Your Big Bold Effort Bombed. Now What?
So you just tried a big new thing. A service, a challenge, a new/better/different way of doing something. Announced it to all the world. And it bombed. Can you get a do-over?
That thing that you most feared happened: Failure on a very public scale. And it feels like a disaster. After all, as a coach or counselor, you’re the one your clients come to for help! You can’t pretend this didn’t happen; people saw you announce and they saw it fizzle away.
But… was it a failure?
Or is it a chance to learn some lessons for yourself and perhaps do some teaching along the way?
Step 1: Audit Your Launch Process
This is a no-judgment zone, right? Because this is a true story. Mine. After listening to solid coaching, I planned and announced a new service. It’s a great service, priced well, and would help the helpers and that’s my jam. I did all of the steps right except for one of the things on this list.
Even if you’re pretty sure you know what went wrong, go through the audit process anyway. You might learn some new things. Look at things like:
→ Your sales copy. Is it clear? Compelling? Did you have a clear call to action (CTA) in multiple places? Did you include social proof (testimonials)?
→ Your timing. Did you choose a launch date that doesn’t conflict with a major holiday or well-known vacation time? Was this a spur-of-the-moment offer? Did you check your own calendar to make sure that you have the time to do all the things that you need to do?
→ Your marketing. Were you marketing where your people are? Did you leave adequate time to warm up the audience, market well, and use a lead magnet to entice your audience to buy? Did you have an email nurture sequence in place for the people who did sign up?
→ The offer itself. Has your audience asked for this service or something like it? Does it meet a need that they need to have filled? Is it priced in line with your audience? Yes, you need to stay out of your clients’ wallets, but you also need a sense of what is doable for your particular audience. If you’re consistently running into problems with that, then take another look at your ideal audience.
→ Your checkout process. Did you have some friends run through it to make sure it works properly? Nothing is more frustrating than trying to buy something you want — especially a personalized service like coaching or counseling — and not having a simple, straightforward checkout process.
Step 2: Consider Whether You Need Help
If you’re new at launching coaching/counseling services, courses, and related products, it can feel overwhelming. It can be overwhelming unless you’re really organized and take the time to learn that there’s a proper sequence of events.
I do know a few coaches and counselors who can launch on the fly and have great success, but they have been doing this for years. And they mostly still have people checking behind them to make sure things work properly.
There are a lot of people who can help with launches: Specialized virtual assistants (VAs), online business managers (OBMs), and project managers to name a few. It’s worth it if you’ve had a launch that truly bombed to have one of them assist the next time — especially if you’re not sure where things went wrong.
I’m not new. I’ve launched multiple times and assisted multiple clients with countless launches. I still need to talk it through — including my workload and schedule — with someone.
My Last Launch Bombed
I did all of the steps right for the kind of launch I had planned except for one: the timing.
Sometimes the timing is the single most crucial part. It typically impacts all of the other components of the launch.
The week I decided to launch was my first full week back at work after being out for about a month with covid. I was still working at my greatest capacity to get all my clients caught up (and even ahead) so I had no time to market my service. Have you ever said you didn’t have time to market when, in fact, you just hate to market? I have! This wasn’t that. By the time I did what was required for my clients, I had no energy. I posted a couple of times on my Facebook business page and in a couple of groups I’m in and that was it.
It was also Holy Week. Good Friday and Easter were coming. Many people have deep religious beliefs about keeping that week special and set aside. I get that; in fact, I’m usually one of them. And, practically speaking, many people are away visiting family or spending money on Easter outfits and celebrations. Internet launches, even from folks they like, aren’t at the top of their minds or priorities.
You can be sure I’ll check the calendar and my workload next time!
Step 3: Own Your Mistake
I asked some respected peers how they would handle such a thing, especially when the service actually does have value. I got several answers and decided to go with this one. Owning my mistake. We mess up. All of us. It doesn’t make us any less good at what we do. It makes us human — and our clients (yours and mine!) want real people.
So… Hi, I’m Shelby, and I bombed my launch. And guess what? The world didn’t end and I didn’t die of embarrassment.
So Can You Have A Do-Over?
Yes! I am going to relaunch my 90-minute coaching intensives — but not before I consult the calendar!
Here’s the thing to remember: A launch is a part of your business. It isn’t brain surgery. Our decisions are important and they have impacts associated with them. I can’t speak for you, but in my life, I’ve learned far more from my mistakes than my right-out-of-the-gate successes.
If you have an offer for your clients and it goes over like a lead balloon, own it. You’ll help them just by taking responsibility for it and showing them that it’s possible to mess up and move forward.
