875: 2025 Launch Playbook: What’s Changing, Why Trust Matters, and How to Stay Ahead with Amy Porterfield

25:41So let me give you an example. When I have a webinar about how to create and launch a digital course to sell DCA, before I ever do that webinar, one of the things I'm warming my audience up on is coming up with a digital course idea. Because one of their objections is, I mean, I can't get on a webinar about how to create and launch a course. I don't even have an idea. But if they have the idea, it's an instant yes. I'm ready for that. So how do you get the instant yes for your webinars, your trainings, your calls? You're warming up the audience and you're having them cross the invisible bridge where they are and where you want them to go.

26:18Does that make sense, Jenna? Totally. Totally. I think we think so similarly too, is like, you know, before a launch, I think the pre-launch is so important. And I also think that will help solve this shift a little bit more too, is like how you show up in the pregame, it's going to change how you play in the game. Right. And you know, we do very similar to you, Amy, where it's like, we're upping our lead generation around different freebies that will help with the topic. And then it's kind of like the webinar is seeing is believing, right? Like you can see the downloads and you can get the steps and stuff.

26:52But like sometimes having somebody walk you through it and having you see it and learn it in a different way is helping you cross that bridge to be ready to take that next step. And so I have been texting a few different friends who are in different launches. And I'm like, you know, for show up rates, like plan out more intimate touch points. Make sure that you incentivize people to show up live. Like make sure there is something special that will either happen on the live or that they will receive for being live. And also think about different ways that you can communicate with them, whether it would be text message or through Instagram DMs or through email, because I don't know about you.

27:32Like I have ADHD and I can have a thing on my calendar. The other day I had a call on my calendar and I was like, yeah, sitting down ready for the call. And then all of a sudden I get sidetracked and I look up and I'm like, oh my gosh, the calls are like five minutes ago. And so thinking of just like different ways to gently nudge and remind, and not just remind about the training, but remind about the value and the end promise that someone can get. The more that you can reiterate that, the more likely they are to show up and get that value that you've created. Absolutely. One more thing I want to say before we move on to our next shift is I was on a call with one of my students and she has a program to help people become avid runners, run marathons and different types of experiences as a runner.

28:17But she said, Amy, what I just realized with, let's say the invisible bridge is they don't believe they're runners. They're not calling themselves avid runners yet. And my program is for people that feel that they're avid runners. So her whole invisible bridge is to change their identity. By the time she's ready to do that webinar, they feel as though they are avid runners. They've taken on that identity. So all of her content from now until then is to change their identity for them or help them change their identity. So just start thinking about different ways you can address your audience now.

28:52Where are they? I think the biggest question right now is where is your audience right now and where do you want them to go and how do you get them there? And I think Jenna's idea of multiple lead magnets throughout the next few months, different touch points, that's exactly how we do it as well, 100%. Yeah. I love that. Okay. So the next shift, Jenna, is a wild one. I never actually thought I'd be saying this. We noticed it about a year ago. And so I think it's going to be continuing. And it is, if you've launched for a while, this one, you're going to know, smaller cart close days. Like we are seeing less sales on cart close.

29:28we're not seeing necessarily less sales in the launch. The way people are buying is shifting. So with that, we have to adjust how we sell. So let's talk about that one. Oh, this one's a doozy, right? Doozy. Okay. So I'll never forget, Amy, like listening to your show years and years ago before I'd ever launched a single thing. And like, I just will remember you talking about cart close day because I mean, there was a time where you could get up to like 50 % of your sales on that last day. Cart close day was the best day. Best day ever. Especially because if you do webinar launches, those days you're expending a lot of energy where cart close days, it feels like it's just coming back to you, right?

30:09That has changed. And I also started to notice it. And I'll remember I was around summertime last year and I was closing up a launch and I was traveling for that cart close day, which is not typical. It was just how my calendar aligned. And I remember like seeing our goals and being like, okay, what's going on? And I was like, maybe it's going to happen a little later. Okay. Maybe it's like last minute. And it was just like, that was peculiar. I remember we kind of ended that launch just by stumped like, that was weird. And then it happened in the fall. And then it happened at the beginning of this year.

30:43And so what's interesting is that what this is representing is just a change in buyer behavior, right? It's not representing like a change in launching at all. We still get a significant portion of sales, but it's not necessarily like 40%. It's more like 25 % of our sales. And so what has been really interesting for us is when we finish up webinars, our goal is to be at like 50 % of our goals. So get people onto the trainings, serve them so well during the trainings, sell really well, convert well. And so by the time those live webinars are done, our goal in our businesses to be around 50%. Now what has shifted is since cart closes smaller, the shift that we need to make as marketers is figuring out what are we doing between that final webinar and before cart close?

31:33How are we showing up? How are we communicating? How are we creating open-ended conversations? How are we incentivizing? How are we giving bonuses? Like what is that experience? And I feel like for a long time, those days were kind of throwaway days. I don't, I don't say that in a negative way. I just say it in a way of like, there wasn't a ton of thought, you know, you lead up so much into the webinars and then you lead up so much into cart close day. Now, those days are extremely valuable and extremely important. And so it's like, again, how do we surprise and delight? How do we help people make a decision?

32:09And one thing I think that is interesting and I'm curious about is like with the shift in buyer behavior, part of me wonders, okay, are people just more certain at the beginning? Like are people just more confident in the decision-making process or have they gotten used to not making a decision at all? And that's like the psychology part of me. That's like fascinated of like, are we either just more decisive or are we letting things like deadlines make decisions for us? And if you've ever been in that second camp, I want to just invite you that 2025 should be your year where you just make decisions and you make confident decisions, whether it's a yes or a no, it doesn't matter.

32:52But I think that the people that I know that are most successful are people that are confident decision makers. And so I'm just curious about like buyer behavior and what that says. But essentially for us in terms of like the strategy shift is like now we're looking at that window differently between the final webinar and cart close day and asking ourselves, okay, what is the most valuable way we can show up and how can we help somebody make that decision before those final hours? Yes. I love that. Absolutely. And another thing I was thinking about is let's say we're seeing smaller cart close days.

33:30So if that's the case and we know that, then what can we do earlier on? Front loading, more urgency, more clarity. I actually think it's clarity. If people understand the offer sooner, they don't have to wait until the very last day. So ask yourself, how can I help them understand the offer sooner? This is such a tiny tweak, Jenna, but I've started to do this a little bit differently. In my webinars at the end during my Q &A, I will go into the members area of my program and answer the question by showing them the proof. Because if we're in a trust recession, if they can see inside the program, this is everything I promised you.

34:10Remember I said I'd give you X, Y, Z. Here's proof that I will. So if they ask a question like, well, Amy, are you really going to show us the entire calendar of how to do a digital course launch? Actually, I am. Let me go into the members area. Let me around a little bit, boom, there's your calendar, everything you need to know. And so I just literally proved to somebody that I'm delivering on my promise. So the more you can do so just early on, like, like you said, these are on my webinars and then I've got a full week before I close the cart. So I am creating that clarity as early as I can.

34:46And another thing we do, Jenna, We used to open our cart and wait like a good four or five days before we offered calls. We don't call them sales calls because we don't have a sales team, but calls with our alumni and some of the people on my team, we've started offering those calls earlier, giving them more clarity, a chance to be seen and heard even for 20 minutes. You know how everyone, you said everyone feels like they're special. Well, this comes across with our students as well. I've got a question that no one else is going to have. My situation's a little bit unique. fine. I don't agree that that's true, but I'm going to meet you where you're at.

35:22Get on a call. You can ask your very specific question to a team member. So these, again, these touch points make a really big difference. Yeah. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm all about creating spaces where people actually want to be. So when we started hosting on Airbnb, it honestly felt like the most natural thing in the world. And it's turned into one of the best decisions we've ever made. Over the years, we've hosted hundreds of couples in our little spaces. We've had so many repeat guests come back and we've created this incredible community, not just with our guests, but also with the people who help us care for our space.

35:57Whether you've bought properties as an investment or have unused rooms waiting to be shared, hosting on Airbnb is a practical and profitable choice. And just think about it. If you've put a ton of time, effort, and work into your home, someone out there probably would love to experience it while they're traveling. So next time you're planning a trip or want to make some extra income from your spaces, you should definitely host on Airbnb. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com slash host. One other thing along with this that I have seen, and it's been crazy because I've been texting a friend who's in a launch and I like told her this in advance and her team sent me messages saying, thank you for this.

36:40What? Tell me now. adjusting your payment plans. Amen. So in our most recent launch, we saw something we've never seen before. And we used to be pretty 50-50 between full payments and payment plans. And in our last launch, it was more like 70-30 in terms of payment plans to full pay without changing the price of the offer. So the price of the offer stayed the same. And what I think is really interesting. And I think that, again, we have to be able to pivot and evolve and adjust based on the environment, the world we're in, everything happening around us. And I think that a lot of people are feeling a certain amount of uncertainty, similar to like 2020 era of just like I'm having a tough time committing or fully being able to commit, or I don't have access to the finances necessary to go in at a full pay.

37:35And so it was just really interesting because we typically do three payment options. So we'll have full pay, we'll have like a short payment plan and then an extended payment plan. And when we recently launched, we pitched the full pay and the extended payment plan and that lower price monthly option crushed it. A friend recently just launched a higher ticket item. And I told her before her first webinar, Hey, this happened for me. I would just advise that you have your extended payment plan at least ready to go in case people in chat are asking if there's another lower priced option. And that payment plan ended up outperforming her other payment plan and her full pay together.

38:15So I just think that, again, buyer behavior is changing. People are making decisions more upfront and less at the end. And I think that when they can see an option that fits with their budget and they can kind of legitimize a monthly payment option. I think that they're opting for that more than they did in the past. And so I would just highly recommend for anyone listening, I wouldn't necessarily wait until cart close date to launch your extended payment plan option because it might be more accessible for people either on the webinar itself or in those middle days to give out that option because we're seeing a lot of people selecting that.

38:58Yeah. You make a great point that we used to keep our 12 pay to the very final day of cart open. And we would not do that for our next launch. We would definitely do it sooner. I don't think I will do it on day one. So I've got a full pay and a six pay and I'll go out with those on day one in the webinar. But as a few days go by, I will introduce the 12 pay. And if someone asks us, Hey, do you have a different payment plan? We will give it to them on day one if they inquire. But I think you're right. Holding back the longer payment plan to the very last day. I think right now that's not the best way to go.

39:35Yeah, I agree. And I think we both know like it impacts different things in terms of like cashflow and payment recovery. So there is a heavier lift involved in that. But I think as a business owner, you also have to go in with eyes wide open to understand the pros and cons of both things and just kind of really be able to analyze. And that's where, again, data is so helpful of like, okay, what does this actually look like in the business? How does this impact our cashflow throughout the year? And what does this mean? And then just weighing out the pros and cons. But it was just like a really dramatic shift, which just kind of spoke to like, okay, the climate is a little bit different.

40:15And I think buyers might be approaching purchases slightly different. And so it's like, how do we adjust? and I think there are a lot of different ways you can adjust, which is exciting. It's like one thing that's so cool to me about launching is like there are so many different levers you can pull at different times in the launch. And when you know what those levers are, it gives you the confidence to navigate anything that feels like it's shifting. Right. And so, yes, it's just like, I don't know, for the first time in many years, because my business has been so rinse and repeat since I became a mom six years ago, I feel like I'm like back on my toes strategically of like It's kind of fun.

40:49Yeah. Like what's happening? And like, okay, what does this mean? Okay. How do we do this better? And I feel like it's just like refining the art of all of it and also refining the experience for the people that get to experience it. So it's like we all kind of win out of it. I don't know. I get excited. I do too. And Jenna and I have had some really fun conversations like, okay, if this is shifting, what does this make possible? I have a business coach that every time if I come to him with something negative, something didn't work, something I'm frustrated about. What does this make possible?

41:19And I think we've been really playing with that and enjoying it. And for the record, do not get caught in everyone's launches are not going well. Everyone is seeing lower revenue. It's not true. I have many students who are crushing it. And a lot of our peers are seeing, they had their biggest year last year. So it's not true. And even if it were slightly true, what does that serve? How is that going to help you just to think everyone's not doing well. Instead, I'm thinking, okay, the people that are winning, I'm paying attention to them. What are they doing? And also, what am I excited to try?

41:52I feel, Jenna, more engaged in my business today than I did six months ago because I'm like on my toes, like you said. Like, okay, let's go. What are we seeing? So you get to decide how you navigate this. Okay, let's go for our final shift that we're seeing because we have... Oh, actually, Jenna, real fast. I don't even know the name of it. I think you will. You know, when you were talking about payment plans, remember our friend, Bonnie Christine, she was doing something where they paid another company, but she got the full pay. What was that? Do you remember? Was it after pay or Klarna? Something like that.

42:26Yeah. I haven't used it yet, but I know people listening are like, well, what about that? Yeah. I think explore it. See if it could work for you. I think it works probably best for maybe a few thousand dollar program, but I've never tried it. Yeah, there's a few different like there's like Afterpay and Klarna and different things where basically it almost like does financing for people. And a lot of times it's like with like the shop pay plugins and stuff. So basically you would just look at your payment processor and see if there's opportunities to add those in because some of those companies will almost kind of float the risk in a way and help somebody follow through without you having to like require a new team member to like follow up.

43:03So I love that. So you're giving the company a cut of your revenue because they're taking some of it, but now you don't deal with any of the payment plans. So research, just something to research. Okay. So for the final shift, we're talking about AI because we cannot have a conversation about shifting landscape without addressing AI. So essentially, Jenna and I talk about this a lot. We see it as a tool, not a teacher. So personalized guidance is not going away. The need for it, the desire for it, it is more valuable than ever. So Jenna, talk about that a little bit. Okay. So when I think of AI, I think of information.

43:43And when I think of offers and courses, I think of transformation. I think there's like a huge chasm between those things. And it's really interesting. I remember seeing a post the other day and it was just like how we are so inundated with information that it's almost like causing us to be paralyzed. like when you think of like even just scrolling on social media or listening to podcasts, like there are so many ways that like information is coming at us like through a fire hose. And so what is so interesting to me is one, AI, the output is only as good as the input. So if you don't even know the questions to ask, you don't even know how to position a question to get the solution that you need, you're never going to get that.

44:26But secondary is you're going to get information, which is beautiful and valuable if you know what to do with it. And information alone is not going to change your life. It's not going to change your business. It's not going to save you. And so what's so interesting to me is like, I honestly feel like people are sick of information and they're very hungry for transformation and they want the fastest route from point A to point B. And I look at courses as like the zero fluff step-by-step formula. And I have never personally been able to like go into chat GBT and get like the first result is the result that gives me all the things I need, right?

45:08Like the back and forth. And so I think that AI is really incredible at summarizing concepts, but it can't give you personalized coaching, or it can't really understand like the human side of you and your experience like another human can. So I think it's interesting. I think there's ways to leverage it as a business owner, but I don't have any fear of it like replacing the actual art of transformation, which is what we give people. Absolutely. And the more we're willing to share what we know, what worked for us, what didn't work for us, the more powerful we become in a world of AI. So for example, I can use AI to put together a digital course outline.

45:53Absolutely. But what AI doesn't know and what I get to do is show up on video and say, let me tell you about my first launch where I made $267 and then cried for a week. Let me tell you all the things that I did wrong and what I do differently 16 years later. AI will never give you that. And if you're doing something new, if you're teaching something new to your students, they want a connection with someone who's gone before them. Show me that I can actually do this. A list of step-by-step generated from AI is very different than, hey, I was nervous like you too. I was freaked out to get on camera.

46:30Here are the things that I did behind the scenes to give me that confidence to show up. And let me show you some videos of me in the early days and what it looks like now and how I got there. I will never give people that type of personalization and connection. So again, I love that you just said, Jenna, I'm never going to be worried about it, but I will always embrace it in a way that will help me be better at what I do. Yeah. It's even interesting because I recently recorded my entire program on Pinterest, the Pinterest lab from start to finish. So it's brand new. It's brand new. And so we were taking all of our old course content and then I was revising it.

47:08Then I was bringing it into chat GPT. And then I was like revising it again. And what was interesting is that chat GPT was still messing things up where then we went through as a human again. And we're like, no, this actually doesn't make sense. And so it was also like a buyer beware type thing of like, as I was recording, like I'd hit something and I'm like, uh, and then I'd stop. And I literally told you, I like rerecorded the entire course again, because I was catching things where I was like, oh, that was actually not correct. And so I think too, it's like, it's working off of a lot of information, but it's limited information and it's not the actual experience.

47:46And so it was also just a reminder of like, do not rely on this more than you rely on your brain and your own experience. And so for us, it was like, oh, we know, we know this. And so that was also just really eyeopening to me of like, you can use it as a tool, but it's not a teacher. It is not a teacher. Yes, for sure. If anything, AI is making digital courses even more valuable because people need trusted experts to filter that information and then to apply it to their businesses and then guide them. So yeah, and you're right. I love that you said that. AI is not always right, my friends. Sometimes it spits out things that I'm like, where in the world did you get that?

48:27Yeah. So yeah, totally with you there. So let's wrap this up. This has been fun. I'm so glad we talked about it. Yeah. We're in like really interesting times. And I think that it's, it's really exciting. I think things are evolving. I think it is up to us to evolve with them. And for you and I, I know that it's been just like this really interesting time of like, wow, okay, where are we headed? And like, how do we continue to lead through the direction that we're going. And ultimately, I know you and I both are like excited and on fire for what we do, for who we serve and how we do it. And we're also kind of going back to some of the basics that we have taught for years and years and years, again, to revisit things, to make them stronger, to make them better and more clear.

49:18And so it's exciting because it's like whoever is listening to this, whether you're at the starting line or you are like 10 years into this game, there are so many things that we've talked about today that are just good reminders of like, go back to this or check this out again, or consider this as an opportunity. So I don't know. I'm kind of excited to see how 2025 unfolds. And I think we should sit down again later on in the year and rediscuss like what we're finding. Absolutely. Let's make a commitment to do that. Let's continue this conversation. And again, And what does this make possible?

49:54That's the question I want you to continue to ask again and again. So thank you, my friends, for being here. And Jenna, it's always fun to have these chats with you. Okay, we covered a lot of ground today. So what's the biggest takeaway here? Well, online business, it is not broken at all. It is just evolving. And the best part is that you don't have to guess your way through it. You can take what's working, adapt where needed, and keep building your confidence. And if today's conversation got you thinking about diversifying your marketing strategy, do not sleep on Pinterest. I am teaching my exact Pinterest strategy for free in Create Once, Traffic for Months, my one-hour Pinterest strategy to 120x your content's life.

50:36This is my free masterclass. I do these live once a year. You can sign up now at teachmetopin.com. That's teachmetopin.com and I will see you there. And of course, if you're not already listening to Amy Porterfield show, go hit subscribe because if you love this show, I know you'll love it too. Until next time, gold diggers, keep on digging your biggest goals. And if you know someone who would benefit from today's conversation, take a quick second to share it. Be that good best friend that swoops in with solutions and saves a day. I'll see you on the next one. Thanks for pulling up a seat for another episode of the gold digger podcast.

51:12I hope today's episode fueled you with inspiration, gave you information that you can turn into action and realigned you with your true north in life and business. If you've enjoyed today's episode, head on over to golddiggerpodcast.com for today's show notes, discount codes for our sponsors, freebies to fuel your results, and so much more. And if you haven't yet, make sure you're subscribed so that you never miss a future show. We'll see you next time, Gold Diggers.

51:44Thank you.