Archive for solution marketing
Treadmill marketing
Posted by: | CommentsThe important work that product marketing managers and marketing managers do to help sell what’s on the shelf is hard work. Not too long ago someone who attended an Effective Product Marketing class I was teaching for Pragmatic Marketing made the connection for me of what it feels like that everyone can relate to. She said product marketing was a lot like running on a treadmill. She got a lot of mileage in every week but never seemed to get ahead. My Pennsylvania Dutch grandmother would say it another way – “The faster you go the behinder you get.”
Occasionally someone will walk by your treadmill and turn up the speed or increase the angle of difficulty. How’s the working for you? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is insanity.
Courtesy EMI Music
Biggest challenges in product launches
Posted by: | CommentsI recently noticed a LinkedIn Answer posted by Tom Grant over at Forrester. The question was “For anyone in the tech industry: What are the biggest challenges in product launches”.
The answers were either about the product or getting someone in the organization to do something they don’t already do (or are unwilling to do). My colleague Steve Johnson summed it up nicely:
“Developers think that the work is done when THEIR work is done. After the product is OUT of development, there’s still tons to do to get the product IN the market.”
I couldn’t agree more and would add:
“The single biggest challenge in product launches is getting the organization ready to market, sell, deliver and support the product at a level that can achieve the launch goals.”
The key point here is that many organizations spend most of their resources in the creation of the product then stumble and fall getting it out the door. Couple that will no clear launch goals and you have a recipe for a flop.
Product launch isn’t the end of development. It’s the beginning of selling.
