Traditional market launches don’t cut it anymore. If they ever did.
Market launches are one area where I find deep Gravity. We have this “launch pattern” deeply engrained in our corporate behaviors and thinking – all around a press release and a single point in time known as Launch Day.
That approach is so old school as to be laughable these days – and yet many of us just keep repeating it. Why? Because it’s the way we’ve always done it. Take my client who just had to put out a press release to announce the availability of his whizbang new offering. That press release resulted in no traction, no interest and no momentum. It fell on deaf ears, because the message never rose above the noise. So what kind of a launch was that?
Today’s buyers don’t care what you say, what your press release says or how big the launch party is.
They care about value, results and demonstrated evidence of those results. So how can we expect to create sustained buzz and power immediate time-to-revenue with a launch – when we drop a press release and expect it to create interest? Successful launches simply do not work that way. They never did – but today that old approach is a sure way to crash and burn.
Think about it. Do you chat with a new prospect only once (for maybe five minutes) and expect an immediate sale? Maybe. But my bet is that when your sale happens quickly (except in small value purchases), your buyer has already spent time learning about you, your products and the available alternatives – before they buy.
Great launches build momentum ahead of the announcement.
That’s the only way to successfully propel a product or company into the market — far above the noise and with sustainable credibility.
Successful launches begin far ahead of the press release, seeding information and interest, then increasing in volume over time, just as a single raindrop becomes a downpour. Great launches lay a foundation for market success before the public “announcement” ever happens. What are those key foundations?
- We have customers who are using our new product or service. (Yes, we sell ahead of the launch!)
- We have references who will tell our story for us – and that’s the only evidence that matters.
- We have industry thought leaders who will evidence our story as well.
- We have partners who will share their stories of success with our new offering.
- We have buzz and awareness and excitement – before we ever announce to the market.
Beyond capturing support, evidence and buzz ahead of the actual announcement, there are two other keys to successful launches that differ dramatically from the status quo approaches.
- Announce your success, not availability. Availability is a snoozer in today’s world. And it offers no credible validation. Anyone can announce a promise that they have a product. It’s a yawn. Success gets attention. So don’t plan your launch the same old way – announce only when you have demonstrated customer success. Anything ahead of that is wasted time and noise pollution.
- Promote third parties to tell your story. There is nothing like a 3rd party sharing their stories of success with your new products. Audiences want to hear what customers like themselves, industry experts, or their trusted partners think. They want real-world proof – not vendor promises.
If you want to launch with market momentum that powers revenues – forget the way you’ve always done it. Step up, ditch your launch Gravity and be prepared to soar!
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If you’d like to learn more about how to fuel Momentous Launches – check out my Power Positioning System. Included is my Rolling Thunder system for creating and executing market launch strategies that accelerate time-to-revenue and fuel market awareness.
