My Top 4 Tips for Curing Launch-phobia
It's Saturday night and my family is out on a daddy-daughter dinner date and my heart could just burst at the sweetness.
Anni chose their outfits, wanting to ensure her dad was decked out for their time out on the town at the local burger spot (neither of them eat meat, but the milk shakes are her favorite).
I'm parked here at the kitchen island with some lukewarmThanksgiving leftovers and the 10' Christmas tree we thought was only 6' when we bought it 🤪 ready to chat with you about a topic that has been on my heart over the last week or so.
I want to talk about about "failure" in our businesses.
Raise your hand if you've ever launched something - a product, a coaching program, a social marketing opportunity, a freebie, etc. - and it totally flopped?
I launched a program 5 or so years ago that 3 people signed up for (2 of which I gave free access to as a part of their 1:1 coaching packages with me).
You can do the math on that one.🤓
I had stars in my eyes when I started talking about it with my community and over on social media, but something was missing and my vision of a successful launch flat out didn't happen.
Already sour to the idea of traditional launching, this was the nail in the coffin for me back then.
I decided it was all the proof I needed.
My rolling enrollment, evergreen model of coaching programs was the way to go and we didn't launch again for a long time after that.
And while that model of running our business has been incredibly successful, the sad truth is, I chose not to "launch" because I was afraid of failing again.
It was a whole lot of effort for such a little return and I was frustrated.
I know so many who can relate to this feeling.
But since I wrote the word "failure" off, entirely, I chose to learn from this and have continued to take copious notes along the way.
I've learned a lot about the ingredients of a successful launch and, most importantly, the brand BEHIND that launch and I want to share it with you here today.
Here's a quick list of the areas to focus for growth + traction in your brand/biz to set yourself up for future launch success...
1. Communication - This might seem like a no-brainer, but frequency + connection really matter here. If you're not engaging with anyone, you're not selling to anyone. Ask yourself these key Q's:
How often are you conversing with and communicating with your people?
Do they open your emails? Do they reply? Why or why not?
Do they message you back on social media? Are you asking them to?
How frequently are you showing up with relevant content for their lives?
Are your calls to action clear and simple?
2. Relevancy - Simply put, if your community doesn't need something, they're not going to buy it. I often seen incredibly gifted entrepreneurs/coaches trying to sell a program or offering that their audience doesn't value yet. Eeeesh, that sounds harsh, I know. Here's how to find out whether or not a product/service is relevant to your audience:
Ask them: Use IG polls, surveys, etc. Ask your audience to hit REPLY on an email and share with you what they're needing support with?
Test: You've gotta try things out and see what sticks. Everything is a data point. How you label it is up to you.
Take Note: What social media posts get the most comments/engagement? What topics in your emails/subject headings get the most opens/replies? Pay attention to the influx of data available to you constantly by the response - or lack thereof. Both matter, both are helpful.
3. Positioning - The program I was mentioning above didn't work because I had made 1 key error:
I had not yet crafted a runway for my community to value ME as the expert on this particular topic. Read: I had not positioned myself as the expert of the topic I was selling my program on and they still thought I was just a website designer and branding consultant.
How are you positioned with your audience? Ask them to explain what it is you do in 1 or 2 sentences, this will be very helpful information!
4. Belief - I saved the BEST for last. Here's the deal...your belief in you and your gift matters above all else. If you make your "failed" launch mean something about you and your worth, you are burying yourself before you've even got a chance out there.
Remember this:
Launch success means NOTHING about your worth. You were BORN worthy. This will never run out. We all have a gift and a reason for being here. Find it. Live it. Give it. Have fun. Be creative. Relax + be yourself.
TRUST the process. We all want success, like, yesterday. But here's the deal. The most successful "anyone" has been patient in their process no matter what their calling is. Chop wood, carry water. Put in the work. Learn and you will be amazed at how much better you get at your craft.
Practice. In the words of sister, RuPaul, "Girl, you better WERK." I promise you...the more you put yourself out there - just as you are, the more rapidly things are going to grow for you. Put in those reps and get stronger. Practice going live and get through the awkward until you don't feel awkward anymore. The more courage you have to get your booty in the arena to show up and share, the faster those seeds will grow. #facts
I recorded a 30-min IGTV on Friday that talked about "Failed (or Failure to) Launch Syndrome" (<<<< I made that up, btw....). It was a big hit and the comments during the livestream were off the charts.
This will elevate your energy without question.
I hope it lights a fire and helps you feel the spark you need to get back out there.
The world needs your gift!