6 Questions to Ask When Mapping Out Your Product Launch

Whether you sell physical products or professional services, getting ready to launch a new product requires a lot of planning to ensure success.

Mapping out all of the details of your product launch can provide you with crucial information that will determine the success of your launch.

You can use formal software to map out your process or simply start drawing on the white board. It doesn't matter how you map out your launch... as long as it is drawn out where it can be shared with your team and can be referenced easily.

When mapping out your launch, be sure to include these questions in your process:

What is your primary goal?

If you don't know where you want to end up, how will you know how to get there? If I am looking at a map and don't know where my destination is, there is no way to plan my trip.

What is your primary goal? What is the journey you want to take your customers on? Do you simply want to sell a book and never go any farther? I doubt it. Is there a coaching program you want to move the prospect into down the line? Is there a larger version of the product you are selling that makes a logical "next step" for your customer? Plan out each step of the journey to get to your final destination for this launch.

Who is your primary target market?

Will you be inviting everyone on your list to participate in the product launch or will you segment your list to only invite a certain group of people? Some products are appropriate for everyone on your list... but some are targeted to a much smaller group who have already purchased a related product and therefore are more likely to buy this one.

What assets do you need?

Every time I work with a client on mapping out a product launch, we inevitably discover a number of assets that need to be created prior to the launch. These can be anything from a landing page, to an ad graphic to email content. If you are not specific in outlining each step of the process, it is very likely you will get halfway through the project and find out you can't move forward because you are missing an important piece of the puzzle.

List all of the assets needed at each stage of your funnel, as well as deadlines for those assets to be created to ensure you have everything you need prior to launch.

Who on your team needs to be involved?

Mapping out your process will identify who needs to be involved in the process at each milestone. Who is responsible for ad copy or email content? Who is responsible for post-purchase follow up? (Hopefully you have a lot of that automated through systems!) Communicate with your team on their responsibilities and due dates.

What deadlines or timelines need to be included in the launch?

We already discussed starting with your end goal to plan your launch. If you know your product launch date, you can then start working backwards to determine when specific deadlines need to be added. For example, when will the pre-launch emails be sent? When will you start advertising on Facebook or in Adwords? Is there an Early-bird special that needs to be built in? Adding these timelines and the corresponding deadlines for completing content will make your launch run much smoother.

What are your upsell and cross-sell opportunities?

Many people never build upsells or cross-sells into to their product launches, but it is key for increasing your Lifetime Customer Value.

Amazon is the king when it comes to upsells and cross-sells. How many times do you purchase something to see a "you may also like" for a similar product or for something that goes with your product? (Buying a coffee maker? You must need coffee!)

Look at your product or service and determine what your upsell or cross-sell can be. This helps to maximize your profit while turning your customers into long-term buyers.

Have Questions?

Comment below with questions you have regarding your next product launch!