This article is based on Natasha Anich’s brilliant talk at the Product Marketing Summit in Sydney. As a PMA member, you can enjoy the complete recording here.
Much of what we do as product marketers is undeniably thrilling. We get to be creators, philosophers, and scientists. But there’s one part of the job that doesn’t come with the same prestige or accolades as a product launch or a sleek presentation for the executive team. It’s not glamorous, but it’s essential: managing a product’s end of life.
When it’s time to retire a product, the task doesn’t attract much fanfare. You won’t find as many articles, webinars, or templates on this topic as you will for other areas of product marketing. That’s why I’m excited to share my perspective on this often-overlooked part of the role.
When managed well, product end-of-life is an opportunity to position your brand as a hero for your customers, guiding them through a smooth transition while addressing their needs. It can strengthen customer relationships, improve retention, and even contribute to your company’s bottom line by clearing out tech debt.
This process isn’t just about phasing out a product – it’s about delivering value to your customers and ensuring your company’s long-term success.
So, in this article, I’ll share a blueprint for navigating product end-of-life, along with a real-life case study on how we retired a server-based product and successfully transitioned our customers to a cloud-based solution.
Let’s get into it.
The backstory to our case study
I’ll start by setting the scene. In 1992, Console’s server-based Gateway software became an essential part of real estate offices in Australia and New Zealand. It wasn’t just software; it was part of the furniture – literally sitting alongside filing cabinets. If you’re a real estate veteran, you’ll know what I mean.
Fast forward to 2017, we launched Console Cloud, a SaaS platform built on decades of experience to help property managers and trust accountants streamline their work. With improved automation and workflows, it redefined efficiency and transformed how our customers managed their day-to-day operations.
By 2021, nearly 2,000 customers had transitioned to Console Cloud, but about 25% of our most loyal users remained on our aging Gateway platform. Despite multiple rounds of offers and incentives, they refused to switch, embodying the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mindset.
These were our oldest, most dedicated customers, and retiring Gateway was a tough decision. However, our tech debt was mounting, and to stay competitive, we had to embrace a cloud-based future.
Deciding to sunset Gateway was one of the biggest challenges our company faced. Adding to the difficulty, there wasn’t a clear guide or framework to follow. Even our peers in the industry hadn’t made the leap yet.
Step one: Reconnaissance
When I was handed the reins of this pivotal project, I knew the stakes were high, but I also knew what we needed: a solid plan, plenty of empathy, and a healthy dose of common sense.
Without a template to guide us, I knew that success in managing this product’s end-of-life hinged on clarity. The level of preparation – what I like to call reconnaissance – depends on the specifics of the product retirement and whether you’re transitioning customers to a new product or referring them to a different solution.
The first step is to clearly map out the customer journey. To do this, I asked a lot of questions, including:
- What’s the timeframe for retiring this product?
- Who are the customers affected, and why are they reluctant to transition?
- How many customers will we retain, and who are we willing to let go?
- Does our new product match these customers’ needs?
- How are we going to move customers at scale? Do we have the right team and structure to enable this?
- How do we convince them to move?
Transitioning from a 30-year-old server-based product to a cloud-based one wasn’t just about replicating old features. This was a fundamental shift, designed to help customers work more efficiently. But with that transformation came significant change – change that many customers weren’t immediately ready to embrace.
The importance of understanding your customers
Once the timeline and internal goals were clear, the next step was understanding how to win over our customers and alleviate their fears. Early on, we conducted a survey targeting our most reluctant adopters – our “laggards.” The goal was to uncover what we were up against and identify ways to smooth the transition.
The survey focused on five key areas:
- Perception of the new product: What did customers think of our cloud-based platform?
- Intentions: Did they plan to move? If not, why?
- Alternatives: Were they exploring other solutions?
- Barriers: What was preventing them from making the switch?
- Levers: What incentives or reassurances might convince them to move?
The results were sobering. A third of our customers had no intention of moving anytime soon. They were fearful of change and harbored all kinds of misconceptions about our cloud product’s capabilities. Concerns around data security, vulnerability, and accessibility were especially prevalent among regional customers who worried about their limited internet infrastructure.
And then came the kicker – customers wanted the software to be “finished” before transitioning. In other words, they expected a perfect, fully polished product. But as anyone in SaaS knows, software is never truly “finished.” Iteration is constant, and perfection is an ongoing process.
So, we had two major challenges: overcoming customer reluctance to change and addressing gaps in product knowledge. To address these challenges, we knew our messaging couldn’t stop at highlighting product value. We also had to build confidence by emphasizing support, change management, and the simplicity of the transition process.
Identifying levers for change
One of the key insights from our survey was the importance of levers – the offers or guarantees that would convince customers to make the switch. Depending on your situation, these could include:
- Pricing strategies like discounts or incentives.
- Flexible contracts to ease the transition.
- Value-added services such as training, onboarding, and implementation support.
- Product bundling with extra features or enhancements.
We asked our customers what it would take to motivate them, presenting nine different options. These were the top two responses:
