How do you involve stakeholders during a product launch?

Involving stakeholders during a product launch starts with clear communication. Not all stakeholders need to be involved at every stage of the product launch. Too many opinions can slow down the process and lead to compromises that may dilute the product vision. Recognize all the individuals, groups or institutions that have an interest in the project. Understand their needs, expectations and how they perceive your product.

Generally the Team members of the product/project team are juggling multiple projects, so I personally like to have a kickoff lunch. This is a very effective way to keep the team updated and a great way to say Thank You for everyone pulling together for the launch. You can get remote workers on a conference call, so include "everyone". TY

> host kickoff events for employees to generate excitement & ensure they can speak to product benefits > identify all groups affected by the launch such as customers, partners, employees > bring in stakeholder representatives early in the development process to provide input on requirements > form a launch advisory council with select stakeholder volunteers to provide guidance throughout planning and execution > share regular updates on progress & leverage stakeholder communications channels for organic buzz building > conduct user testing with target customers to gain reactions and refine positioning

Identify the Project Sponsor or Champion amongst the group of Stakeholders. This person is your key influencer and should be your focus to bring in early and often as the project forms.

One of my mentors, the former CIO of Zynga shared her secret for being a loved leader: Get others to think that what they own the idea, that they contributed in some way to it. This means they're invested. It's just like gaming - the more a person invests in a game, the more likely they're to stick with it. Same with stakeholders - find ways to incorporate bits and pieces of what they say and make sure to call them out and give them credit for contributing. This way they'll see it as "their" project too and will be more likely to support it.

A good way for product managers to align stakeholder expectations is to review their sales forecast. The sales forecast pulls sales and financial stakeholders into growing the product. The steps to a compelling sales forecast story are: 1. Setup the sales forecast with valuable market information on the demand 2. Show how the sales pipeline is a baseline for the sales forecast 3. Tell the sales forecast story visually 4. Discuss the broader implications of the sales forecast The 4 topics are the heart of a sales forecast story that educates the stakeholders on the product investment value.

Make sure not to save this until you launch! Mobilizing your stakeholders is a very important tool that can be used successfully during development as well - especially internal stakeholders - to ensure engagement (and resources) is held high. Make them want the launch even more than you do!

As a Product Lead at a B2B startup and have experience in launching Data and non-Data products, the following is helpful: 1. Identify all stakeholders for collaboration and key stakeholders for decision making, alignment and approvals. 2. Customize communication. 3. Offer previews or demos. 4. Collaborate with marketing. 5. Provide support and training. 6. Host launch events. 7. Post-launch engagement. 8. Share metrics and explore partnerships. 9. Act on feedback promptly. 10. For data products, ensure data quality, privacy, governance, security, and integration.