A couple of weeks ago I wrapped the UX to Profit launch.
Now I don’t know about you, but I have a terrible tendency to rush straight into the next thing—I’ll give you the perfect example in next week’s email.
And therein does NOT lie the path to happiness, my friend. At least, not for me.
In this wild entrepreneurial life, the glory days are in looking back (not forward) at how far you’ve come.
So I wanted to invite you to see what it looked like from inside the bottle.
Subscribe to The UX Factor and never miss another story.
Let’s start with the good stuff ⤵️
#1. 6 perfect-fit Profiteers (what I call the clever people inside the program) joined from varied backgrounds.
We’ve got copywriters, UX designers, content strategists, and even a savvy travel writer. I know from the last round that this will equal a tonne of extra value as everyone shares their insight and experience in the Slack group (it’s already begun, with ideas for a UX to Profit retreat and memes zipping back and forth).
#2. I had amazing testimonials from the first round of generous Profiteers.
Not only is this a powerful marketing tool, but I also had a deeper insight into the transformation program offered students. Not to mention a bank of Voice of Customer data to weave into my new Sales page.
#3. The sales page looked amazing thanks to web designer extraordinaire Emily King.
She absolutely smashed it out of the park. The more you work with contractors and the more they get to know your brand the better your output gets. If you find someone as talented as Emily, hang onto them.
#4. Over 100 people signed up for a super valuable masterclass that I’m proud of and pumped to give again—more than 60% actually watched it!
For the last launch, I did a more conventional masterclass that was a lot of “why you should learn UX” content. While this is an effective way to make sales, I want everything I offer to be representative of the quality of teaching inside my resources and programs. By all accounts, this new version delivered, with even previous Profiteers showing up and actively participating in the group.
#5. This is also a great lesson in the iterative approach I take to copy and my business.
You just need to start somewhere. If it doesn’t work, don’t throw out the whole concept. Tweak and iterate until it does. You’ll learn more and move faster from doing than overthinking.
#6. “Only 6 sales though?”
Despite what the industry tells you about “overnight success”, sustainable growth suits me just fine. When I first launched UX to Profit in September last year, I hadn’t built it yet. So that (and a 70+ page website project I was working on) took up all my spare time. I didn’t have time to build my list much in that time, so this was a realistic sales number for the extra 200 people that had joined.
UX to Profit is also a significant investment (because it’s high-value with 20 hours of my dedicated time), so yup I’m thrilled with 6!
What I’ll do better next time ⤵️
#7. Pre-launch.
A pre-launch strategy is the content you send out prior to a launch that gets people to see the value of your product before you sell it. It’s basically your product’s hype person.
I didn’t have one.
I had a deadline for when I needed to launch UX to Profit (as I’m planning a 5-week trip back to the Netherlands to see friends and family in May). That meant I had to launch without much runway.
Do not recommend!
Because I’m a firm believer in constant learning and evolution, I have leapt at the chance to join Brenna McGowan’s Pre-launch Plan Program in May. (Not an affiliate just a massive fan!)
There’s no official sales page yet, because Brenna practices what she preaches and is selling this easily pre-launch. If you wanna know more (and join me with not-to-be-missed beta pricing) contact her directly.
#8. Mindset wobbles.
I’m a confident person. And my sales skills are finely honed over a 10-year copywriting career and another 10+ years in retail. I’ve sold everything from spectacles to sourdough.
And I’m amazing at it.
But my mindset around selling for myself is my biggest Achilles heel. When I’m not in launch mode, I can clearly see the value UX to Profit delivers (and have all those lovely testimonials to remind me). But during the launch period, it’s a rollercoaster of emotions. Just ask my husband.
I’m not sure there’s much to be done about this, it’s kinda the nature of the beast. But I do think the more success stories that roll in, the easier it will get.
#9. Visibility.
I’ve had some amazing opportunities this quarter. (Here’s your cheer to pitch that idea! So far I have a 100% hit rate. If I can do it, so can you.)
Every time I’m on a podcast, masterclass, blog I get new leads, enquiries, sales, or subscribers.
Unfortunately, I discovered this all a bit late. And cart had closed when most things went live. But that’s ok, it’s all going to be part of my runway for the next round. Especially with results like this
Never miss an article, podcast interview or free masterclass again: SUBSCRIBE
So that’s it, 9 lessons for my last launch
And here’s a bonus lesson for good measure.
Taking the time at the end of a big project to go over the good and not-so-good stuff pays massive dividends. And I’m all about sharing the love.
If you’d like to get more insights and behind-the-scenes intel, sign up for The UX Factor my weekly newsletter where I spill the beans on the regular.