Unlocking the Secrets to a Successful Launch: Strategies for Consistent Engagement and Impact
Understanding the Sales Cycle
The Misconception of Launch Timing The most significant misconception entrepreneurs face is that sales activities begin during the launch week. In reality, a successful launch starts well before the cart opens. As Amy, the host of The Motivated CEO Podcast, emphasizes, waiting to sell until you're in launch mode is a recipe for disappointment. Episode 353 of the podcast provides a detailed breakdown of the sales cycle, highlighting the essential phases leading up to the launch.
Sales as a Service Mindset Sales often evoke feelings of pressure and discomfort, but shifting the mindset can make a world of difference. Viewing sales as an act of service, as suggested by Amy, transforms the experience from "selling" to "offering solutions." This perspective allows you to see sales as an invitation for potential clients to benefit from what you have to offer, thus eliminating the 'head drama' often associated with launching.
The Continuous Launch Mindset
Adopting a Perpetual Launch Mentality The idea that "you're never not launching" might seem overwhelming initially, but it’s essential for consistent success. Launches aren’t just about the week when the cart is open; they are about consistently warming up and engaging your audience, long before the launch date arrives. Regular, strategic planning and daily dedication towards nurturing your audience set the stage for a successful launch period.
The Pre-Launch Phase: A Critical Investment
Engagement is Key One of the most common mistakes is neglecting the pre-launch phase. Building and warming up your audience should be a continuous effort. Engage with your audience regularly through social media, email lists, and direct interactions. Reply to comments, respond to direct messages, and foster meaningful relationships. These actions build trust and keep your audience connected.
Curiosity Overwhelm Instead of succumbing to frustration when a launch doesn’t go as planned, adopt a curious mindset. Investigate what might have gone wrong and what can be improved. Amy shares that examining your data—such as engagement rates, email open rates, and social media interactions—can provide valuable insights into potential improvements.
The Power of Consistency
Nurturing Relationships Consistent engagement isn't just about frequent posting; it's about meaningful interactions. Regularly sharing valuable content, hosting free events, and offering genuine support can significantly enhance your audience’s loyalty and trust in you. Create opportunities for your audience to connect with you and each other.
Email List Strategies Don’t neglect your email list until you have something to sell. Keep your audience engaged with valuable content that makes them eager to open your emails. Regular emails help you remain top-of-mind, even if the recipient doesn't need your service immediately.
Networking and Referrals
Building Your Network Networking should be a daily non-negotiable activity. Expanding your network opens doors to new opportunities and collaborations. Amy points out the importance of being a connector—helping others find the resources they need strengthens relationships and fosters reciprocal support.
Leveraging Referrals Never underestimate the power of referrals. Stay consistently visible and build trust within your community so that when someone needs a recommendation, your name is the first to come up. This is a crucial aspect of establishing a sustainable, long-term business ecosystem.
Conclusion
The path to a successful launch is paved with consistent effort, strategic planning, and a genuine connection with your audience. Focusing on the pre-launch phase, maintaining continuous engagement, and nurturing your network are all vital components. As challenging as it may seem, remember that with consistent effort, you will build the necessary foundation for a flourishing launch. So, keep showing up, stay curious, and celebrate every small step towards creating the impact you desire.
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Transcript for Episode 355. Never Have Another Silent Launch
Amy [00:00:04]:
Have you ever had a silent launch? If you're answering yes to this, please know you're not alone. We have all had them, myself included. And in today's episode, I really want to unpack this common theme that I have seen in working with hundreds of clients, digging into launches, my own personal experience of one common denominator that I see over and over and over that may be contributing to your silent lunch. So what is this? What is this common factor? It's waiting to sell until you're in launch. As an entrepreneur, we are constantly in our sales cycle, in our sales process. And if you didn't get a chance to listen to episode 353, I encourage you to go back and listen because we map out the entire sales cycle. But for this episode, we're really going to hone in on that pre launch process. And I always, whenever I think of launching, a thought comes to mind.
Amy [00:01:18]:
Something one of my mentors said to me. I'll never forget the day when Jester Rose told me, you're never not launching. And I go, what? Like, launching is heavy. It's exhausting, it's draining. I had all of this head drama around the concept of launching, around the concept of sales. But what I realized is sales is just service. Sales is when I'm actually presenting the invitation to come into my world, to work with me, to get the transformation, to get the solution to the problem that you have, you really have to take the time to unpack. Where are these limiting beliefs that are holding me back? Because if I'm stuck in my head saying sales feels hard, launching feels heavy, launching is exhausting.
Amy [00:02:13]:
Well, guess what? That becomes my reality. I'm creating my own reality. But when I realize that, you know what? I can zoom out, look at the big picture and really have a strategic plan in place. Having that consistency to keep showing up day after day after day, knowing that it is leading exactly to where I want to be. And that is the sale. That is the sale that will generate the revenue. The revenue generates the impact, right? It allows us to have that freedom and flexibility that we all desire. That ability to go to a yoga class on a random Tuesday after you drop your kids off at school, school for the day without feeling guilty.
Amy [00:03:01]:
That's what it's all about. It's about creating that ripple effect, that impact, that catalyst for growth, that when we step into our power, we can show others how to do the same. So really take the time to wrap your head around the mind drama you might be creating for yourself. So let's get back into this whole concept of you're never not launching. Most people think that when you're in launch, that's launch week, right? That's when the card is open, we're on social media, we're sending all the sales emails, we're out there. We're saying, hey everyone, I have this thing, come join it because I'm awesome. But then what happens? All too often, nobody joins the we don't get the open rate that we want. We don't get the engagement that we want.
Amy [00:03:56]:
And at the end we do. We feel exhausted, we feel defeated. I say this because I've been there. I remember my first launch of my group program. It was a flop, a complete flop. And I was in my head, I'm like, okay, nope, this isn't going to work for me. But what I did was I got curious. Instead of sitting in that feeling of overwhelm, of frustration that nobody bought, I decided, you know what? Let's get curious.
Amy [00:04:29]:
Let's get curious and figure out what I could have done differently. Was my audience actually warmed up had I really taken the time to engage and nurture them before I asked for the sale? Because a lot of times we show up with this entitlement energy because I'm awesome. You should just want to buy from me. Well, friend, I'm here to tell you that's not how it works, especially in this day and age. And we dug into, you know, what to do and how to get navigate these changes in the market, these changes in consumer behaviors back in episodes 338 and 300 3344 and really dove into the power of curiosity. So when nothing seems like it's working, let's get curious and let's look at the data. Let's see how many people are on our email list, how many people are opening, how much are we showing up? Are we reaching out and engaging with others? Engagement's a two way street. And a lot of times on social media we forget it.
Amy [00:05:40]:
We forget that because what we're doing is we're putting this content out there and we're like, okay, you should just like it because I'm awesome, right? Okay. It's good that you have confidence in yourself. Like kudos to you, that's awesome. But take the time to reply back to your DM's, to reply back to your comments. Take the time to welcome people into your world. It doesn't take that much time. But when you just take the time to say hello, I see you. That goes a long way, that builds those relationships and a lot of times when someone starts following me on social media, I'll say hello and then I'll be like, hey, you know, if you're looking for a community of like minded entrepreneurs, I host a free networking event each month, totally free.
Amy [00:06:28]:
Come join us, meet some other people. Because that networking event, it's not about me. It's for providing space, the time and the space for others to connect. I cannot tell you the value of networking. That is one of my daily non negotiables. Getting into new rooms, because, yes, we don't want to get caught up in the vanity metrics, but we do want to build our network because what does it do? It allows us to be connectors. It allows us to connect others to the resources that they need. It improves our visibility, our.
Amy [00:07:06]:
A lot of times I'll offer to share something out for an entrepreneur, I do that once a month. I love sharing other things other people are doing for free in the online space, whether that is an opt in, a freebie, a masterclass, a networking event, there's room for all of us. So what I really want you to do is start putting more emphasis on the pre launch phase. When you're really nurturing, when you're really engaging, when you're really focusing on list building. We need to constantly be list building, getting people into our world and nurturing those that are there. So not just showing up when you have something to sell, but consistently showing up time and time again. And this goes for your emails, too. Don't just email your list when you have something to sell.
Amy [00:08:10]:
No, you want to remain top of mind over and over and over. You know, it was interesting the other day, I was in a networking call and a woman, I forget what we were talking about, but she's like, nobody's opening email. So that's why I don't read it. And I got to thinking and I didn't say anything. I just sat back and I'm like, but is that a fact or is that a feeling? And I think it's more of a feeling that nobody's opening emails because think of your own consumer behaviors. There's some emails that when they land in my inbox, I cannot wait to read them. I cannot wait to open those emails. So again, here's where that curiosity comes in.
Amy [00:08:51]:
You can go, okay, what about this email? Enticing. What do I really like? Why am I clicking on this? Why am I opening this? Getting curious. It opens so many opportunities that are right there in front of us. So the next time you decide, all right, I am going to launch something. I want you to make sure to give yourself enough time to nurture, to nurture your audience, to really list build, get the people on the list that you own. That is the best way to provide service. Even if they're not opening your emails. The really cool thing is they're seeing, oh, yeah, she still exists.
Amy [00:09:41]:
Oh, yeah, she still exists. Because maybe they don't need what you offer right now and that's okay. But when it comes a time when they do need it or if they hear about someone else, like, I just had someone reach out to me the other day and she goes, I need a pr person. Help. I'm like, I know someone. I actually know a couple of people. I will send you their information. I can make a connection for you.
Amy [00:10:05]:
And again, it's because those people are consistently showing up in my inbox. I've taken the time to get to know them. Build that trust. We forget about the power of referrals. This business ecosystem is wild. There's so much that is out of our control right now, but we can control that pre launch. We can control the amount of nurturing and engaging and showing up consistently. And that's where it gets hard, friend.
Amy [00:10:40]:
That's really where it gets hard. Because when the dollars aren't rolling in and you're showing up, it can be exhausting. It can feel draining. But just know that with consistency, you are building that. Know like and trust. And then when you do present the invitation, people are going to buy. People are going to buy from you. So keep going, my friend.
Amy [00:11:11]:
And until next time, cheers to making the money you want so you can create the impact you desire.
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