The Fierce Business Babe Podcast Ep 147: How To Prep Your Summer Launch
Today, I am going to be diving into my four step launch process. I will be including my best tips around launch and what I really recommend you do and how to have fun while launching and really get the absolute most out of your launches every single time.
How To Prep Your Summer Launch
By: Melissa Lin
Today, we are going to be chatting all about launching and specifically, how to prep your next launch this summer in 2021. Whether you are launching a new offer, an older offer again, or maybe you're in the planning phases of your next launch, you're getting ready for a launch, you definitely won’t want to miss this. What we're going to be doing is going into my four step launch process. We're also going to go into tips around launching, my best tips around it, what I really recommend you doing and how to have fun with your launches. Then after that also a few more tips, all of the tips, around summer launches with an example from my own business.
Separating Your Launches
When I first started my business years ago, I was launching my signature offers and my new offers, I would say at least once per quarter. So, I was really heavy into open and close programs and not nearly as much evergreen, like we kind of are now. So, typically at least once per quarter, a signature offer would launch. So I typically have at least two big launches every quarter. I’d launch one of my signature coaching programs, such as The Fierce Business Academy, which we are still running and still enrolling into, and I would usually also have a launch for one of our hands-off courses, some of the more passive courses that we have.
So regardless if you are launching something big, something for the first time, something that's more passive or even a digital download product, like regardless of what you're launching, the launch process that I teach is the same overall. No matter what you're launching. That's what I'm going to dive into first with you today. Something I'll make a quick note of is something that we like to do is we, at least in our business, we like to separate our big launches, quarterly or seasonally. So for example, this quarter, it is, you know, summer season. So it's our summer season of launches. This week, we actually opened our summer launch of The Fierce Business Academy with our early bird sale, which we're actually calling “My Birthday Sale” because it's my birthday week! So fun. I'm going to go into what that kind of entails and what it means by early bird and things like that when we get into the actual launch process, which we're going to do right now. So grab those notebooks. Whatever you've got in front of you, Google doc, open something up because you're going to want to take notes on this.
Pre Pre-Launch
So I teach a four step launch process. Right now, I'm going to go into step one first and then we'll go 2, 3, 4, so numerical order. The first step is what I call the pre pre-launch. I know it's kind of wordy. This is before you even go into your pre-launch, the very first thing, and this is the first step in your launch. What you get to do is you get to fully prepare so that your launch can be as smooth as possible. You can really lean into your launch and really have more fun during your launch. You want to make sure you've got quite a bit ready. I usually say like the more you have ready, the more you have prepared prior to actually launching, the better. The smoother it's going to be, the easier it's gonna be. So I do say prep as much as you can.
If this is going to be a program or offer that you're going to be launching multiple times throughout the year, the first launch is always going to be the most time consuming because you're creating things for the first time, right? Your first set of email sequences, your sales page, your checkout pages or application forms. But after that, those next few launches, they're gonna be so much easier because you won't need to necessarily recreate everything. You may need to, you know, change dates in your emails and change the dates, you know, on your sales page and things like that. But it's going to be so much easier, the second, third, fourth, fifth time that you launch that same offer. So the first step is the pre-pre launch and you get to fully prepare. I always say, make sure you've got market research complete before you go into your launch. So if you're not sure what you want to launch next or what you want to launch first, you know, really think about it, ask your audience, right? Market research. We do market research every single day in our business. What is it that your audience needs the most right now? Map out your program if you don't have it yet. Start to create some of the behind the scenes items as well. We want to have that ready before you go into the next phase, which is the pre-launch. You want to have things such as your sales page, your payment links, your welcome emails, maybe any automation that you need to set up, get that going, get it started. Start to map it out. That way you actually go into your launch and go into your sales process and things like that having everything kind of ready to go and you get to just lean in and have so much fun with your launch. So start teasing your offer everywhere, everywhere, everywhere.
Create Awareness of your Program
What we like to do is if it's a brand new program, we will tease it for quite a few weeks, really sharing like, “Hey, this is a thing. This is coming, get ready for this.” We'll do things like showing the behind the scenes of us creating this new offer, this new program, you know, do it like a spoiler alert of what the name's going to be with, like hashtag program name and things like that. Just generating excitement around this new offer that's being created and showing how excited you are, right? The more excited you are, the more excited your audience will be. I want to really, really make this clear, like this can be one of the most important times for your launch, especially for launching something brand new for the very first time, because your audience needs brand awareness around this offer and around this program product, you know, download whatever it is that you're creating. They need to hear about it over and over and over, and then probably another 20 times and then over and over and over. So if it's the very first time you're launching it, they aren't even aware that it's a thing yet or a program. So we get to share it. We get to talk about it over and over and over. Even once something has launched, and once you have finished your launch, continue to create awareness around it. Throughout the year, continue to share testimonials, continue to share the name of your program. Continue to share testimonials on your Instagram stories and chat about the program on podcasts and different things like that. Continue to create awareness.
Pre-Launch
So that's what you are going to do first, the pre-pre launch then step two, this is what I teach my clients, is that pre-launch. So during this next step of your launch, you can actually generate some early sales by providing your warm and hottest leads, some type of incentive. Right. Such as you know, a wait list, or a pre-sale, an early bird, beta spots. Why not fill a few seats before your doors officially open? You already have so many warm people in your audience, right? You might as well get them in the door with that incentive. Then you can go into the next phase. So for example, I mentioned at the beginning that we're doing a Birthday Sale. So that is going to be for my warmest leads, my hottest leads. A cold lead who finds me today most likely will not be grabbing my Birthday Sale unless it's, you know, a pain point that they've been really trying to overcome for quite some time. Usually, it's going to be your warmest and hottest leads. So again, that is during the pre-launch phase of actually generating sales and what we usually do. There's so many different ways to do this. You can only give that to those on the waitlist or you can give it to everybody. So really up to you, what feels most aligned? Maybe do something a little different than your last launch. So lots of things we can do there, but that's what the pre-launch is. You know, filling seats before your doors are officially open. Then we go into the third step of your launch.
Launch
The third step of your launch, which is the launch itself. This is where we get to open doors to the public for your official launch. So exciting! Keep in mind that during your launch, you'll want to continue to provide value, right? Your value, at the end of the day, is your pitch. So those that see value in you as an expert in your field and authority, they'll go from leads to paying clients as they continue to add more touch points with you. So you are adding value by generating more touch points with those audience members. So what you can do is, during this launch, you're going to continue to bring in cold leads because you probably already have a lead generation system to always be bringing in cold leads. During your launch specifically, you want to start to convert those cold leads into warm leads and hot leads. We do this very quickly by adding value.
So you can add value during your launch in so many different ways. Ways that we've done it in the past are, you know, live stream series or the three-day live stream series or a five day live stream series, a challenge, a masterclass, a workshop, a webinar, there's so many different things that you can do, but add value. At the end of the day, you get to serve, you get to be in the service, you get to add value. That's how those leads are going to continue to move from cold, to warm, to hot, to actual clients and to purchasing from you into your offer. Then of course, that launch period, it could be anywhere from a week up to three weeks to four weeks. It really depends on what your offer is, what your sales process looks like. But again, it depends, right?
If you've got a group program that you want to fill, you know, 20 spots in, amazing! So possible for you, and we want to know what your sales process looks like. So if you're hopping on sales calls, then you may have a little bit of a longer launch than somebody who is opening a course that is a buy button only, you know, you may only need a week for your launch to actually be open. So again, it all depends on what you're selling at that moment, what the capacity is, what your sales process looks like, how much time you need for that sales process and that sort of thing.
Celebrate
Then that's going to push us right into step four, which is where we get to celebrate. We get to really celebrate during these last few days of your launch and celebrate those that joined your program. Do keep in mind that, you know, our experience has been that about 30% or so have purchased within the last 48 hours. So continue to add urgency through the end of your launch. Something that I've seen a lot of people do in the past is something that I call the tumbleweed time of your launch, where things are starting to feel slow. That's where you get to inject some more urgency or inject some more value, inject something, so you can get some more momentum in your launch. Anytime someone has felt like things were slowing down, I've seen a lot of entrepreneurs and coaches lean back and lean away from their launch and almost self-sabotage their launches. So something that I want to say is continue to lean into your launch. Know that sales are continuing to come as long as you lean into it more and continue to show up, keep showing up, keep going, stick to your plan. Then you get to cheers and celebrate at the end of it. But keep going. Those sales are going to be coming in. Some might need one more permission slip from you. Some may have a question that they are waiting for your FAQ that we're going to do to help answer that. Some might need another payment plan. There's so many different things going on during our launches. So something to definitely keep in mind.
So that is my four step launch process for you to utilize and go through. Now, I want to go into some tips for you and your launches.
Launch Mindset
I could spend hours and hours talking about launches and the launch process, but something I do want to share with you as the biggest tip is really making sure you're spending time on mindset. So mindset and having fun along the way. Before we even go into launch strategy, we get to make sure that we're spending time on mindset. You know, keep it in mind during your launch time. Number one, you must truly stand behind your offer, of course, and believe in your offer. Then you get to show up fully everyday during your launch. You get to walk into your launch and give value to your audience and feel so great about it. Something that I do for me, I make sure that my morning routine is on point. I'm getting plenty of sleep during my launch time, I'm journaling every day and I'm also starting to envision who those women are that are going to be coming to my program. I'm also envisioning how I'm going to celebrate when they do come in and how I'm going to celebrate the end of my launch. I'm already getting into that mindset of this is going to be so successful. It will be so successful. The universe has it's plan for me and it's all going to work out exactly how it's supposed to. So, if you want some journal prompts for your own launch, send me a message on Instagram with journal prompts for launch, and we can send you over a few journal prompts to get you prepped for your next launch as well. So again, mindset is so, so important and, you know, really ask yourself, what is it that you need to believe for your launch to be successful? Start to ask yourself some of those questions.
Preparation
So the next tip I want to go into is really just preparation. So map everything out in your project management tool, we use Asana and Airtable, and we absolutely love both of those tools. We actually supply our mastermind clients with an Asana map out of their entire launch. What this does is when you map things out, it makes everything, number one, just feel more doable, and number two, this helps hold you accountable throughout your launch so that you can visibly see what's been completed and maybe what's left to create and execute on. You can give yourself dates for when you want things finished by. So if you are working by yourself, maybe you don't have team members yet, no worries. You can still assign things to yourself. So, you know, like what needs to be done this week, next week, next month, and really keep on prioritizing and just help keep things organized and everything, for me at least, will just feel easier when everything's organized and streamlined and things like that. It gets to be easy. So these are definitely ways to help make your launches easier.
Self Care
Then I want you to also just keep in mind you get to have fun. You get to have fun every single day during your launch. I actually love adding in daily play or self-care activities during my launches and always recommend my clients do this because you get to go into it with such a high vibe for your launch. So, as I mentioned earlier, we do quite a few different launches and regardless if it's a big launch or a smaller launch, we are still having fun every day. Adding self care every single day. So for example, like even going out for a 10 minute walk out in the sunshine today, if you're in launch mode or even if it's just a normal business day, go out, give yourself some of that sunshine, getting a workout in, making sure that you're giving yourself time in the morning to get into whatever you need to do in the morning. If it's journaling, if you're going to go get your nails done, celebrate tonight. Some type of place and type of self-care, date night, you know, maybe binge your favorite Netflix show. Like that is a form of self care for some folks. And that's okay. So add fun, add self care every single day. Every single day. Bubble bath, listening to a chapter on Audible as you go and walk the trail outside your house, whatever that looks like for you.
So today we've touched on my four steps launch process. We have touched on tips around launching, how to have fun with your launches and some tips around summer launches with an example of my own business. So again, we're having so much fun with our launches, and I'm so excited to hear about your launches and what you're going to be launching this summer, new programs you're creating and all of those things. Send me a DM or tag me on Instagram @TheMelissaLin. Thank you for hanging out with me today. I am always going to be your biggest cheerleader, so you taking the time out of your day to spend with me truly means the world to me. I’ll see you next time!
Topics we cover include:
The Four Step Launch Process
Creating Awareness
Launch Mindset
Preparation
Self Care
And so much more!
Times to check out:
(9:13) The Four Step Launch Process
(11:47) Creating Awareness
(20:20) Launch Mindset
(20:13) Preparation
(23:24) Self Care
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