And Stacey is doing so many of the right things! She joined Elite Blog Academy, started a blog, grew her email list to 2,500 people, and launched her own product teaching others how to start their own successful cleaning businesses. Unfortunately, the launch didn’t go as well as she had hoped. Of those 2,500 people, only two bought her product–and one has already asked for a refund! Ouch.

Stacey polled her audience to find out why they hadn’t bought the course, and the answers didn’t provide much help. In fact, the answers suggested that the course was exactly what they needed, and at a price they were willing to pay. So what went wrong?

That’s what we’ll explore in this episode. Stacey has true expertise in her field, so it’s just a matter of figuring out how she can sell that information and get people to buy it. I’ll coach her on the purpose of a beta launch, which isn’t to sell a certain number. Instead, it’s to learn! After all, you never know what you’re starting from until you put it out there for the first time.

I’ll also explain that the smaller the niche, the less you need to give away for free, and the more you should be charging for your services. Believe it or not, a potential problem might be that Stacey’s course was priced too low rather than too high!

Tune in to join Stacey as I help her figure out how to maximize her limited time and focus her energy on the right activities that will drive the right clients her way. You’ll also learn why it’s often better to have a smaller number of more targeted followers, why social media isn’t for everyone, a new perspective on why you shouldn’t be intimidated by the big fish within your niche, and how to cope when things don’t go the way you wanted!

Highlights

[00:47] – Ruth explains that Elite Blog Academy, where you can learn to build a successful, profitable, and sustainable online business, brings you this awesome Get Ruthed episode. Check out the free training for podcast listeners at this link!
[01:38] – Welcome back to the show! We learn about today’s guest, Stacey Freeman, who has owned a cleaning service business for 27 years.
[04:20] – What is Stacey looking to fix in her business right now? She shares the story of a recent fail: the launch of her product.
[07:40] – What did Stacey learn from asking her audience why they didn’t end up buying her product?
[08:21] – Ruth responds to Stacey’s experience launching her product.
[10:48] – The cherry on the top of Stacey’s situation is that one of the two customers who bought her product asked for a refund.
[12:20] – Anybody in Stacey’s shoes would feel sad-mad, Ruth reassures her.
[14:22] – Ruth dives into tough love, giving Stacey specific advice on things that she can change for better results.
[16:57] – What sets Stacey apart from most EBA students is that she has something hugely valuable already: her company. Ruth explores how this should relate to Stacey’s strategy.
[18:45] – Ruth believes that Stacey is giving too much content away for free. A single blog post could have been a mini-course.
[21:19] – We hear some specific advice about how Stacey can be more strategic about her top-performing posts.
[22:59] – If Stacey has already thought about these sorts of things, why isn’t she doing them yet?
[25:07] – Ruth would like to see Stacey looking at her business differently, with less focus on content and social media, and more on products.
[28:22] – We hear about how Stacey should continue creating content and what she should focus on in that regard.
[29:58] – Some of the people on Stacey’s email list may just be interested rather than starting a cleaning business, lowering her conversion rate.
[31:45] – It’s hard to have something that feels like a flop, Ruth empathizes. She explains that part of being an entrepreneur is trying things, which sometimes means failure.
[33:59] – Stacey shares a response to what Ruth has been advising her, and talks about a point specific to the cleaning business industry.
[36:20] – Not everybody is on Instagram, and people who think Instagram converts haven’t focused on email. Ruth also points out that every niche has its big fish, but most people outside of the industry has never heard of those people.
[39:37] – Ruth recaps the next steps that Stacey should take.
[42:22] – Ruth reiterates one of the big differences between Stacey and a lot of other EBA students or online business creators. She also sums up the major advice points that she has given Stacey.
[45:25] – Don’t forget to take the Do It Scared Fear Assessment so you can learn how fear might be holding you back! And if you have any questions about this episode or ideas for a future conversation, get in touch with Ruth on Instagram or by email at ruth@livingwellspendingless.com.