plan is executed within the expected budget and timeframe.

While each company is different, a rule of thumb is that your launch plan should be implemented at least 3-6 months before your launch. That means your plan and launch team should be in place well before that so there is a clear roadmap in place before the launch team has its kickoff meeting.

2. Commitment is key

For your launch to work, you must have an experienced cross-functional team that is committed to the plan, timelines and checklist. Additionally, a C-level "champion" or sponsor, such as the VP of Marketing or other executive, should help the Launch Manager steer the launch so that the launch objectives are realized.

Your 'stakeholders' must buy into this. Make the process fun as well as rewarding to help the buy-in process. Consider a kickoff party. It has also been suggested that team members sign a commitment letter, committing to the project goals and timeframes at hand. Set up weekly meetings that are conducive to team member communication and interaction.

3. Involve Sales

Marketing and Sales cannot afford to operate in silos, Marketing needs Sales feedback to help develop the right products and Sales needs Marketing to help them connect with the right prospects. Sales must be involved in this process from day one, as they will be helping you to launch the product and extend the launch benefits, and they need you to provide them with the right sales tools to target, attract, and convert the right customers.

4. Invest In the Right positioning

It is so easy to position the product from an inside-out perspective; don't fall into this trap. The product must be launched as it is developed--for a specific customer segment. Therefore, your positioning must appeal to your target audience--what is their 'pain' or issue they are trying to solve, and why is your product the only product that will solve their pain. That's why companies have multiple communications pieces for multiple audiences; it works, and you need to do this as well if you want to be effective.

You have to ensure your positioning is revenue-focused. You do this in two ways. First, you create the appropriate messaging that will generate awareness, interest, desire, and action. And second, you position your product and messages where your target audience is.

In addition, you should, at all times, be aware of where the prospect is in the buy cycle, and provide the right communications at each specific point in that continuum.

5. The employee as brand steward

We mentioned above that marketing activities are both internal and external. The internal activities are all about getting your employees excited about the new solution, and understanding it enough to be able to sell it. What? Employees selling solutions? You bet. You have heard of "word of mouth", right? Your employees can generate enough "buzz" about the solution to help extend your brand. So, don't forget that the employees are your internal customers, and treat them as such, and provide them with information about the solution that they can use.

6. Test and Measure

This definitely will not be your last launch. So, before you implement your plan, make sure your benchmarks and success measurements are in place. Then, during the implementation and management phases, test and monitor your success. Document what worked and why, and what didn't work and why. In effect, you need to create a SWOT analysis for each launch so you can use it as a guide for subsequent launches.

7. The Launch is not a specific point in time

Consider the launch as a journey, not the destination. While there may be a particular day that the public launch commences, the launch will be in process throughout the life cycle of the product. Whether you want to divide your tactics into Pre-Launch and Post-Launch, the fact remains that the launch is continuous.

Deploying these activities will help you have a successful launch. And even if your CEO asks you to move quicker to get your product to market, you will still have the ammunition to get you there virtually bump-free.

Sue Duris is President of M4 Communications, Inc. The Pittsburgh, PA-based firm helps high-tech companies implement product and marketing strategies to reach the right target segments. She may be reached at sduris@m4communications.com