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3 Ways Sales Teams Can Plan for a New Product Launch

Apr 19th, 2019

Whether your company releases a new product or feature every week, month or year, there’s no doubt that a new product launch is a pivotal event for the entire organization.  

However, the reality is that product launches are also a true test of the readiness of your sales team.

Even if your new product or feature is a game-changer, each and every one of your sales reps needs to be ready to speak to key selling points and grab buyers’ attention. If your reps aren’t ready to sell it, your entire launch could fall flat, resulting in missed opportunities in the market.

Here are 3 ways to ensure your sales reps have a plan for your next product launch:

1. Collaborate with subject matter and product experts

It might seem obvious, but for a new product launch or feature release, you’ll want to team up with subject matter experts (SMEs) and product experts. Not only can they provide technical expertise and explain the ins and outs of the product or feature, but they can also help you identify the information that will be most relevant to your sales team.

When creating training content for your launch, sales readiness technology can make it easy for SMEs contribute their voice and knowledge directly into a presentation or video (to be vetted by your enablement team, of course), so that reps get the most up-to-date, accurate information before they go out into the field.

2. Use multiple levels of assessment

When a new product or feature comes out, the last thing you’d want is for a rep to communicate key details incorrectly during a sales call. And even if your reps consume a bunch of newly-created training content, how can you be confident that they really understand it and can relay it to buyers effectively?

For your next product launch or feature release, make sure that training includes multiple levels of assessment. One type of assessment is a knowledge-check, which can be a quiz or test that’s embedded in a training course or curriculum. For example, you can create a video explaining the new feature and add quiz questions at the end that prompt reps to recall what they learned in order to pass the course.

Another type of assessment is a simulation, which is often in the form of a video coaching activity. In this case, reps can record a video and submit it to managers for feedback before meeting with buyers. Some video coaching tools even include AI-powered analysis that can evaluate reps’ video coaching submissions for coverage of key topics, speaking rate and more, which can help managers quickly identify how well their teams are delivering the new product messaging.

By using multiple levels of assessment, you can ensure that reps have mastered the concepts needed to get your product launch off the ground – and that they’re truly ready to start engaging with buyers.

3. Empower reps to practice their new product pitch

When new product or feature messaging is released, reps need a safe, comfortable environment to practice the material before they reach out to buyers. This can be done in several ways, including role plays with peers or managers, or via a video coaching tool where reps can practice on their own before requesting feedback.

With a video coaching tool, reps can record as many takes as they’d like when practicing their new product pitch. For example, if a new feature is targeted at a new persona, it will require reps to give a new product pitch. To practice, reps could record several takes and, once they feel confident in their pitch, submit it to peers or managers for feedback.

For more on how Brainshark can help with sales readiness for new product launches, check out: