How can you ensure all team members have the same product launch information and resources?

The launch plan is the starting point for the launch. However, it should be written with the intention of modifying as you go. For that reason, it is best to put tasks into categories such as Marketing, Product and Sales. Depending on the launch, there could be subcategories. In addition, critical paths and go/no go criterial should be identified.

In my experience a clear plan includes all departments and is followed with training and enablement so that each department role understands the product and their role to a successful launch.

For a successful product launch, ensure that all relevant team members are aligned. Create a checklist of all activities including scope, product details, documentation, training, internal, external communication etc. and have this available in a central place where teams can access information related to the product launch. Have a pre-launch kickoff for the team and communicate key messages and talking points. Incorporate learnings from each launch and share them for future successful launches.

After your first few launches as a product marketer you should be able to create a template that is able to scale up or down depending on the product launch prio. In my experience, we launch p4 (improvement to product) vs p1 (competitive advantage, money making) very differently. So aligning your plan accordingly is key. You need all the key ingredients in order to be effective. From the key messaging, assets you will create (across audiences), localization, campaigns, PR, sales enablement, and more.

It’s really important to also include the brand story as part of the launch plan and integrate how the product aligns to the overall narrative. Oftentimes, this is an afterthought in the process, and can cause marketing headaches in the end!

Well, what is important is to keep all the stakeholders in the loop for all the launch and the only way to keep them updated is with regular "COMMUNICATION". Now this communication can be through different office tools or by having regular stakeholders meetings(physical and virtual).. What is also important is to minute these meetings and share with everyone. This way all the required information is cascaded down at every level without the risk of missing any information.

A comprehensive product launch plan serves as a dynamic roadmap, ensuring that team members are well-informed and tasks are efficiently managed. Regular team meetings and ongoing refinement processes are crucial for adapting strategies based on real-time feedback. Effective promotion across various channels, including social media, email marketing, influencers, and traditional advertising, is integral to reaching the target audience. As the launch date approaches, organizing pre-launch events and interactive experiences builds anticipation and fosters a supportive community. Additionally, budget allocation and KPI monitoring enable efficient resource utilization and strategic adjustments to market dynamics.

In the information age we all have a full plate of emails and data to digest each day. Competing for "mindshare" requires clarity in communication. It is important to test that the product launch plan is easy to understand with a mix of stakeholders prior to communicating internally. Staying open to changes for optimization will also drive improved launch execution and results.

A product launch plan should be prepared 3-6 months before the official kick-off with clear goals, objectives, and performance metrics. It should take into consideration the launch plans of similar products, whether they succeded or failed, so that a list of learned lessons can be considered as well. Moreover in view of today's life/business challenges, it is strongly advised to put a side-plan for any turbulences, struggles or business challenges that may come up all the way down, especially any unexpected force majeurs that might happen and set clear actions and corrective directions if they ever happen. Simply, a contingency plan should always be prepared. Multi stakeholders involvement in the planning phase is a big plus for success.

Every product launch is different and, based on its importance, will have its customized launch plan. The common thread: Clarity, Communication, and Collaboration. a.Clarity: The first step is always creating a product launch plan that addresses the 5Ws and 1H for the launch and also maps the internal stakeholders, milestones, and who owns what. b.Communication: Deciding on the communication channels and frequency to stay on the same page is vital. For example, a CXO aligned with the launch wouldn’t like to be a part of the weekly meetings but would appreciate the weekly updates. c.Collaboration: Using the official collaboration platform to know the status of each moving part of the launch will ensure full transparency and accountability.

It's often tempting to fall into the trap of when you have a hammer, everything is a nail. I'll use Slack as an example. Initially, Slack may seem like the perfect centralized communication platform for a product launch, but: - Slack is distracting and product launches require focus. Can you keep people focused on product launch-specific communication? - Slack is difficult for organizing information. You can create threads to group information together, but threads easily get lost. How often do you ask yourself "Where was that message again?". For the record, I love Slack. My point is make sure you're choosing tools with purpose, not because of convenience. Define your requirements, understand your collaborators, then choose a tool.

There are dozens of tools out there (Teams, Google workspace, Slack, Project, Monday.com, Asana) that can help you get there. But the most important aspect is not the tool but rather the processes you establish at the beginning of your project. You need to build clear guidelines so your team knows what to do in order to get things done.

No matter the tool, the most important thing is that all members of the launch team are aligned. The ceremonies around the alignment (eg. meetings, comms etc) are more important than the tool itself.

The most important thing about the platform being used…is that it’s actually being used. Using one that doesn’t facilitate to the processes and other tools your team is using isn’t helping. If you’re just creating yet another place where you’re having communication, keeping files, or tracking projects, you’re actually adding to your workload. Ensure you have team alignment and adoption with a platform where you can manage your communication, files, and tracking that works with your necessary processes.

Communication to all involved is the key for keeping everyone on the same page in a project and a central communication tool really brings efficiencies and tracking to optimize the deliveries within the given timelines

Un outil de centralisation du projet est déterminant pour la bonne évolution du projet. Cet outil doit permettre: - Visualiser la roadmap - centraliser le besoin, les specs, le rendu attendu, les uses cases, une matrice de responsabilité RACI, et l’avancement du projet ainsi que du Q&A. - l’ensemble de tâches ou actions à effectuer dispatchées aux stakeholders et une estimation le plus réelle possible du temps nécessaire pour l’accomplir. - un tableau de visualisation de KPIs pour repérer en avance des problèmes, incohérences ou du retard. - le versioning avec les évolution du produit. Une fois lancé le produit doit continuer à vivre.

1. Central Hub: Use a central communication platform as your team's information hub. It streamlines discussions, file sharing, and updates in one accessible place. 🌐 2. Real-Time Collaboration: These platforms enable real-time collaboration, making it easier to coordinate, brainstorm, and make decisions quickly. 💬 3. Task Management: Assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress. It ensures everyone is aligned and accountable, boosting productivity. 📋 4. Efficiency & Clarity: Centralized communication cuts through the noise, reducing email overload and ensuring clear, concise messaging. 📧 5. Accessibility & Security: Choose a platform that’s both secure and easily accessible to all team members, regardless of location. 🔒

I find that a web based playbook hosted on a sales enablement platform like highspot is incredibly useful and provides a one stop for everything related to product launch. It is a dynamic tool that evolves and can be updated during different phases of the launch to provide the newest and most current information. The playbook follows the same format for each launch and provides all of the internal information as well as all of the customer/channel facing assets such as launch plan, pre-launch materials, value proposition, messaging, spec sheets, pricing, battle cards, imagery, advertising assets, videos, training, presentations, invites to events and more. Any materials tagged as external can easily be shared directly from the platform.

In my experience communication platforms can be helpful but also represent a threat. People's communication preference and ways of digest information are usually eterogenous. In my opinion it's better to have different tools for different purposes instead of trying to have one platform cover all the use cases

These centralized communication platforms, including Slack (@zeekdigital preferred collaboration tool) Microsoft Teams, Trello, Asana, and Basecamp, are highly beneficial for coordinating a product launch team. They streamline communication, collaboration, and coordination, keeping everyone focused on the ultimate goal.

At this point, communication becomes crucial. Not just telling people what you want them to do, but also engaging in discussions on how to do it. If you are assigning a task to someone, you do that for a reason, right? It's because they have a specific skillset. Leverage that. Get their insights on what THEY think is the best way to fulfill this task and adjust you plan accordingly.

I have seen products failing in the SLA’s are missing . I would like to bring in the concept of shared SLA here . While all departments/ functions have their individual SLAs tightly defined , the category manager must also ensure that the overall SLA for the product is adhered to even if their is a breach of any individual SLA , the subsequent functions must be empowered / communicated to compensate for ensuring that the overall SLA to the market / customer is met .

Based on my experience, it's important to define roles and responsibilities at the project's onset, considering each team member's skills and interests. This early clarity helps align the team effectively and leverages individual strengths for the project's success.

A lo largo de mi carrera pude evidenciar que la colaboración efectiva es fundamental para el éxito de los lanzamientos de productos, aprendí que asignar roles específicos a cada miembro del equipo asegura una distribución equitativa de la carga de trabajo y una comprensión completa de las tareas. Por supuesto que es esencial definir claramente las responsabilidades. Esto incluye no solo las tareas relacionadas con el lanzamiento, como la planificación de eventos y la creación de materiales promocionales, sino también la comunicación interna y externa. Además, proporcionar acceso a documentos compartidos, herramientas de colaboración y actualizaciones en tiempo real, garantiza que cada miembro tenga acceso a la información más reciente.

Comme disait un célèbre philosophe « ce qui ce conçoit bien s’énonce clairement », ce qui veut dire que les zones d’ombres et les non dits sont un danger absolue dans une phase de lancement projet. Il y a plusieurs étapes à franchir pour un lancement marketing, il faut ne pas brûler les étapes, faire beaucoup de feedback aux équipes pour les rassurer et les accompagner aux succès du lancement. Les outils de suivis sont long à réaliser mais tellement utiles pour la suite, c’est un investissement indispensable.

Creating a RACI framework and using it to map/assign for every step/milestone of the launch and ensuring that all stakeholders are in agreement helps manage the launch with clear roles and responsibilities.

A product launch is akin to a team sport, and what makes it exciting is the involvement of multi-disciplinary teams with diverse backgrounds, each contributing to various aspects like marketing communication, design, sales, etc. For the success of both individual team members and the overall project, it becomes imperative to clearly define each person's deliverables. This clarity ensures that everyone knows their specific role, contributing effectively towards the collective goal.

Clear R&Rs (or lack thereof) is what makes or break a successful program. Some activities may be borderline between individuals or groups: make sure there is as much clarity as possible on who owns the closing of each line item on your gantt/launch plan. The one "owning the closing of the item" may actually not be the one technically liable to complete the task or solve the challenge.

Roles y responsabilidades son definidas en función de lo que demanda la posición. La rendición cuentas en una Startup no es diferente a una empresa consolidada. Ambas deben forzosamente buscar la Retroalimentación del Cliente y analizar la respuesta. Iteración del Producto: Hacer mejoras continuas en el producto.

One thing I've found helpful is creating a "FAQ" for your internal stakeholders, especially right before launch. As questions roll in, continue updating your FAQ document. This creates a win-win situation — it makes it easier for you to answer questions quickly during a busy time and other stakeholders can browse both for their answer but also may come across questions that are good to know but they did not think of.

A way to make training and communication for a product launch more relevant and compelling is to involve one or two seasoned commercial team members in the process and presentation. This can help shift the dynamic from "us/them" to "we, together" as they share best practices tactics and tools.

In my experience each major feature or product launch would require extensive online training materials to be created to train internal support and sales teams, and should include a mix of digital and in person portions to ensure effective uptake of info. Technical documentation for clients / customers is also created in the lead to the launch. The goal is that everything is ready before you press the big red launch button.

Not all launches require the same level of information and resource. The first stage of the launch process should determine exactly what’s required to ensure a successful launch is achieved. Finally, avoid the temptation or sometimes pressure to launch before everything is ready.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking that the training was done after a 30-45 min online session. Dedicate time, even from a distance, to make sure everyone is involved with the subject, avoid presenting to hundreds of people at the same time, divide into smaller groups and promote interaction, even if it costs you many additional hours and repetitive sessions.

Knowledge is power and is considered as the cornerstone element for success. Before going into the execution phase, all team members should get adequate trainings before the product is launched on the market. It is worth highlighting that knowledge is a continuous process that starts at the planning time and continues all the way along through the product life cycle. Since the product is not the only option on the market, Knowledge should continue to grow and protect the business.

Produktwissen und Produktverständnis ist eine wichtige Grundlage für die erfolgreiche Einführung eines Produktes. Sowohl für das Marketing als auch für das Sales Team. Dabei ist es die Kunst das richtige Maß an „Wissentiefe“ zu vermitteln ohne dabei zu ausschweifend zu werden. Heutzutage ist es immer wichtiger komplexe Inhalte möglichst kurz, prägnant und merkwürdig zu vermitteln. Damit Marketing und Sales das umsetzen können brauchen sie ein gewisses Grundwissen, dürfen aber auch nicht überfrachtet werden mit Wissen, weil sie sonst Gefahr laufen sich in weniger wichtigen Details zu verlieren.

Training and support has to also address what this "product" launch solves, how it differentiates from competition, and what the "elevator pitch" is for salespeople. It should speak to a common level of knowledge and not be too technical nor too basic

Internal training sessions are a huge chunk of the overall launch. Equipping internal stakeholders with the knowledge and FAQs is key to knowledge transfer. Here it is also important to share the overall story while providing technical details.

Simplification and repetitive communication is the key to keep everyone informed. To ensure uniform access to product launch details: 1. establish a centralized communication hub, utilizing project management tools or intranets. 2.Conduct regular team meetings to discuss updates and address queries, fostering an open dialogue. 3. Develop a comprehensive playbook outlining launch specifics, responsibilities, and timelines, distributed to all team members. 4. Encourage cross-functional collaboration and establish clear communication channels. Consider accessibility for remote team members and varying time zones. 5. Lastly, conduct post-launch debriefs to gather valuable insights for continuous improvement.

Choosing a central communication tool isn't just about picking the coolest or most popular one. It's about finding something that really amps up team communication and gets everyone working together smoothly, especially during a product launch. Asking for opinions, suggestions, and feedback is key here. It's not just about talking; it's about listening too. In a real team, everyone's voice matters. A team where folks can't speak up isn't a team at all; it's more like a mini-dictatorship. So, find a tool that lets everyone chime in and collaborate to win!

In addition to above, split Feedback into 1. crucial to Scale-up plan and driving adoption 2. Good to have Align stakeholders on these split

Be active about getting feedback, especially from sellers and customer success / support teams. Don't put a slide up that says "You're Important" in the title and has one bullet point ("Please tell us what you think") - and then expect the information to just come rolling in. Have a documented feedback process that starts with you actively starting conversations for feedback, not just waiting to hear from others. Leaving the door open and waiting just means you won't get much feedback. Even worse, those other teams might begin to feel excluded from the process.

O feedback é um processo contínuo no lançamento de um produto, ou seja, validar aquilo que foi planejado irá mudar o patamar das decisões estratégicas e principalmente entender o que está certo no processo e no plano para buscar potencializar .

It’s important to have a product launch exit meeting to collect feedback and lesson learn with the team in order to improve and enhance the process for future product launch to be more effective and efficient.

Your team-mates are a treasure trove of information. They understand the customer problem, and have a POV that should not be missed. Steps to solicit feedback: - Prepare a visual: doc, prototype, presentation. - Allow for people to digest by sharing it in advance. - Setup a meeting to let them give you feedback. Anecdotal feedback is very valuable. If possible, meet in person. - Listen, not present. - Document notes where they can see their inputs. - Close the loop.

Make sure your feedback goes to the right groups. The team lead or leadership is the right place to assemble, digest and utilize the feedback. Some feedback will really advance the process, some will throw it off course if not managed. Feedback is just that, ideas and observations. Acknowledge the feedback. This will encourage dialog with the rights stakeholders. In my past I had feedback from unexpected sources that in the surface didn't fit, but in fact were spot on. Sometimes distance allows for a better actual view.

Feedback is good, but one should not dwell on it, due to the diversity in the market place. Everyone has an opinion and not all opinions can help a launch. One should keep the feedback received for reference but, remember the core perceived value for the dollar that the launch has been created from in order to maximize its potential performance.

In the realm of product launches, ensuring a consistent message and approach across all team members is paramount to success. Soliciting and incorporating feedback is a strategic approach to achieving this alignment. By creating a feedback loop that encourages open communication and collaboration, Product Marketing teams can tap into the collective knowledge and expertise of their members. This feedback can be gathered through surveys, focus groups, or even informal conversations, allowing team members to share their perspectives on the product, marketing materials, and communication strategies.

The important part of celebrating is to be sure to include everyone who is involved. This means the whole project team should be recognized. Also, some consideration should be given to what type of reward is most important to each individual. While it might be impractical to cover all variations, it is still the best to ask and not assume.

Celebrating success is definitely important. One technique I’ve used in the past is to have peer team members nominate another peer who they want to recognize as going above and beyond. Peer recognition is more powerful in many cases than supervisor recognition. You can also create incentives such as gift cards or more meaningful rewards for P2P recognition. It’s also powerful for team members to share postmortem insights into what could be improved for broader product GTM expansion.

The most powerful and sometimes underutilized words at work are "Thank You." This might be because it is work -- we already get paid to do a good job. But that's not enough. People want to feel accepted and appreciated for their competence and in their contributions to the team. Celebration and appreciation must be done in many forms: 1. Remind managers and team members to say thank you 1:1. Direct feedback always results in more smiles :) 2. Use company sponsored appreciation and rewards programs. These systems also track how often people receive them 3. Use internal comms channels like newsletters, chat tools, team meetings, and town halls to highlight key projects and the individuals behind them.

Agree. Get the company excited about every product launch! You don’t have to spend a lot of money to celebrate a launch. The team involved in getting the product to market should be recognized. A celebration of a product launch creates awareness and knowledge of the product for the employees and customers. Celebrate the hard work as a team!

Rewarding your team members for proper use of key messaging it great. I’m a huge fan of celebrating your success, especially if you can find a way to offer public praise. This also helps encourage others outside of marketing to stay on message.

A successful product launch is a big deal, yes, but unless Rewards & Recognitions are made a part of our org culture, "celebrations" don't get normalised and accepted into the fabric of the company. IMO, this should start at the HR level and be propagated to all areas of the company as the org DNA. For product launches, in particular, you want to celebrate the journey as the destination and the hands and hearts that helped you get there. It's amazing what public recognition can do to a team's/ team member's confidence and morale. PS: This should as bottoms-up as it's top-down. Encourage everyone to openly share words of appreciation up/ down the chain.

Recognize and celebrate milestones and successes achieved by the team during the product launch. This not only boosts morale but also reinforces a positive working environment, encouraging team members to continue their efforts towards the project's success.

Sicherlich ein sehr wichtiger Punkt. Nicht nur die großen Erfolge und den Launch zu feiern, sondern auch auf dem Weg dort hin immer wieder das Team zu motivieren und zu belohnen. Die Belohnung muss dabei nicht immer nur etwas monetäres sein oder die große Party, sondern kann auch ein kleines persönliches Lob. Mündlich oder schriftlich. Diese Wertschätzung im "Kleinen" vergisst man leider zu oft, obwohl sie so vermeintlich einfach ist.

Celebrating and rewarding a successful team is considered to be an appropriate closure of that project. Rewarding must start from the smallest and last player of the team. This will boost everybody's confidence in your project leadership and will create a very strong bond between the entire team. And the team will be always ready to work in any future project of yours.

I would encourage everyone to know their audience before distributing the same product launch materials to everyone. For example, you might want new business and growth teams to adopt different sales motions. You might have plays that are exclusive to CS. The main thing is to make sure that all of your customer-facing teams are part of the launch exercise and that you plot out not only what you want them to know -- but what you are asking them to do before, during, and after launch.

It is valuable to include and incorporate influential team members for feedback, as they will then likely become proponents of the new product, offering a peer to peer scenario with the team, allowing for easier adoption and stronger confidence in the product. When the most respected individuals of a team show their excitement, it transfers to others.

It is not difficult if you use the proper approaches and tools. For example, we can cover this using standard PMP principles like: 1. Begin with a kickoff meeting to present critical information and goals and distribute resources. 2. Outline your communication plan's channels, frequency, and techniques for sharing project updates. 3. Project paperwork, such as project plans, resources, and timelines. 4. Creating a feedback process to encourage open communication among team members to detect gaps, difficulties, or misunderstandings about project resources or information.

Always keep your project scope visible. It is so easy to add a few extra tasks at any phase in a project. This can impact timeline and resources. Regularly review the project scope with team members and stakeholders.

Each department has its own role to play in a product launch. By virtue of this fact, the information required and the resources therein will undergo a change. Its not about everyone having the same info, it's about everyone having relevant info. It is imperative to have a dashboard with key pointers for everyone to understand the milestone. Each section of the dashboard to have tabs with each department or unit to fill in their detailed milestones. Read access to be available to all relevant stakeholders for visibility but full access to each micro dashboard to ensure timely updates.

From my experience team members are usually well aware what is going on and very capable for decisions with their product during development as they want to succeed. The most challenging and stressful part is sharing this knowledge usually in short review with key stakeholders - leaders of organizations not understanding the details consequences and outcomes in time.

In my experience, it's way too easy to fall into inside-out perspective - with any product launch you always need to keep in mind WHO it is you are launching for - yes, internal goals and metrics keep you on track but is your whole org geared towards making the launch successful from your target user perspective?

Not everyone needs access to all launch information and resources, they need the "right" information. Here are 3 steps to take to ensure all teams have the right information. 1) Before a launch takes place, define the audiences as well as what type/level information they require. This is your guide to who gets what. 2) Establish a central location, such as a Seismic or Box folder, where you will keep updated information. Using that type of system also allows you to provide role-based access, so people can only access what they're authorized to see. 3) Publicize that URL to all the team members and make sure they know the information they need is there (that will save you from having repeated conversations about where info is located).

We found that making the aforementioned feedback loop and success celebration more of an event helps sustain focus and interest. Hosting a follow up event weeks after launch with commercial team to review/refresh provides an opportunity to showcase successful tactics. Same with discussing the value proposition - have any segments reinterpreted it? By letting the commercial team drive some of the conversation we were able to keep the launch top of mind and drive continued engagement.

Harnessing the power of influencers was a game-changer for our latest venture, Chat3.one (seriously, give it a look!). We looped in some key opinion leaders (KOLs) right from the get-go, and boy, did it make our launch pop on the radar. Guess what? Many of these KOLs are buddies with our team, so it was more like a friendly call for backup. Turns out, not only did they help us out, but they also totally fell for our product (we're head over heels for it too). Moral of the story: Don't shy away from reaching out for support! Influencers can be super friendly and opened. 🚀💫