6 Steps to Rescue a Bumpy Product Launch
Have you ever put something out for sale and did your due diligence and best effort to put together something that's compelling… But when you publish -- crickets?
Or something uncontrollable happens (like tech issues) that makes you unable to execute the way you planned?
The 6 steps in this episode will help you navigate the sticky situation no matter what is going wrong.
Here’s a sneak peek:
Step 1: Trade panic for problem-solving! [12:56]
Step 2: Diagnose where the problem is [15:28]
Step 3: Ask for help (customers, peers, coaches, people who know more than you) [17:45]
Step 4: Be honest [25:18]
Step 5: Remember that your people want to see you win [28:04]
Step 6: Look for the learning [31:34]
Step 1: Trade panic for problem solving
When things go wrong, your first instinct may be that you’re totally doomed!
But here’s where you can make a decision that dictates the results that follow. If you’re convinced that it’s over, then it’s over.
If you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and figure it out, then it ain’t over till it’s over!
Step 2: Diagnose where the problem is
In the case of my recent launch, I was able to isolate the problem to my email open rates which were suddenly incredibly low.
Look at each part of your strategy and see where you might be losing people.
Step 3: Ask for help
It’s okay to ask for help, and sometimes even needed! Ask your customers, peers, coaches, or people who might know more than you.
Step 4: Be honest
Being human and honest, without degrading your expertise, is where the money is. In my case, I sent a “Can you reply” email to my whole list and asked them to help me test whether they actually saw the email or not.
Step 5: Remember that your people want to see you win
Especially when you’re launching, you may feel like you’re sending too many emails or talking too much about your launch, or “bothering” people.
My test email got 100s of replies. It was a great feeling to see my community rally around me. Don’t be afraid to talk to your community or ask for their help!
Step 6: Look for the learning
Remember that you can always learn from any issues you might have, no matter how frustrating they are in the moment.
It might be that you’re going to change the software you’re using next time. For me, it’s going to be working on some really specific strategies for landing in inboxes more often.
Links & Resources
Listen to a similar podcast I’ve done previously from the Fix a Flop Series: How to Detect Early On That You’re Headed For a Flop