There are a lot of moving parts when preparing for an upcoming new product launch. Sales enablement plays a crucial role in bringing all these parts together and ensuring a successful product launch.

In this blog, you will learn how the sales enablement team can transform the new product launches by ensuring that,

• The sales reps have a proficient new product knowledge

• They have good selling skills that they need to tackle any and every customer conversation

• They have access to the right content, at the right time, right at their fingertips

• There is collaboration across various functions so that product launch is done seamlessly

1. Organize a pre-launch event and set the stage right

Pre-launch events are a crucial part of the new product launches. They help in bringing everyone together and create the excitement around the new product.

Organize a launch event (virtual or in-person) and bring all the teams involved in the new product launch together. Like,

• Sales

• Marketing

• Finance

• Product management

• Operations

• Customer service

Make sure that you take this event as an opportunity to answer your people’s questions or concerns with patience.

This helps in creating transparency in the organization and makes everyone realize their responsibilities in making the product launch a success.

2. Conduct a 360-degree new product training

Usually, a new product training lays emphasis on arming the sales reps with information on the new product, its features and its benefits.

All these put together make for a complete 360-degree new product training

3. Provide the right content at the right time

In order to enable your reps to sell the new product successfully, you need to equip them with the right content, at the right time. They need to have various study materials and resources on the new product right at their fingertips. Like, the new product playbooks, toolkits, whitepapers, etc

This way you will be able to equip your sales team with all the useful content, right when they need it.

4. Establish collaboration between sales and various departments involved in the new product launch

When launching a new product it is of utmost importance that there is a strong connection and collaboration between various departments that are directly involved in the new product launch.

Here are various teams that the sales team needs to collaborate with in order to streamline the new product launch:

• Sales and marketing: There needs to be a solid collaboration between the sales and marketing teams. The information flow should be seamless between these two departments. The sales team needs to be aware of each and every marketing content including marketing campaigns, social media posts, advertisements, etc that the marketing team sends out to the customers. And, the marketing team needs to know the key messaging and promises that sales reps deliver to the customers. This collaboration helps in establishing uniformity in messaging. And this, in turn, results in smooth and successful sales.

• Sales and customer service: Sales and customer service also need to collaborate on a regular basis to discuss,

  • Common issues of the new product

  • Common complaints received from the customers

  • Basic troubleshooting

  • Refund policies, etc.

  This way when these two teams that are mainly responsible for serving the customers come together and work together, it helps in enhancing the customers’ experience

• Sales and Business management: It’s crucial that your sales team doesn’t think only in terms of sales targets but also considers the revenue targets. Here is the reason why: let’s say that your sales team has a target to make $10 million and they bring in deals worth $10 million. But this results in a revenue of just $5 million for your company. In order to avoid this kind of discrepancy, the sales and the business management teams need to be in collaboration with each other.

• Sales and product development/ management: Collaboration between these two teams ensures that the sales team is aware of the changes or improvements done by the product development team to the new product in the due course.

5. Track crucial metrics and course correct

As the old saying goes “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it”. So, make sure that you keep a track of the important metrics of your new product launch initiative.

Regularly measure your employees’ new product knowledge, selling skills, and sales performance. Track all the crucial metrics, identify shortcomings if any, and course-correct things if required.

Looking for a new product sales training and communication playbook?

Read: Sales Training and Communication Playbook for New Product Launch

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Want to conduct a pre-training survey for your sales team before they begin their new product launch training?

Read: Survey Questions to ask your Sales Team before a New Product Launch Training