Profitable Launch Phase 2: The X-Factor

Phase 2 of a Profitable Launch: Your X-Factor

Growing your email list isn’t your top priority as an online entrepreneur.

I know, blasphemy, right?

While it’s definitely true to a large extent that, “the money’s in the list,” – it’s also true that this doesn’t mean that list growth is the end all, be all of your marketing goals.

Are you so focused getting people onto your email list that you forget all about them once they’re there?

Many conversations that I’ve had lately with entrepreneurs reveal this flaw in strategy.

Business owners are spending all sorts of money and effort to get people to sign up for their free this and their free that but then those subscribers never hear from them again after that initial welcome email or sequence.

The reality is that it’s much easier and cheaper to convert your existing subscribers into clients than it is to attract and convert brand new leads.

But how do you do it? How do you convert new and existing tribe members to inner circle members? To paying clients and customers?

The strategy boils down to a little something I like to call…

The X-Factor.

How to Woo from Outer Tribe to Inner Circle

Think of the conversion journey like dating.

You initially attract a lead with the ‘outer stuff’ – in this case your valuable how-to, your branded escapades on Instagram, your shiny website. They like what they see so they sign up to get more.

They could remain in this surface layer forever. Enjoying and using what you send them in your newsletters, but not really getting attached the person behind the content or forging a connection that would continue if the ‘good stuff’ dried up.

This is why the X-Factor – your stories that inspire, connect and draw in – are so crucial. They’re the woo that makes your soulmate client or customer see beyond the content and form a deepened bond with YOU.

And this is when you get the YES you’re looking for.

The X-Factor = All Your Launch Materials

You want to infuse your X-Factor into any piece of sales content or any content intended to convert someone into a paying customer.

Think – your sales page, the conversations you have with people, a webinar, your freebies, a video series, a challenge, or a combination of these things.

Your X-Factor is made up of:

Your personal stories of struggle and perseverance
Your client stories and journeys
Your personality
What makes you unique (i.e. your love of motorcycles, your penchant for hiking adventures, your Star Wars’ obsession)
Glimpses into your real life beyond the computer

Common mistake: Just teaching

This is where I see a lot of entrepreneurs go wrong.

Even though they have the best intentions of helping and provide truly exceptional content – all they do is teach.

This might be you if… you have lots of people commenting on your posts, signing up for your freebies and telling you how much it helped them. But that isn’t exactly translating into sales for you.

Here’s the truth – information is everywhere. And so if you’re just giving away the how-to, they’ll just show up for the how-to but always kind of know in the back of their minds that they could be getting it from anyone.

This is where inspiration comes in. People take action when inspired. People open their wallets when they feel like what you offer, they couldn’t get from anyone else.

By inspiring, you’ll give your tribe members that, OMG, I HAVE TO WORK WITH HER vibe. So inspire away!

What kind of stories should you share?

There are so many kinds of stories you can share with your soulmate clients.

My favorites are the stories of my client’s triumphs. The “where are they now” stories, the stories of my clients overcoming obstacles, breaking down the barriers they placed on themselves and achieving major success. These are case study and testimonial stories.

These make people feel inspired AND are a huge validation of the work you do.

And if you don’t have client stories to share yet, share your own. You wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t overcome some fears and weren’t ready to make some bold moves.

Real Life Example of X-Factor Magic At Work: Todd Herman with The 90 Day Year

Todd Herman is a great example of the X-Factor effect.

For his launches, he uses a 5-part video series. But he knows that it only really matters if people watch the first one, which is all about context switching. This is the how-to that hooks them.

Then Todd follows that up with story after story of the athletes he’s worked with, how he took his high-performance coaching experience to the entrepreneurial space, the results he’s been able to help business owners get for themselves by changing the way they work and by providing glimpses of he operates in business and life.

Todd has built a vast tribe of 90-Day Year’ers and his inner circle is so passionate about what he’s done for them that they do a lot of his X-Factor for him now. They’re sharing their own stories and experiences with his the 90 Day Year Program – making sales for him, even while he sleeps.

When he’s launching, people don’t even need to watch his videos now. They just sign up, going directly from pre-launch to buying his program.

This is the sort of frenzy the X-Factor can generate for you.

Take Action – Find your own version of X-Factor

Where can you start inspiring your community?

Come up with a list of your stories – Even if you think don’t have stories, you do. Dig deep. Think about personal and business triumphs, client stories and even famous stories that inspire you.

Come up with a list of personality infusers – What are you passionate about? Read my post here for ideas on how to find and use these!