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Can’t get a better deal than that!

See you there

What’s your biggest product launch question? What’s your biggest marketing question? What’s your biggest concern moving forward? Is it the product itself? Your offer? Your team (or lack thereof)?  The technical side of things – like setting up a shopping cart, integrating systems, server crashes?

There are so many moving parts in a product launch. It really SEEMS to make sense to have someone manage it for you – but that’s the kicker – it SEEMS that way.

Now you’re probably thinking what the #@!! She’s a Product Launch Manager, doesn’t she want me to buy her services? Well the short answer is: probably not. In the vast majority of circumstances it makes sense for you to start on your own, build your assets (prove up your product, build your list, put together some Joint Venture relationships) and talk to your customers and prospects so you really know what they want not what you THINK that they want.

There are two big reasons for this.

Firstly, after you do these things you’ll be either ready to do the big money, list build, megacompany win launch (or you’ll close down the shop and move onto something that excites you more).  Either way you‘ll have got critical information.

And secondly, you’ll be in a position to hire a Product Launch Manger that will put in the extra ingredients to make your launch the success it could be.

The problem I see in the marketplace is that lots of people who come to me have a number of things cooking but they aren’t at the place to knock it out of the park. They haven’t done the groundwork. Most people think that once the product is done, the hard work is behind them. Unfortunately this couldn’t be farther from the truth.

A Product Launch Manager needs certain assets to work with:

• Ready to sell product (helpful if something like it has been successful in the past)
• Be trusted and liked by your customer base
• Provide high margin, high ticket products (information products are ideal)
• Have a large responsive list of customers and prospects
• Enjoy relationships with companies who will promote for you

Now you may be thinking how do I get all of this without having the expertise of a product launch manager to guide me? Well one way to start is by asking one question at a time. What are you having problems with? What’s your biggest issue? Is it where to start? Is it how do I get unstuck?

Let me know and maybe I can help get you, get ready, to hire me

There are 33,000 product launches each year and over 24,500 of them fail. There are a number of reasons for this.

First of all most people don’t have the assets they need to have a successful product launch. A great proven product, a substantial warm list, strong JV relationships, and a willingness to make a substantial investment in marketing are all vital to the success of a product launch.

Business owners all too often believe in their product and get the value of what they created so they aren’t willing to fully invest in marketing efforts that can demonstrate that value to their prospects. (Just because it’s obvious to you, don’t think the benefit you provide is obvious to the prospect.) After the product is created is when the real work starts. Thousands of great products never go anywhere because no one knows about them and those who do learn about them don’t have a compelling case made to take action now.

On top of this there are also a ton of moving parts to crafting a successful product launch.

• Create a really compelling launch story
• Identify the market’s hot buttons
• Identify and overcome objections
• Create pre-launch content
• Create bonuses
• Craft emails for each piece of launch content
• Learn new skills like how to effectively use the social psychology triggers
• Survey the list
• Recruit JV partners
• Create a JV website and support system
• Set up e-commerce
• Train customer service people
• Plus tons of other jobs like — creating a high-converting website, a squeeze page, thank you pages, a blog, a sales letter etc, etc, etc!!!

Please get some help with this stuff. If you’re just starting out you probably can’t afford to hire someone to manage your launch but at least pay for some advice to keep you on track.  If that’s still out of you budget invest in marketing programs that will at least give you a head start.

The last thing people don’t have is a true understanding of where they are today. They see a product launch as an opportunity to make a ton of cash now and don’t see beyond that. Now there’s nothing wrong with a ton of cash. Personally, I’m a big fan of cash. :)  However, maybe the biggest value you get from your first few launches isn’t cash. Maybe it’s a list build so you start to create a community of rabid fans. Maybe it’s an opportunity to demonstrate your value to the marketplace so partners come on board and learn to trust and value you. Maybe it’s getting the kinks out of your system, really learning what your people want (not just what you think they want).

These are all precursors to the big product launch with the big cash grab. Don’t devalue these steps or you’ll just be one of the 24,500 business owners licking their wounds after a battle lost.

What is the role of a product launch manager? That’s a question I’ve been delving deep into over the few days.

The simple answer is this. A product launch manager makes lots of money for the client by marrying their great product with her great strategy. She  takes the assets of the client, create a killer marketing strategy, add the tactical elements recommended by marketing gurus like Jeff Walker, Frank Kern & Rich Schefren and voila – instant success!

While this is definitely an aspect of what a product launch manager does it is by no means the ONLY thing that she does.

Since I’ve returned from Jeff Walker’s event in Los Angeles I’ve really been ramping up my business. I’ve been entertaining larger and larger projects and this has given me pause for thought. Since the projects that I’m undertaking now are much bigger I’ve really begun to dissect the process and map it out so the margin of error in my product launches is reduced substantially.

I’ve also been prompted to look at my business very closely because I have had the opportunity to partner with people like Jared Rose, not only a highly skilled project launch manager – but also a highly skilled project manager.  He initiated a project where he is breaking down each element and systematizing it. I and a number of other product launch managers are contributing to this task so we get everybody’s expertise and varied perspectives.

Here are just a few of the roles we have come up with so far, that a product launch manager must either do or hire out and manage.

Launch Strategist, Launch Coordinator, Copywriter, Graphic Designer, Web Developer, Tech Support, JV Manager, Customer Support, Admin Support & Product Champion. Then each of these roles has umpteen responsibilities associated with it.

Daunting isn’t it?

There are a lot of balls to keep in the air. I guess that’s why over 24,500 product launches failed last year. You need to get it ALL right or you put yourself at a great disadvantage.

I’ve given you this list not to scare you, but to prepare you. If you have a good solid team behind you with the experience you need to pull this off that’s fantastic. Just make sure that you have people in these roles, define what they are responsible for, who they report to, who they manage and define their level of decision making authority. If you don’t have people for these roles start by defining their general responsibilities and then decide what knowledge and experience is required for each position. If you do this well in advance of your launch your chances of success will increase exponentially. Get your ducks in a row now -  it’s too late after you push the button.

Hope this helps!

Consider this question very carefully.

A good Product Launch Manager doesn’t come cheap. They’ll ask for a substantial upfront fee and a considerable percentage of the gross sales. Then you still have to pay for a number of other fees associated with the launch (like copywriting). Then there’s the payout for the JVs. You may be left wondering why is my percentage so small when I developed the product?

That’s a valid question.

Here’s the thing. I know you already understand this but 100% of little is not nearly as good as 35% of tremendous. A good product launch manger will make all the difference in your launch.  Actually they do a lot more than just make for a successful launch. They really bring your entire business to a whole new level. They get you the initial money produced by the launch but they also grow your prospect list so your next launch will be more impactful. They grow your customer list (which also makes you much more attractive to joint venture partners). They cement your connections in your industry. They give you the much needed perspective and connections required to make a big splash.

So the question then becomes can you manage your own launch? Do you have the time? Do you have the experience? Do you have the expertise? Do you have the connections? Would you hire yourself to do your own product launch?

If the answer to these questions are all yes, you found the right product launch manager – yourself. Congrats!

If not, and you have a product that meets this type of criteria you should seriously consider hiring a product launch manager.

• Ready to sell product (helpful if something like it has been successful in the past)
• Be trusted and liked by your customer base
• Provide high margin, high ticket products (information products are ideal)
• Have a large responsive list of customers and prospects
• Enjoy relationships with companies who will promote for you

What if you don’t meet that level of criteria yet? Or you don’t have the resources to get the help of a dedicated product launch manager. Then consider finding a product launch consultant who you can guide you. You still control the reigns, find the people to build out your team, and are responsible for all the nuts & bolts of the launch – but when you get stuck you can contact a seasoned pro who can point you in a new direction, who can give you perspective, who can suggest resources, who can make all the difference in the success of your launch.

Still beyond your reach? Then start building connections and create a mastermind group where everyone contributes to the success of each other. Is this the fastest route to success? No, but at least it’s a start and that’s nothing to sneeze at.

There are many ways to achieve your goals but the bottom line is take some action to move forward, whether that’s by hiring someone to manage the entire project, consulting with someone to guide you or by taking the reigns yourself. Each path can result in tremendous results. Just pick one and take action.