BUILDING CONFIDENCE
So often, we hesitate to launch a new product or service, take a risk in business, or try something new because of the unknown. The risk is too high, for our finances, our time and our emotions.
Anytime we are working on something new, whether it be work related, home related, or both, we are launching something. I love the word Launch. It’s so validating, exhilarating and alive, and implies that we can’t fail. Only learn.
But not launching is much more detrimental than even a poor or failed launch; though it may not seem that way right off the bat.
I had a failed launch. A big failed launch, not long ago.
I did my market research, looked at what others were charging for similar product, and knew there was a need in the marketplace. I did all the upfront work, so everything would be simplified and automated and the launch would go smooth as could be.
The piece I missed while doing this, though, was the most important piece. Sharing the process.
I worked, behind the scenes for so long on this project. I slaved over perfection and was so scared that if I shared my idea, someone would do it better than me, and faster than me.
So once the launch came about, it was so surprising to all the people who even kind of know me, that it fell flat. There was no context, no pretext, no introduction. It was a simple, “Hey! Here’s this thing I’ve been working on, and you should buy it when it launches in a week.”
Let me tell you, a week is not long enough to build anticipation, unless your audience is familiar with a launch from you, and expects one on a semi-regular basis.
As compared to a successful launch I also recently had. I shared every behind the scenes leading up. I told my friends, I shared IG stories, I blogged about it, I hinted at it during Masterclasses and I even ran Facebook ads for a pre-sale deal.
And when it finally launched, I was not only logistically ready, I was emotionally ready, and so was my tribe.
Launching is complex and tedious, and can seem incredibly daunting. There are a massive amount of resources out there to help walk you through launches, but not many focus on the emotional walk-through.
SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, HOW TO BE CONFIDENT ABOUT YOUR LAUNCH.
track your strengths.
You are a business owner for a reason, and it’s because you have certain strengths that help you do well as a business owner.
Write these strengths down, and as you work on the tangible properties of your launch, track how you’re improving these strengths as well. If you know your Stengthsfinder results, this is a plus! But, it’s not necessary. Most of us can differentiate our strengths from the areas we struggle with.
Example:
One of my greatest strengths as a business owner is empathy. I find strength and confidence when putting myself in others shoes, and working backwards from there.
When going through a launch, to track my empathy strength, I would take the time during each task to think about how I would feel as my customer or client. How do I feel in this moment? How am I emotionally responding to this caption, email, or IG story? How am I reacting to this product listing? Each time I do this, I am strengthening my empathy skill.
If your strength was strategic thinking, work on identifying a strategy for each task you do during your launch. Working on the content for your blog post? Think from a strategy perspective, and make the blog itself a strategy.
create affirmations that boost your self-esteem.
Though your self-esteem definitely isn’t lacking as a mompreneur, we can still find self doubt creeping in. During your launch, it can be difficult to dig down deep and find our self-esteem that is so prevalent other times. In order to avoid having to dig,
create a list of affirmations that can boost your self-esteem in any moment.
Some favorites:
I am proud of how far I’ve come.
I am strong and capable because I’ve worked to be strong and capable.
God has made me perfect in His eyes, exactly the way I am.
I am the best version of myself, in this moment, right now.
take advantage of every opportunity.
Not just the ones you planned on. During a launch, you never know what opportunities may come your way. Say, for example, you were planning to sell your product exclusively online, and then a friend offers you a retail spot in her store. Even though you hadn’t planned for this, and it’s not a part of your launch, it’s worth taking. You may need to divert a tad, and take the risk, but it may pay off. Or it may not. But you won’t know unless you try. It’s easy to get stuck on our path when we have our eyes on a launch date, but sometimes these bunny trails take you to the best place you never thought you’d be.
How to handle:
When an opportunity presents itself and you don’t feel ready to grasp it, remember that done is better than perfect. Don’t abandon your original launch plan just because of this new addition. Add this opportunity to your repertoire, but don’t make it your main launch plan. Say yes, do the minimum work required, and then get back to work on the launch you planned. Reevaluate later.
be clear with your goal.
Confidence lends itself to those with a clear vision. Having a goal that wavers, or isn’t set in stone, can mean a lack of confidence in yourself. Make sure you goal, and expectations of yourself, are clear and permanent.
How to:
Write it down. Put your goal, whatever it may be, on your bathroom mirror. Your car dashboard. The back of your hand. And never lose sight. Literally.
Have an accountability partner. Whenever you start to stray, tell them and have them rein you in and bring you back to landing. Ask your mom, your spouse, your bestie or even your kids. They are great at telling you what to do.
stop comparing.
During a launch, it’s easier than ever to get caught on the comparison train. Feeling like you aren’t doing as much as another person, seeing a similar product online and wondering how they got to it first, or watching another person launch something even bigger. It’s a deadly trap. When you’re knee deep in your launch, stop the scroll, stop the assumptions and stop the comparison. Stay in your lane, and bloom right where you are planted. Now is not the time to wonder about “what ifs” and comparing your chapter one to someone else’s chapter 10.
What to do:
Get on IG and FB to post, and stop scrolling. Literally. Take your launch time as a social media semi-hiatus. Post, comment and like only when necessary for your launch as part of your strategy, and that’s it.
Don’t even look. My biggest fault is learning something new from someone else while researching my launch strategy, and then ditching what I know and doing what they did instead. Don’t do this, friend. Stick to your plan, and in order to not even be tempted, don’t even look. Imagine being on a cleanse and then going to the store and chocolate is on sale. Just don’t even go to the store. It’s not worth the temptation.