In general, I advise against pre-announcing upcoming product features until you are so close to releasing it that you can practically taste it. But your circumstances might differ, so here are the
The Cons: Reasons to NOT pre-announce upcoming features
-
You could stall the sales process. Instead of buying what is available NOW, prospective customers might decide to hold out and wait for the new version.
-
Earnings and impact on financials, public disclosure rules, forward looking statements, etc.
-
Significant risk that product will not come out exactly when you think it will and might be missing some key features.
-
You tip your hand to your competitors.
-
Potential legal liability if you don’t actually deliver.
The Pros: Reasons to pre-announce
-
To deflate a competitor’s big product announcement.
-
To get favorable press or analyst coverage.
-
Because Sales People are demanding it, in order to placate their customers and prospects. Be warned this will come back and bite you: If you give them what they want and pre-announce, then you will have to deal with the backlash of Sales People who can’t sell the current product until the new one is released.
Comments