The Zen of Launching

I think of all the things I’ve experienced as a digital entrepreneur, launching a paid product has taught me the most about myself.

Because of the large number of variables in the success of a launch — when you launch, the price point, your affiliates’ responsiveness, the title of the product, so forth — putting a product out there for sale tends to trigger all sorts of perfectionism, anxiety and second-guessing as we struggle to control a process that is ultimately uncontrollable. Plus, if you’re at all uncomfortable with sales, self-promotion or growing your visibility, then all of these fears will come right up the minute you start to plan your launch. (If you struggle with the fear of visibility, check out Brand New Confidence, a new course starting soon from Pamela Wilson and Susan Johnstone.)

While some marketers would want you to believe otherwise, launching is much more of an art than science. While you can find metrics to obsess over — list growth, conversion rates and such — there’s just something too intangible about the way the events of a launch unfold and the reasons people ultimately decide to buy from you. You would need to launch the same product, in the same manner, at the same time of year for several years in order to establish some kind of norm. By that time, all the tactics and strategies with which people market online will have changed anyway.

Here are some guidelines that I stick to in my launches and in helping my clients with theirs. I hope they’ll inspire you to make the leap.

Do it for the money, but don’t do it for the money. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, launches are fun but they are not the path to a sustainable income. It’s enough of an emotional roller coaster (hitting refresh on your email every 10 seconds to see if you made another sale) without the added insanity of worrying if you’ll make your rent payment.

Really, really there are no rules. A launch is making something, giving people a way to buy it, and telling them about it. How you do any of that is up to you. Be creative.

Go small. We tend to get grand visions of multi-module programs with video, audio, mind maps and resource guides. More is not always better — for you and your consumer. Be careful of the content snowball effect — there are other ways to over-deliver than simply volume. This goes for bonuses, too.

Set a numerical intention. I ask clients to think of two numbers when we begin to plan their launch. First, I ask them to imagine a number of sales or enrollments that would make them feel their launch was a success — a sort of baseline. This way, after you make that number, you know you can celebrate. This could also include mailing list signups, not just paid transactions. The second is their “over the moon number” — this is the number for mind-blowing success. Write that number down and post it where you can see it daily.

Get a buddy. Everyone I know has had “sales page freak out.” This is especially common for first launches. You stay up all night, worrying about how you phrased something, if you forgot anything, if people are going to hate what you’re selling, if you’re crazy to even do this, what if no one buys it, and so forth. Trust me, it gets better. But until then, have someone you can call, text or Tweet at 4 A.M. who will talk you down.

Remove all barriers. This is close to a marketing mantra for me. Don’t make people work for anything. Do whatever you can to see through the eyes of the customer, to figure out how to make the path to buying a smooth, downhill run. Is it easy to understand? Is it clear where and when to click? This includes doing as much work as you possibly can for affiliates. The confused mind doesn’t buy, make it crystal clear every step of the way and remind remind remind.

Focus on fun. If you’re not having fun, chances are no one else is either. What could you do to make your own launch a delight to participate in — for you and others?

Let go. As much as we’d like to believe we do, we do not control the outcome. It’s your responsibility to ask people to make the choice whether or not they would like to purchase your product. It’s your responsibility to deliver a quality experience when they do. Other than that, other than trying, it’s really not up to you, so let go and enjoy the ride.

Tell me.

Would you add something to this list? What are your fears or mental obstacles to launching your next thing?