A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to apply to be a speaker on stage at a business event later this year.
I didn’t fill it out.
To be honest, the idea of speaking in front of a large crowd scares the shit out of me. I mean, the last time I had to stand up and speak was in college. I gave a presentation on endometriosis (a condition I’m all too familiar with…unfortunately) for one of my nursing classes.
I wore a black shirt to school that day so it wouldn’t be too obvious that I was sweating profusely. I couldn’t make eye contact with anyone in the room. And most of my speech was a mix of mumbles and jumbled up words.
Yep, me and public speaking don’t mix.
It’s also really tough to figure out what it is you need to say about a topic to keep your audience from falling asleep…or laughing at your sweat stains.
I guess that’s why one of the most asked questions I get about launching is…
…”What do I need to say in my emails so people will buy my course?”
Well, there’s a lot you can say, really.
But the last thing you want to do is spurt out a list of facts for your audience to read through. You have to know who it is you’re talking to and what it is they need to hear about your offer right NOW, to consider it so valuable they can’t resist.
For example, on my favorite podcast (My Favorite Murder), the ladies compile tons of research for their weekly stories. But instead of just relaying those details back to the listeners, they create a story with a beginning (the killer/victim before the event), a middle (the murder), and an end (the verdict).
By breaking up the crime stories into these three parts, all the information makes sense. It’s suspenseful and keeps you on your toes. You want to listen until the end to find out what happens next.
Your launch emails can have this same effect on your subscribers.
Let me show you how…
One killer beginning story
Before you start promoting your course, you want to send out emails that get your audience hyped and ready to buy. Otherwise, they won’t have any idea why you’re the person they should invest in. Some topics that you can write about in your emails during this pre-launch phase are:
-Common misconceptions your reader would have about their problem and the solutions they’ve tried in the past
-Mindset issues that would cause someone to feel like success is NOT possible for them (and switching their way of thinking about this)
-Reasons why your ideal student hasn’t overcome their problems (and what they need to do instead)
-Simple tips that give your reader a “quick win” or small solution to their overall BIG goal
And remember, you want to cut down on confusion in your emails so stick with ONE theme/topic per email. These pre-launch emails build suspense and excitement for your cart open day.
Now, let’s dive into your launch emails…
A murderous act
Your launch emails will uncover the solutions your audience has been seeking for a problem they want to kill off. Here’s how that works:
DAY ONE is all about your course being open for enrollment. This first email will focus on the overall transformation your course brings and will give a quick overview of everything a student will get once they join.
DAY TWO is all about showcasing past students/clients and the success they’ve had after working with you (or going through your course).
DAY THREE is a great time to talk about the future and what your student’s life will look like after they implement everything you’re teaching inside the course.
DAY FOUR is perfect for answering questions. This can be done by listing things out Q&A style or by hosting a LIVE Zoom chat to answer them in person.
DAY FIVE (the final day of your launch if you’re keeping things super simple) is when you’ll want to overcome any lingering objections, help your audience work through their hesitations, and remind them one final time of all the “goodness” they’ll get once they join your course.
By the end of this email sequence, you want your reader to feel…
…inspired and motivated to take action and solve their problem
…like you’re the one person in this world who can help them
…excited to jump into your course and get to work
Now, get ready for the verdict…
The verdict
Selling a digital course doesn’t end the minute someone makes their payment. Because now you have to “sell” the value all over again by actually delivering on your promise. Buyer’s remorse is a real thing, and you don’t want your students to experience it.
For example…
When a murderer is caught and a verdict is delivered, that’s the moment the victim’s family (and the public) can finally feel a bit of relief. A bad person is locked up, never to hurt another person again. Our minds feel at ease (if only for a second).
The onboarding emails you send out to new students answers the question, “Did I make the right choice?”
So keep that in mind as you’re writing these emails. They’re not something to gloss over or throw together at the last minute. Details I like to include in onboarding emails are:
-Delivery of your course content and steps to log into the course portal
-Reminders of the importance of the course content towards their BIG goals
-Reminders of any Zoom chats, Facebook group discussions, or important events they need to attend to get the most out of the course
-Tips to help your students work through any “sticking points” of your content
-Celebrating student wins whenever possible
-Asking for a testimonial/feedback so you can work on improving your content and you’ll have social proof for promoting again later on
As you start enrolling students and getting feedback, you’ll have a better idea of the details you need to include in all the emails that promote and deliver your course.
Make changes whenever necessary.
And just have fun with it.
The best part about launching a digital course is that you get to do it again!