What is the end to end process you follow for an internal launch of the product? What documents / collateral would you advise for a) training internal stakeholders b) getting them excited about the launch?

When it comes to launching a product internally, the process can vary depending on the launch's size and whether there's a sales component involved. 

But let's focus on the critical documents and collateral you'll need. Foremost, you must have a well-structured Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy document, which is distinct from a Product Requirements Document (PRD) that the product team creates to specify the product's features and functionality. 

Your GTM document serves as the single source of truth for your launch and should be easily accessible, maintain version control, and be updated quickly when there are significant changes. 

A comprehensive GTM document should encompass key components, all of which should be reviewed and approved by senior leadership before distribution. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of securing alignment with senior leadership on these components prior to circulation.

 I prefer to organize my GTM documents using the 'what, why, how, who, where' framework: 

• Why: This section should include pertinent research and reasoning behind why the product is being launched. This might involve customer feedback, market insights, and clear KPIs and goals to measure success. 

• What: Here, you should provide a link to the PRD document and include a product demonstration, showcasing how it works. If a live demo isn't possible, consider using labeled screenshots for clarity. 

• Who: Identify your target audience in this section, detailing who will benefit most from the product. 

• Where: Discuss your communication plan and channel strategy, outlining how and where you'll reach your audience. 

• How: Explain the messaging strategy, internal training plan, and delivery schedule to ensure that everyone involved is on the same page regarding the launch details.

• How: Messaging, internal trainings, delivery schedule.
  

Now, to get stakeholders excited about the launch and ensure they are connected to customer needs, share customer interviews or quotes to show how much they need this product. If there is budget, you can also add an internal marketing strategy, such as teaser emails, promotional posters, contests, giveaways, or even launch an internal event to create buzz and anticipation.

By combining these customer-centric insights with a well-structured GTM document and an engaging internal marketing campaign, you can drive both understanding and excitement among your internal teams for a successful product launch.

As a Product Marketer, there are a couple considerations for internal launch and enablement that help guide the process, assets and activities including, product readiness stage (Pilot, Beta, GA), and launch size (T-shirt sized).

First, we usually take ownership over launch activities when the product has reached a Beta stage. We partner with the product team to stay informed through the earlier product readiness stages to ensure we deeply understand the problem, target, and solution details. We then begin to ramp up our internal and external activities as the product becomes more broadly available and ready for the market.

The materials and activities involved in the internal launch of a product also depends on the size. We use T-shirt sizing with considerations for revenue opportunity (competitive differentiation, appetite/TAM, innovation, application to trends etc.) as defined by the product marketer. The larger the size/opportunity the more resources and activities we tend to include with the launch.

Internal launches in Beta or later and Medium+ all include a few key assets.

• First, the key PMM asset is a Product Launch Brief - this document outlines the positioning, functionality, timeline/milestones, target audience, competitive position, and key deliverables expected for the launch. This resource is then used across teams to develop marketing and internal resources.

• Most launches also include an internal FAQ - usually developed in concert with the Product Manager and a few of the key stakeholders (likely account executives or solution engineers). This is a living document that grows throughout the enablement process as new questions are asked and edge cases are uncovered.

• A sales-play with target accounts and outreach templates is also an impactful internal resource for launches.

• Additional assets can be developed for external audiences, but also used for internal enablement like a pitch deck, one-pager, demo, customer testimonial, and even videos depending on the size of the launch.

Finally, the activities included in the internal launch usually include:

• Live and recorded webinar training (highlighting the key components of the launch from the brief and the assets available)

• Slack/email announcement of the launch

• Mention in the next all-hands meeting for the company and/or department.

When you are launching a product internally, the process needs to be collaborative and (more importantly) fun!

• I first create a product launch brief that covers everything you need to know about the product - the positioning, GTM plan, competitive analysis, etc. This doc is shared widely across the company for everyone to review and give feedback. Aligning on this brief is key as it forms the foundation of our GTM strategy and guides the rest of our launch assets.

• About a month before the launch, I host a GTM kickoff call with a deck to talk through the product positioning, customer evidence, and we showcase a live demo.

• As the launch date gets closer, I lead a sales enablement call to dive deep into the launch details with the sales team about the product. This call not only trains the sales team on how to talk about the product with customers but also gets everyone excited about the launch.

• After the product is launched, we celebrate internally with Slack and email announcements, sharing all the fun new resources for everyone to check out and post on social.