So you didn’t hit your launch goals. You didn’t get many people to sign up or buy. Perhaps the launch didn’t reach the people it was intended for. Or enough people didn’t click on your landing page. Whatever the reasons for a failed launch are, it always leaves you feeling exhausted, confused, worried, and wondering if you’re even cut out for it. 

I say STOP. 

A failed launch is NOT the end of the world.  

I repeat, a failed launch is not the end of the world. It happens to everyone. From big names in the industry to people who are just starting out. And it happened (or will happen) to you too. You just need to accept it, push forward, and remember that a failed launch doesn’t make you a failure.  

I know, it’s easier said than done. But it’s definitely not impossible. 

So the next time your launch doesn’t go as planned, do this:

1. Give yourself a day or two to mourn the failed launch

Have a pity party, talk to someone, cry, laugh, and drown your woes in a glass (or two!) of chardonnay and great food. Get away from the desk if needed. Don’t ignore your emotions. Feel them. But don’t wallow in them forever. Do what you need to acknowledge your emotions and move on.

2. Do not compare your launch to previous launches

You may have launched before, with great success. That doesn’t mean you’ll have a repeat every time. Like I said before, failed launches happen to everyone. You just need to accept that. Don’t constantly compare your failed launch to previous launches. Asking yourself what was different this time around is okay, but constantly berating yourself for doing something wrong or missing out on something this time around is not. A failed launch also doesn’t mean your offer is not needed anymore. It just means you need to do some things differently. And in order to identify what needs to change, you need to learn from your failed launch. 

And if you’re comparing your launch to someone else’s successful launch – you don’t know the story behind it, their audience, or what they think a successful launch looks like. 

3. Ask yourself, ‘what can I learn from the failed launch?’

Review the entire launch process and the results. Answer the following questions:

• What were my expectations and goals from the launch? 
• Which of them did we meet? What were the things that went right? 
• What did we miss? What can we do the next time to ensure it doesn’t happen again?

Be objective about the answers and learn from them. Review what went wrong with the launch, but don’t dwell on it. But before doing that, you need to understand the industry standards. For what you may view as a failure, others may view as a success. 

“We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.” ― Arianna Huffington

Sidenote: If Arianna Huffington can screw up, us mere mortals definitely can.

4. Understand the common industry standards and launch metrics 

Before you try to understand your launch results, the best ROI you got, what part of the process performed well, and what didn’t…you need to remember the launch expectations and industry standards.

For example, a common launch statistic says that only 10-20% of registered webinar attendees will actually attend live. 

That means if you have 100 people who promised to attend your webinar, perhaps only 20 of them would attend live. So if you get 30 people to attend instead, you’re actually doing good!! 

Similarly: 

• The Cost Per Lead for lead magnets ranges from $5-$10 depending on the industry, and for webinars, it’s anywhere from $8-$20.
• The Conversion Rate For Buying is 1/2 TO 1% (depending on the health of the list)
• For the Conversion Rate For Landing Pages, 20% is a solid start, but you can easily aim for 25-30% over time
• The Email Open Rate is 15-20% and the Click Through Rate is 3-5% 
• 80% of prospects say ‘no’ four times before they say ‘yes.’

5. Trust yourself. Use the information from the failed launch to be more creative.

Instead of dwelling in the past, try to be present for your business, yourself, and your customers. Ask the right questions and keep moving forward. Don’t let a failed launch stop you from being creative. Perhaps it’ll lead you to pivot, change your process, or tweak your offer so that it works better the next time. Own it and trust yourself to do better next time around. It’s all in the mindset.

If you constantly think about what can go wrong or what went wrong you’ll end up missing out on new opportunities and new ways of doing things.

So get in there and launch. Don’t be afraid to try again. 

And when you are ready to launch your offer, schedule a 30-minute consultation to chat with us about the details. We will be happy to help you deliver on your promise.