We’ve all heard the expression before that no one’s going to believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself. And though it’s a cliché, it’s a cliché for a reason: It’s true. And it doesn’t just apply to belief in yourself and your abilities.
If you’re an entrepreneur who’s launching a new product, how will anyone believe in your product if you don’t believe in it yourself?
So how do you put that message across? How do you communicate to the world that you’re the biggest believer in, and advocate for, your new product? We’ve listed some suggestions below.
Motivate and inspire your staff first
Inspiration starts from within – and not just from within you. It’s true, of course, that having an unshakable belief in what you’re doing is essential to anyone trying to navigate the sometimes-rocky path from having the idea to launching the actual product.
But you also need to inspire that belief in your staff.
Have you properly communicating the excitement you feel about what you’ve created to them? Have you motivated them to feel as passionate as you do about your product? Have you made them feel a sense of ownership towards what you’re putting into the marketplace?
A good advocate is someone who can not only feel enthusiasm, but project it, as well. Why not start with the people who are taking this journey with you? After all, they’re the people who are going to carry your idea forward through all the various stages that are required to launch a successful product. Without them, you’re an advocate with nothing to talk about.
Find the people who influence your industry . . . and influence THEM
Who are the leaders in your chosen field? Who are the people that seem to know a good idea when they see one and who know when a product’s time has come? We’re not just talking about investors here, though persuading them to get behind youis certainly important.
We’re talking about the writers or experts or people in positions of power who need to know what you’re doing and how fired up you are about it. Passion is contagious, and passing it along to the right people as your product is being created is essential. Remember that your marketing is in service of your product, not the other way around
When it comes to creating the advertising campaign, it’s crucial to communicate as much of the belief you have in your product as possible.
An ad that is flashy (and expensive) might temporarily get the headlines and attention you’re looking for, but if there’s no substance behind your campaign, people won’t be interested for long. Think of a movie trailer that shows exciting parts from the film; what excites you about your product? Those features or applications should be a prominent part ofthe launch message you’re sending out into the marketplace. Turn your customers into product advocates
Perhaps the most effective way to get the word out about how passionate you are about your product is to make sure your customers are passionate, too. A great deal of that will come from the product itself, if it’s as well-designed, engineered and manufactured as it should be. But another vital part of the process is creating a continuing connection with the people who buy your product, and making sure they feel not just like consumers, but like part of the process. And really, that’s ultimately what they are. Once you’ve established a solid customer base, seek feedback from them, on your website or through social media. You can survey them to attempt to feel out how they’re reacting to your product over time and offer incentives or discounts on future purchases if they agree to let you know how they’re feeling. And excellent customer service at every stage of a transaction doesn’t hurt, either. Read more about selling your product effectively inour blog post “How to Sell Your Product.”
