Let's talk about product launches

On the heels of my own recent product launch, I wanted to tell you a little bit about how I approach launches these days.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Creative Companion]( Hello my friend! In September 2019, I began dipping my toes into the world of digital products. I had just put the finishing touches on [three new courses](=) to help people learn freelancing (which has since evolved into [Freelancing School]()). I was so excited. THIS was my future. I had already created and published a couple of courses as an author for LinkedIn Learning, but creating my own courses felt like my ticket to the business of my dreams! I remember getting dinner with one of my best friends here in Columbus. He had built an Etsy store that was on total autopilot, selling several t-shirts per day. I really admired (and was honestly a little jealous of) that. I said to him, "Just imagine if I was able to sell one course per month. Or a couple per month! It's crazy how much that could add up." And now that the courses were done...I just needed to actually promote them. So I found a set of email templates for a "Product Launch" and began customizing them for my needs. I planned a two-week campaign, scheduling it in advance, but using tactics that made it all feel like a "live" launch. It bombed. Two people purchased, I remember exactly who they are, and I always will. I will try and move mountains for those two if they ask me to. And I even remember WHERE I was (I was doing a morning workout at Snap Fitness with Mallory – we hadn't even been dating a year yet!) It was not the "product launch" that I was hoping for. To be honest, I was pretty devastated. I had spent close to a year developing the content, creating slide decks, recording with Loom and editing in iMovie. All for this? Well I made several big mistakes: - No one knew I was launching this thing - No one even told me they wanted it ahead of time - Only a small segment of my readers were freelancers - I had no student success stories - I priced them too high for the market - That email series was terrible Can you even imagine me sending you a templated email series? I hope not. It just didn't even sound like me. Out of the blue, here comes bizarro-Jay sending four weird-sounding-kinda-pushy emails in one week. Woof. Anyway, I don't really vibe with product "launches" like that anymore. I moved forward with a more natural, evergreen sales approach for Freelancing School, and now those courses have generated more than $32,000 in sales. Then when I launched my course [Podcast Like The Pros]() about 16 months ago, I pre-sold it. I told everyone that I wasn't even going to create it unless at least 10 people purchased. And then while I was building it, I offered a pre-launch price for people who believed in me. That course has now generated more than $21K in sales! It was a similar story with the [Creative Companion Club](). For weeks before [Sunday's announcement email](=), I was dropping breadcrumbs in this newsletter and [on Twitter](), inviting folks to join early. People who were paying attention and joined early were given a special price – they didn't even know what I was building! And as a result, I earned $12,000 in sales before I built a landing page. Even better – [dozens](=) of real members took to Twitter to support the launch! [Twitter testimonials](=)​ ​ So now my launch strategy is much more rooted in a.) validating people want the thing; b.) inviting people to try something out early and c.) rewarding them for their early belief and trust. Some people have told me that this style of launching products hurts me, because I'm giving the people MOST likely to purchase a "cheaper" price. But shouldn't we WANT to give our biggest supporters the best price? To me, that style of "launch" is much more rooted in the people I want to help. Not only am I able to recognize and reward the people who are supporting ME most, but I'm able to pour on even more love because of it. There won't be any big launch campaign for the [Creative Companion Club](). I'd love for you to join us, and I think you'll be glad you did. But it's a big investment for most people – I know that. I know that it will attract the smallest group of the most advanced members of my audience. Instead, I'll mention it here and there, make it clear that it exists and that it's helping people become professional creators. A membership like this is very self-selecting. But people can't self-select until they know something exists. Sunday's announcement email wasn't about generating a windfall of new members – it was about making sure people knew that the community existed. And this email is just a reminder that there are no right ways or wrong ways to launch a new product or service. There are only right ways or wrong ways for YOU. Cheers, Jay PS: Questions about the [CCC]() or wondering if you are the right fit? Hit reply. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Photo of Jay Clouse] Jay Clouse [Twitter]() / [Instagram](=) - Thanks for subscribing! You can reply to this email or [contact me]( anytime. - Want to make a change? → [Unsubscribe from all emails]( → [Unsubscribe from Creative Companion](=) → [Update your profile]() - Want to say thank you? [Buy Me A Coffee]() or send a note to P.O. BOX 797, Worthington, OH 43085.