3 Unexpected Lessons From My First 5-Figure Online Course Launch
By: Sinem Günel
Tags: Entrepreneurship, Online Business, Female Founders, Startup, Business

3 Unexpected Lessons From My First 5-Figure Online Course Launch

It’s the end of 2019, my boyfriend and I are sitting in a charming 5-star resort in Egypt. Besides reading great books and soaking up the sun, we’re mainly trying to figure out how to turn our dream of running an online business into reality.

He just quit his job, I’ve been unsuccessfully self-employed for several months, and secretly hoping for a miracle that would guide us through the next months.

In the past years, we worked on several side hustles.

We created numerous online courses on platforms like Udemy and Skillshare, self-published a book, hosted dozens of workshops on personal growth, and built an online academy to help students improve their social skills.

Yet, eventually, none of those projects turned out to be as fun and profitable as we thought. And when I say profitable, I’m talking about paying the bills, not about making millions.

However, the miracle I secretly hoped for turned into reality and less than 12 months after our desperate conversations in Egypt, we celebrated our first 5-figure online course launch.

Admittedly, part of that miracle was Covid-19 which forced us to stay at home and work like crazy for months because we couldn’t do anything else due to lockdowns.

The second part of the miracle, however, was based on lots of trial and error, endless hours of hustle, and relying on strategies that are proven to work.

But even though we relied on the strategies of experts, our first five-figure launch taught me three lessons I didn’t find in any bestselling book or online course.

Your Energy Matters A LOT

This is probably the most important lesson I learned, yet, none of the books or courses I studied mentioned it.

How you show up to your launch period matters so much.

Even though 99% of the work should be done before a launch, the sales period can be incredibly exhausting and exciting.

At least that’s the reality when you’re doing most of the work yourself and don’t have employees who do the launch for you.

There are two reasons why I believe your energy matters at least as much as your strategy during the launch of an online course:

1.) A launch requires you to be reactive

At the beginning of my journey as a digital entrepreneur, I replied to every comment and email I received.

This helped me understand my audience and scale my business. However, it’s no longer possible because I receive an overwhelming amount of messages every single day.

But launch days are different from average days.

When I’m presenting a special offer for a limited time, I make sure to read and reply to all meaningful messages. (If you send a message that goes along the lines of “Hi, can I have the course for free?” I won’t reply.)

During this period, I reply to all requests because I want potential clients to be sure the product is a fit for them.

I wouldn’t ever make a significant investment in an online course without feeling excited about it. That’s why I’m willing to provide additional information to anyone worrying about whether my program is a fit for them.

Apart from typical support emails, you might also need to do troubleshooting.

No matter how well your launch is prepared, shit can always happen. You might find mistakes in your sales copy, the check-out page might not work, your emails might not get delivered or whatsoever.

These reactive tasks can cost you lots of energy.

2.) You attract what you feel

If you feel great and energized, you’ll attract clients who feel the same way. If you, however, lack excitement, you’ll likely stand in your own way.

This might sound a bit woo-woo, but if I could only focus on one point for my next launch, I’d choose this one.

Especially if you’re doing live launches (e.g., through a live webinar), people feel your energy.

If you seem to be exhausted, anxious, or don’t look excited about your product, why should they be keen to buy it? Don’t underestimate the power of human energy.

Even if your audience is sitting thousands of miles away and watching your presentation on a screen, they’ll feel your enthusiasm. And believe it or not, your energy will influence how much you sell.

Now you might ask yourself: Okay, cool, but how do I manage my energy during a launch?! Here’s the answer:

Make sure you don’t have any other commitments during your entire launch period.

No phone calls, no birthday parties, no appointments.

Mark your calendar with a big fat red pen and don’t let any commitment slide into your launch week, no matter how minor they might seem.

Don’t try to get anything else done during this period. No deadlines, no new projects, nothing.

A proper online course launch takes lots of preparation time and you don’t want to mess it up during the few launch days.

You might have an excellent product, but if you fail to properly launch it, you won’t make money.

Take care of yourself.

Yes, launch periods can be intense, but that’s no reason to ignore your routines.

On the contrary, you should take even more time for your routines to nourish your body and mind so you can show up as your best possible version.

Again: Your audience will feel your energy. The better you feel, the easier it’ll be to amaze them.

So make sure to eat nourishing foods, move your body, get some fresh air, and take care of your mental and physical health. You really don’t want to get sick or burn out during your launch, so take care of yourself.