GROWTH

Tree Falls in the Woods

Poor sales enablement can silence a product launch

A product was built with great care,
But the launch was met with blank stares.
The team wasn’t trained,
So all efforts waned,
And no one knew it was there.

"Tree Falls in the Woods" refers to the scenario where a product launch happens, but no one notices. Even the best-designed product will fail to make an impact if the sales, marketing, or customer service teams aren’t properly equipped to support and promote it. Without clear messaging, training, and coordination, the product essentially falls in an empty forest, making no sound—no buzz, no traction, no sales.

Symptoms

"Stealth" launch. Despite launching efforts, the product doesn’t gain significant attention or engagement. You’ve launched it, but no one seems to notice or care. There’s little media coverage, low traffic to landing pages, and minimal customer interest.

Uninformed sales team. The sales team struggles to identify ideal prospects and communicate the product effectively. This is usually because they are not fully briefed on the product’s value proposition, features, or target audience.

Lack of marketing coordination. Marketing campaigns either underperforms or fail to align with the product launch timeline, leading to missed opportunities for visibility.

Poor product training. Customer support and sales teams lack the necessary training or tools to explain the product’s benefits and confidently handle customer inquiries.

Consequences

Underwhelming revenues. Without a well-coordinated launch, sales numbers will fall flat. Even if the product is excellent, it won’t make an impact if no one knows how to sell or promote it.

Wasted effort. All the hard work that went into developing the product goes to waste because the launch was not executed effectively. The product may eventually get traction, but it will take longer and require more resources to catch up.

Missed market window. If a product launch falls flat, it can lose its moment in the spotlight, allowing competitors to steal the show. This can result in a lost opportunity to gain early market share or build momentum.

Frustrated teams. Internal teams may become demoralized when a product they worked on for months doesn’t gain the attention or success they expected. This can lead to frustration and tension between departments.

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Recommendations

Prepare your sales team. Ensure the sales team is armed with the knowledge and materials they need to sell the product effectively. This includes clear value propositions, product demos, FAQs, and customer personas.

Align marketing efforts. Launch marketing campaigns that are tightly aligned with the product’s release plans. Build buzz in advance with teaser campaigns, then follow up with strong post-launch support to keep the momentum going.

Provide comprehensive training. Make sure every customer-facing team member—from sales and support to services and success—is thoroughly trained on the new product. They should know how to answer common questions, highlight key features, and handle objections.

Measure and adapt. After the launch, actively monitor its performance. If the product isn’t getting the attention it deserves, be ready to adjust your messaging, adapt your promotions, or re-engage media and influencers to build buzz.

Even the best product won’t sell itself. If the sales team isn’t properly enabled, it’s like a tree falling in the woods with no one around to hear it—the launch will go unnoticed, and opportunities will be missed. Equipping the customer-facing teams with the proper training, messaging, and tools ensures that your product achieves impressive growth in the market.