Guest Post By Steve Olsher
The Entrepreneur’s Comeback
You’ve likely heard stories of entrepreneurs who make millions and, after a handful of bad decisions, lose everything. Then after a few years they reappear on the radar, making even more money with a new company. How does this happen?
The Power of Leveraging
The answer is simple: The steps for creating a profitable endeavor don’t change. It’s all about leveraging a proven formula, or system, for success. Christopher Van Buren understands the power of leveraging effective systems and, as the owner of LaunchMoxie, his company is dedicated to helping Internet marketers construct seamless, problem-free product launches that attract attention and maximize revenue.
A product launch is defined as a “focused campaign that revolves around an online event or series of events that are designed to draw in customers.” When executed correctly, a product launch can generate a massive number of leads, increase name-brand recognition, and create substantial income. There are six phases for a successful product launch. Let’s take a brief look at each.
1) Product Design
Regardless of whether your product is physical or a service, it must be designed to meet the following criteria:
- Appeal to the target audience.
- Answer, and solve, burning questions and problems.
- Include free and low-cost entry points to attract potential customers.
- Look professional and function as described.
- Define why it improves upon, and truly outshines, existing products.
- Over-deliver on its promises.
2) Scripting
Scripting is far from easy and creating superlative copy is an acquired skill. It is imperative to build a compelling story that attracts attention, engages, and moves people to action. Scripting is needed for:
- Creating the overall theme
- The pre-launch narrative
- Site and email headlines
- Email subject lines
- Affiliate recruitment
- Text affiliates can use for their audiences
- Sales copy
- Video copy
- Email copy
- Site copy
While each phase of the launch process is crucial, nothing can extinguish the fire quicker than scripting that fails to properly capture the essence of the product.
3) Technology
Nothing is ever as hard as it looks or as easy as it seems. In the case of product launches, it’s much more difficult to flawlessly execute one than meets the eye. There are myriad components that hold the launch’s potential success or failure in a continuously swaying, highly delicate balance. While almost no launch takes place without a few technology hitches, these can be kept to a minimum by enlisting others who have meaningful launch experience and can add value to your team.
4) Soft Launch
Before the official launch, many recommend a soft launch during which associates are contacted and provided with early access to the materials. By engaging in a soft launch, you’ll be able to extrapolate performance and apply real data against the expected number of recipients for the official launch. This allows you to establish a strong sense of staffing requirements, materials needed, bandwidth to allocate, and approximate amount of funds to hold back for returns.
5) Securing Partners
Successful launches require collaboration, as most companies do not have enough subscribers to reach a meaningful number of potential customers. Therefore, partners are sought to help spread the word. In an ideal world, everyone and their mother would support the launch. Unfortunately, reality says this is unlikely. Realistically, one A player, several B and C players, and a solid number of D players will suffice. Many will argue that millions of touch points must be established in order to turn decent numbers, but this isn’t the case. Success is certainly related to the number of people who receive your message. However, they must be the right people.
6) Official Launch
The heavy lifting is complete, the product is solid, the script is compelling, the system functions correctly, metrics are in place, testimonials are in hand, and your partners await the signal…wait for it…bam! Open the cart. The worst-case scenario is that no one buys your product. The best case is that millions of dollars flow in, your merchant processor can’t keep up, and the next thing you know you’re on the beach in Hawaii sipping piña coladas.
While both scenarios are possible, your first launch will probably fall somewhere in the middle of these extremes. With experience under your belt and affiliates on board, subsequent launches will be easier to execute. The important thing to remember is you now possess the knowledge required to improve upon acquired skills.
Product launches can be very effective and therein lies the beauty of a system. Once created, it can easily be replicated to create extraordinary results.
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Steve Olsher is the author of Internet Prophets: The World’s Leading Experts Reveal How to Profit Online and creator of Internet Prophets LIVE!, which takes place June 8-10, 2012 in Chicago. Featuring 29 of the world’s leading Internet, Mobile and Marketing experts such as Jay Conrad Levinson, Mike Filsaime, Mike Koenigs, Larry Winget, Marc Ostrofsky, Dan Hollings, Janet Bray Attwood, Armand Morin, and many others, Internet Prophets LIVE! provides small business owners, solopreneurs, and consultants with proven no- and low-cost guerrilla marketing strategies, tools, and tactics for cultivating leads, dramatically increasing conversion rates, and generating massive, passive income. Tickets are only $147 until May 15. For more information and to reserve one of the VERY limited number of remaining seats, please visit www.InternetProphets.com.