Considerations for a Successful B2B Product Launch

Perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of B2B product development is the tendency for the final step, the launch of a new product, to come up short. Maybe it occurs due to exhaustion. After all, anyone who has been at the center of the product development process knows how arduous it can be. New product launch failures could also be due to lack of follow-through. With the product developed and ready for market, many organizations simply throw it over the wall to sales, hoping for the best, while moving on to new priorities.

Whatever the reasons, failure is common for this final development step. A recent AcuPoll study indicated that as many as 80 to 95 percent of B2B product launches fail, presumably evaluated against the acceptance of your new product or service by your markets and revenue generation.

With the bar so low, achieving superstar status for your next product launch should be a snap. This article takes a look at four simple recommendations for B2B marketing strategies that will create a better environment for the success of a new product launch or the introduction of a new service to the market.

1. Invest in Your Sales Force

Research and survey results clearly indicate the need to properly engage with sales. Any schism that separates sales from the product development continuum will be the death knell for a new product launch. Consider sales’ input as part of your intelligence gathering from the beginning.

Ask what your sales representatives need to sell the new solution and don’t come up short on delivery. Don’t deliver PowerPoint slides to someone who sells in a coal mine or, conversely, don’t rely on wordy technical manuals for sales that take place in the boardroom. Lastly, budget for some plane tickets and train your sales force in person to the greatest extent possible.

2. Get Your Value Proposition Right from the Outset

Developing a value proposition for a product that is fundamentally not aligned with customer business pains is, at best, difficult. That’s why B2B marketing needs to be involved from the outset of product development, not when it’s time to launch. Support or drive the upfront research by volunteering your resources to the product development team and make sure you’re talking to customers when developing the business plan. Consider customer focus groups as part of your product development process.

Finally, when preparing your B2B marketing strategies for launch, start with a messaging document that defines the core themes and value-based statements that will tie all of your activities together for maximum effectiveness. Consider a “tiered message” approach that includes the audiences that you are trying to reach. Is your primary audience the influencer or the decision maker in the purchase decision, or both? What is compelling to them – cost savings, new features and functionality, improved performance, or something else?

3. Make Sure Your Online Presence Rocks

Before engaging in lead generation, direct marketing, advertising or public relations activities, make sure the Web presence, especially Web site design, for your new solution addresses audience needs. 6

Worried about your new product or service is getting lost on the corporate Web site? Consider a micro-site as a temporary means to higher visibility on the Web. Micro-sites are ideal hubs for calls-to-action from external communications campaigns, providing more flexibility for special functions that may not be possible on a corporate site (online demos, webinar registrations, live chat support, etc.). In addition, a micro-site can provide many search engine optimization advantages.

4. Execute Persistently and Measure

A new product launch is not a three-week project. While it may be tempting to just mail the brochures and training guides, hold a couple conference calls and run a few ads, developing a long-term plan and sticking to it is essential. The best plans fit on one or two pages and provide instant visibility to activities, responsible champions, timing, budget and metrics.

5. Conclusion

Get involved early and stay late. B2B marketing can play a dramatic role in improving the success of product launches by providing strategic insights, leading a thorough marketing planning process, focusing on sales’ success and championing persistent execution of a marketing plan that emphasizes a strong Web presence and measurable results.

About the Author:
Chris Eifert is a Principal at TriComB2B, a Dayton B2B marketing agency that focuses on technical B2B marketing campaigns.