The Backwards Launch Playbook: Why Selling First Works

Episode 923: Show Notes

What if I told you that you could sell a digital product before you’ve even created it? Not only is it possible, but it might just be the smartest way to launch!

In this episode, I share why this strategy works, especially for first-time creators who are unsure if their idea will even sell. I walk you through my personal experience with preselling, and how doing it this way not only validates your idea but also motivates you to get the product out there. You’ll learn how preselling can help you build alongside your audience, refine your offer, and ensure you’re truly serving their needs.

If you’ve been hesitant to launch, I’ll show you why selling first is the way to go. Let’s get into it!

The Backwards Launch Playbook: Why Selling First Works
Abagail Pumphrey of The Strategy Hour Podcast

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What You Gain From Selling First and Building Out Later

If you’ve been putting your launch off because it’s just too important, I can promise you that preselling will motivate you to get it done and prioritize it. There’s nothing like a paying customer to keep you focused and accountable! Preselling does something else too: It allows you to create alongside your audience and incorporate their needs and questions as you go. If you focus on selling first and building out later, you actually do a better job!

You get to see who you’re serving and what their needs are. When someone has a different perception of what they’re buying and the first thing they see is not at all what they expected, they won’t be satisfied. To prevent this, you need to slow down and understand what people are anticipating. Every other industry is doing this. It’s a normal business practice, and it is ultimately going to lead to a better product.

Getting Ready to Launch Backwards

At the end of the day, you’re not even selling a product. You’re selling a solution to a pain point your audience is experiencing. The first thing you need to do is to understand the problem you’re trying to solve. Next, you’re going to run that through the Grandma Test: if you can’t explain what your digital product does or who it’s for in a way that your grandma understands, it’s too complicated! Your sales page needs to be simple too. You don’t have a collection of testimonials yet. This is your first time putting it out there, and that’s okay!

Being clear and concise is going to make people say, "I need this now.” When it comes to the actual sales process, you’ve got to focus on what it’s going to do for them and less on what it is. It’s not about talking down to your audience. It’s about making your message understandable at a glance. Before publishing your sales page, run it through AI. If AI helps improve what you're already doing, fantastic, but don't rely on it as a crutch.

Everything I Learned From Preselling Digital Products

This time last year, I had an idea to teach people how to do what I’ve been doing for a decade: creating no-brainer digital products that serve as an entry point into your world. With 40,000 students, 368 digital products, and millions in revenue, I knew what I wanted to create, but I didn’t build it until I sold it. I wanted to tailor the offer to my exact audience first.

Digital Product Jumpstart has been hugely successful and it has become one of my top-selling products in the past year. I have walked over 8,000 people through how to pre-sell inside my One-Day Launch Challenge. If you want to copy-paste my launch process, the strategy, the scripts for email and social, and more, check out Launch in a Box.

What’s one idea you could presell this week? DM me on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!

 

Quote This

When you focus on selling first and then finishing out the development, you are going to do a better job.

 

Highlights

  • What You Gain From Selling First and Building Out Later [0:02:27] 

  • Getting Ready to Launch Backwards [0:10:23]

  • Everything I Learned From Preselling Digital Products [0:21:48]


OUR HOST:

Abagail Pumphrey

Abagail on Instagram

Boss Project on Instagram | Facebook

Abagail hosts the twice-weekly podcast, The Strategy Hour, which is recognized by INC and Forbes as one of the best podcasts for entrepreneurs.

Key Topics:

Selling, Pre-sales, Launching, Digital products


We Mentioned:

Digital Product Jumpstart

Launch in a Box

One Day Launch: Digital Product Fast Track

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