Part 2: The “Soft” VIP Sell

In the first part of this 2024 Launch Success series we covered some really cool things.

Firstly, that launches aren’t dead, we just have to do them differently, and we talked about the amazing results we’re seeing in our business and those of our clients.

We also covered the first strategy that is working really well right now – running paid launches.

These beefed-up, low-ticket experiences are doing fantastically well from a conversion perspective because they bring people together who are truly invested in the experience you’re about to put on.

However, we fully appreciate that going “fully paid” might not be everyone’s cup of tea for several reasons.

So today we’re going to be discussing another strategy that will help you leverage the benefits of a free launch experience (more on that later) while also tapping into the commitment benefits you get from paid launches too.

Let’s jump into it…

Strategy #2 – The Hybrid Launch (Free + Paid)

As the name suggests, we’re going to be giving people the option of how they want to take part in your launch.

And we do that by offering some sort of VIP bump, like this…

An easy way to offer this VIP bump and invite people into a more exclusive, in-depth, hands-on experience is to simply offer it on the Thank You page after signing up.

When people hit the Thank You page they’re at maximum interest, so hitting them with a juicy, no-brainer offer is a sure-fire way to move some of those people into the higher-level experience.

Offer it after they sign up!

Shoot a quick video thanking them for signing up, then talk about how amazing it would be for them to go deeper with you and what they’re going to get that allows them to do that.

However, we must tread carefully here.

What we don’t want to do is paint the picture that anyone who doesn’t become a VIP won’t get amazing value from this experience.

So as part of your short thank you message, you can talk about the amazing transformation they’re going to get as an attendee, but that your VIP option will just help them get to that transformation faster with less effort.

Creating Your VIP Package

Similar to what we discussed on paid launches, your options for creating a VIP package will include things like the following…

✅ Resources – What extra resources could you include that will help shortcut some of the work they need to do? Think workbooks, checklists, swipe files etc.

✅ Group Coaching – You could put on extra sessions where you go through the material together and help people with their questions on the call.

✅ Q&A Calls – Jump on a call and let people ask you questions. A nice simple format that really gives you a chance to demonstrate your skills while building rapport, with little/no prep time needed.

✅ Hot Seat Session – Use people inside the VIP group as an opportunity to teach and demonstrate your expertise. Help them with the specific issues they have and how they can overcome them to show that what you do works for a variety of people in a variety of situations.

✅ 1:1 Calls – Offering a chance to speak with you directly and have your undivided attention is hugely valuable to a lot of people. This is usually reserved for high-ticket offers, but if you’re a newer business and need cash flow, take the short-term hit on your time to make more sales!

Some of these options may sound scary, and you may even be a little apprehensive about giving away too much of your time, but remember, people buy from people.

While you’re giving away tonnes of value in the form of your time, what you’re also doing is creating great relationships with them, while opening the door for a more personal follow-up sales conversation later.

You can include one or a number of these, it’s entirely up to you.

Weigh it up against your launch goals and how much time you want to put into this experience and build your VIP package from that standpoint.

Best of Both Worlds

While we’re big fans of paid launches in 2024, there is still one big benefit to free launches that you can make use of with this method.

Free launches grow your email list!

A lot of people that join this experience may be joining with a loose interest in what you’re talking about. This means that they may not be in a position to buy right now, but they very well could be in the future.

So, for some of these people, look at it as the start of a long-term relationship where you can continue to provide value over time to nurture them into an eventual customer.

For your free attendees then, you almost want to think of them as your long-term play.

Don’t ignore your free attendees in your launch, but understand that your VIPs are your hottest leads, and by creating this option for people you’re putting together an engaged group that is more likely to convert in the short term.

It’s a perfect strategy for those who want the best of both worlds!

The Takeaways

Wrapping up once again, here’s what you need to take from this…

☯️ Strategy #2 – The Hybrid Launch – This launch style allows people to join for free on the front end while offering them a chance to bump up to the VIP table, getting extra benefits in the process.

⚙️ Setting it up – A nice simple way to do this is to offer the VIP package on the thank you page for the event. Shoot a video talking about the benefits of upgrading and how it’s going to make the work quicker and easier for them.

⚠️ Be careful not to put off regular attendees – Don’t paint the picture that the only way to get value from the launch is by upgrading. You’re going to turn away those who don’t want to upgrade because they don’t think it’ll be worth their time.

👍 Things you can include – Workbooks, group sessions, coaching, Q&A, hot seats and even 1:1 sessions. Pick from one or a number of these to develop a package that feels right for you.

🌍 Best of both worlds! – This launch style lets you leverage the list-building benefits of a free launch (the long play) while also bringing together a group of hot leads who are more likely to convert now.

So, if going fully paid doesn’t feel like the right move for you right now, the hybrid method is a fantastic approach you can try instead.

Like with the paid launch method, you’ll need to put more time and effort into your VIP attendees, but do it right and it’s so worth it!

Coming up in the next part of this 2024 Launch Success series, we’re going to cover one more overarching launch model that is still viable right now, before moving onto some more granular launch tactics that improve performance.

For those that flat out don’t want to charge for their launch experience, this next is for you. Free launches can still work, but like we’ve been saying, we have to do things differently.

Part 3 coming very soon!

Laura x