The launch that simply wasn’t

Have you ever launched a course, product, or service and felt like you worked your tail off, and then the big day came……and it was crickets?

A few trickles of sales came in, yet overall, it was a bit of a disappointment.

Well, this happens way more than you think.

The reality is there are SO MANY VARIABLES you have to get right to create a significant amount of sales for a launch.

Most experts don’t tell you that you’re more than likely to bomb on your first and even second launch.

This is why, as a soulful marketer, I always want to be honest and give the truth about what doing a launch is really like…

It’s not all hearts and roses. (It is February – gearing up for my birthday and Valentine’s Day. 🙂

As a launch expert trained by Jeff Walker and running launches for over 14 years, I’ve had my share of working with clients and helping them have 7 – figure launches.

And the funny thing is I’ve also had my share of launch failures. Most experts won’t share that for fear you won’t think they’re the real guru.

And I think the opposite is true. The more I’m honest and real about launches, the better I can help you avoid pitfalls and share the truth.

Even with all my knowledge and experience of launches, getting certain things right still doesn’t guarantee your success.

Most recently, I had a prelaunch test that just outright failed.

What happened that made this launch go sideways and not create many sales?

– Tested to Small Audience – It’s a new company, with a new message that had been tested only to a couple of hundred people that were on the founders’ personal email.

– CTA (Call To Action)- It was somewhat confusing – It’s a nonprofit, and the CTA had three types of donation levels, as well as they were getting a ring as a symbol of commitment to this cause.

– Relying On Partners to Promote – The client didn’t have a big list and relied on partners to promote by emailing their lists.

– Too Attached to Current Messaging – The nonprofit founder was really attached to the messaging, even if it cost the company sales.

– Roadblock to Sales – They inserted an extra agreement page to click on before the order page. I told the founder it was essentially a roadblock to sales. And he wouldn’t budge, so we tested it. And it indeed was a roadblock. (Good thing we figured that out early.)

When you’re launching a product, course, service, or in this case, a nonprofit, there are core things that must be tested and done before you launch it.

Let’s focus on the top 3: Market, Message, and Media.

1. Your Dream Prospects (Market)- Do your homework on who your dream prospects are. The biggest one is to know what they’re struggling with and address that in your sales copy.

Nonprofit Launch – My Client was aiming at the right people. We did all our research and knew who they were. Our downfall was #2 Message.

2. Your Message – This is HUGE. Your message has to be clear, direct, and focused. It needs to be focused on your dream prospects’ core challenges and how your product, course, service, etc. is the solution that will help them.

Nonprofit Launch – We had more than one message. We were trying to be all things to all people. We set up the launch by having someone give us a donation. They could choose three different amounts. When they did, we’d mail them a ring, and they’d get access to resources.

Plus, we muddled our messaging even more by telling them how we were giving part of their donation to top-notch nonprofits that are in line with the core mission. So what in the heck were they getting and where was their money going?

Remember this – A CONFUSED BUYER NEVER BUYS. This is worth its weight in gold. We had a lot of different messages on the web page. We didn’t catch it sooner, to be fair, because we just started testing this with a few partners.

3. How to Promote (Media) – There are many ways to promote your launch. Buying social media or display ads. Create a 4 video launch sequence. Launch with live training. Launch with a 5-Day challenge, Ask partners (affiliates) to mail for you, and more.

Nonprofit Launch – We went the partner route because this was a nonprofit. Traditional affiliates wouldn’t work as we’re not going to give them a percentage of sales. The critical lesson here is to go where your dream prospects are. If you decide to use partners, ensure the people on their list are your dream prospects.

Bonus – We could have also launched with a live interview or podcast-type training, which would have been more engaging. Yet, for this test, we wanted to try the partner email route first. As I said above, there are SO MANY variables that you need to consider when launching.

The good news is that all this email information came from our team debrief. This is where all the gold came from to rearrange and overhaul the offer, price, and web pages and what they were getting for their money.

I’d highly recommend that you have a debrief after your launch, event, etc. Analyze what went right, what didn’t, and what you can do to make it different and better next time. You could also add a customer or prospect feedback loop to get their insights.

As of this writing, we’ve already changed the sales page and the sequence of buying.

We’ve shifted the call to action and streamlined the whole buying process.

The good news is that we still have several partners left to mail.

One of THE most important things you need on your launch is to have a person on your team who’s constantly looking at the launch from the dream prospects’ point of view.

This is REALLY important.

One of my superpowers is having the dream prospects’ point of view while walking through an online dream client experience. 🙂

Another critical factor is being flexible and able to shift and pivot quickly.

If you hire someone to work with you, be open to any and all feedback. And ensure they’re on the same page with your vision, mission, and values.

Happy February – The month of hearts, red roses, treats, and cards.

This Week’s Photos:

1. Perfect Reminder – Love my Yogi Tea and how it always gives me the message I need.

2. Clouds – These clouds were pretty amazing, and looked like angels’ wings or hair with the sun shining through – what do you see?

3. View at the Redding Airport – Dropped off my spouse yesterday who was heading out to visit her parents. I love being there and just marveling at the view of Mt. Lassen out the window while waiting for the next plane to land. (It’s a teeny airport, with only one gate.)

4. Emma – The entertainment dog who loves to pose – This time straddling the back of the couch. Such good balance.

NOTE: If you long for something more, want to grow and discover how to set boundaries, make peace with your physical body, and honor your feelings of anger, grief, and love, then you gotta read the review of this book.