The rhythm of promotional campaigns

A member of our Learning Community, who had sold out the last course she had promoted and was now promoting another, came to a group coaching call struggling with how it was going.

“I had a good handful sign up, but now I’m not hearing from anyone.” The deadline was a good two weeks off.

The truth is, she was actually in great shape, and is probably going to sell out the course again, or nearly so. But I need to explain two things to you, so you don’t undermine your own promotions.

Thing One: The purpose of a promotional campaign.

The purpose of a promotional campaign is to help folks get clear and make a decision about whether they are going to take you up on your offer, whatever that offer is.

You’re helping people get clear on who the offer is for, and whether that’s them. What the offer helps with, and whether it’s something they need help with. And, in general, whether it’s something they want.

Here’s the truth: people calendar the decisions they have made, not the decisions that they are going to make.

What I mean is that if you and I decide to meet for a conversation and have made a clear decision, it goes in my calendar, “Thursday, noon, here’s the Zoom link.” (Because we live in a videoconference world these days…)

But, if we’re thinking about having a conversation, “Yeah, we should talk sometime soon.” That *doesn’t* go in the calendar. Where does that need-to-be-made-but-not-yet-decided-on decision live?

It floats. Nowhere.

Your promotional campaign is where the not-yet-made decision about your offer floats. Every time people see a reminder, the decision process moves a little further along.

Thing Two: The rhythm of a promotional campaign.

When you run a promotional campaign of some sort, this is the basic rhythm you’ll most likely see:

A rush of sign-ups in the beginning (whatever “rush” looks like at the scale your business is now). Then a few enrollments here or there during the middle time.

Then, another rush at the end, whenever you deadline is.

I’ve become used to seeing about half of all enrollments come in right around the deadline.

“I don’t fault anyone for signing up at the deadline, we all live with a lot of competing priorities for our attention. It takes a deadline to help a decision be made, whether yes or no.

Where it gets tricky.

During that middle time, when lots of folks are gestating about your offering, it’s easy to lose hope. It’s easy to think, “No one is responding! No one else is going to buy. It’s all over…”

I had a painful and disastrous high school career running on the cross country team. I typically came in among the very slowest, and, except for my friends who were also slow with me, I pretty much hated it.

Why did I stick with it? That’s a story for another time.

But what I do remember is my high school running coach, Andy White, who told us to “run through the hill.” What he meant was when you ran a course and reached the top of the hill, keep running as if the hill had another 20 yards to it. Don’t let your energy sag right at the crest.

I see lots of folks who sag in their campaigns during this middle time. They slow down sending notices to their audience. They might even just stop altogether.

Run through the hill.

By now you know what I’m going to say: don’t do that! 🙂 Don’t stop, don’t slow down. Those notices you are sending out are not falling into the compost pile. People are receiving them, chewing on them, allowing them to support their own decision-making process.

And then, the deadline comes, and they decide.

Don’t give up on them, ever. And let them have the full time and space of promotional campaign for that decision.

With love,

Mark Silver, M.Div.
Heart of Business, Inc.
Every act of business can be an act of love.

P.S. Don’t run solo

One of the few things that made my time in cross country fun at all were the friends I had. Then, when I switched to doing technical theater work, I had great friends AND I loved doing the work. 🙂

So much for high school. Now, you’re trying to develop your business. How about a warm community, clear steps and guidance, and spiritual nourishment? How about you not do it alone?

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“Wow. Finding clients is easier than I have been making it in my mind! Action is the key. And being in my HEART. The centered inside BEFORE I engage with a potential client is SO vital! Sacred Selling module!”
– from a Learning Community member

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