Product Launch Lessons from a Newbie

girl_bookstackProduct creation demands a launch strategy where success does not depend on the actions of another person or group.  I have to admit that writing the pieces of 6-Hour eBook was the easiest part of the entire process.  As I completed the details for the product and websites, I realized that I did not have enough information to change the outcome of my own launch.  Throughout the six days of my launch I watched in shock as the engagement level of other people determined my sales success.

I look forward to my next launch because of the invaluable lessons I learned this time.

Prepare for Any Possibility

My previous professional experience with computer system implementations created a sense of dread.  Days of exhaustion were part of making sure that the customer’s system was up and running while the new changes were applied.  For 6-Hour eBook, I had absolute responsibility for every detail of the technical aspects of my launch.  I had to be prepared, and my work experience played an important role in my pre-launch activities.

  • Review the product – The week before the launch was the perfect time to click on every link and download every document on my membership sites. I wanted to make certain that my customers had no problem with my sites.  I discovered, and made, a list of changes that would improve my customers’ experience.  I received many compliments from my new customers and some tough reviewers.
  • Contact Paypal and hosting – The day before the launch, I called Paypal and asked that a note be placed into my account for extensive activity. This step is critical if you want to prevent the Paypal robots from shutting down your sales.  In addition, I logged a support ticket to notify my hosting company of the launch.  I took backups of all my websites and placed them in the Cloud just in case the website server died.
  • Solicit help from others – In the hour before the launch, affiliates decided to visit the ‘jv page’ for the first time. We discovered an issue with the countdown clock because the spring time change had occurred since I had set the countdown clock originally.  An affiliate also discovered a broken link.  I will test all ‘jv pages’ early to help others avoid what I encountered on launch day.
  • Personal details – I did some cooking and made sure my favorite foods were in the house. Without a frame of reference, I wanted to be sure that I had plenty of time to support my customers, fulfill my family obligations and still have time to sleep.

Customer Support

Extensive experience in customer support served me well when it came to handling the common issues that arise when customers encountered issues with accessing their purchases.  I knew that every person would be concerned that his or her money had been lost and no one would resolve the issue.  Mastering the fine art of support reversed two refund requests and prevented a few others.

  • Check every request – One of my customers filed a refund request stating that he was unable to access the product.  Before I responded, I found his new login ID and that he had downloaded all of my material.  I answered his support ticket and told him that I saw that he had accessed the website and I hoped that he would enjoy the material.  He never pursued the refund request.
  • Respond kindly – Another customer made a purchase and 30 minutes later logged a refund request while telling me that the product was worthless, and I had made all the mistakes that all marketers make. I refunded his money and reminded him to delete all of the files that he downloaded.
  • Send canned responses – Support desk software offers the ability to create pre-written responses for common issues. I drafted responses to the initial support tickets and found that I could send the same response to 60 of the 67 support tickets logged during my launch.  I could respond to five tickets in a couple of minutes.
  • Discover the source – Those 60 support tickets were caused by an automated JVZoo email that provides login information. That email caused more confusion for my customers than you can imagine.  I contacted JVZoo and logged a request for enhancement to provide the ability to turn off that notification for a product.

Affiliate Participation

Every affiliate has the same opportunity to make sales to customers through emails, blog reviews, landing pages, Facebook posts and any other creative means available.  Only six sales separated the 10th position on the leaderboard and the 5th position.  Anyone can participate in a launch and achieve great results if you follow these important recommendations.

  • Know the details – Being an affiliate requires knowledge of the product, number of launch days and basic processes for reaching out to your list and potential customers. Sign-up as an affiliate on the page and make contact with the marketer.  Ask good questions and offer support to that person.
  • Use the tools provided – Information on the ‘jv page’ is offered to enhance your affiliate sales. Learn about the product, the sales funnel and what tools are available for your advertising efforts. Ask for additional swipe files if you need some.
  • Prepare your approach – Up to one week prior to the launch, devise your launch strategy to optimize your sales potential. Regardless of what other affiliates do, you must execute your plan.  You know the people on your list and what works in your effort to sell products they need.  Load your auto-responder, make your graphics and landing pages and know what actions you want to take during the launch period.
  • Participate actively – Your success during any product launch week is determined by your willingness to make adjustments to your approach and maximize your success. Seek ways to increase your sales.  During my launch, I started emailing the people who purchased 6-Hour eBook and sending them to the sales page for eCover Rhapsody.

Lessons for Next Time

My lessons during this product launch have come to light in the days following the final day.  Events that happened during the launch became clear as I spent time addressing issues and making improvements immediately.  Work continues to ensure that my next product launch is more effective.

  • Contact top affiliates – I will contact the people who were present on my leaderboard and ask them what tools would make their launch preparations easier. Maybe they would prefer more swipe files or more product information.  I will make certain that the affiliates I can reach are signed up for updates on my ‘jv page’.
  • Communicate launch days – A visual calendar will become part of my ‘jv page’ to ensure that every affiliate is aware of the launch days. I really want to ensure that people have enough time to write emails, post ads and create landing pages.  Also, every affiliate should be aware of the start date and end date if they would like to use a crush campaign.
  • Train my affiliates – More information will be written on my ‘jv page’ to offer suggestions for the ways in which affiliates can extend their reach to sell more. Upsells must be emphasized to encourage customers to remain in the sales funnel through every product offered.

No One Does This Alone!

Success comes through working together to achieve great sales results.  I noticed the methods used when experienced affiliates wanted to increase sales.  Each day revealed the responses from customers when each one would find a link to the 6-Hour eBook page.  Cross-selling made a significant difference in the number of upsells that sold.  My efforts were focused on reaching out to customers and sending them back to sales pages to increase commissions for my affiliates.  I know, now, that my actions as the product owner can enhance my affiliates’ success before, during and after the launch.

2 Comments

  • If you wrote an eBook with the titles of the chapters being what you have put in bold above I would buy it. What helpful info for someone that is in the process of just developing a product and will launch in a fre months. If you hurry I could have your “launch Blueprint, Step by Step guide” in time. I love the way you write 🙂

  • Mialei Iske

    Hi, Joan,

    Interesting idea! The next product is somewhere floating in the ether! My discussion on Tuesday will solidify some ideas that came out of my launch. All I know at this point is that my next product will build on what I learned the first time around. Some of my lessons have not been much fun!

    Thank you for the encouragement, Joan.
    — Mialei

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