BIRD WILLIAMS: You're listening to Bird Means Business Episode 80. 

Hi there! And thank you for tuning into Bird Means Business podcast. I'm your host, Bird Williams. And we have such an incredible guest on the show today, Lisa Rigoli, the Corporate Side Hustler. And she's sharing all about how to effectively nurture your audience during a launch. So let's say you're launching a product or service that's available for just a limited time. You're going to want to be intentional about how you engage with leads, and those who are interested, while the offer is still alive and available for purchase. So Lisa is going to share five steps to do exactly this. So you're gonna want to get ready to take some solid notes because there's so much gold in this episode. 

Let me tell you a bit about my friend, Lisa. Lisa is an HR Director for a Fortune 500 healthcare company. She's also an Instagram mentor, a wife to her childhood friend, and a mom of two girls. So for seven years, Lisa has been juggling the corporate and side business life. She's dedicated to sharing her experiences and frameworks to show you how to build your online presence through attracting and nurturing your ideal clients on the gram with ease. And without spending countless hours. Amen to that. This is going to be such a great episode. Let's jump right in. 

Lisa, hi! Welcome to the show. I'm so glad to have you on the Bird Means Business podcast. 

LISA RIGOLI: I am so excited to be here. Thanks for having me. 

BIRD: This is gonna be so much fun. I know so many of my listeners are really excited about this episode and will be taking tons of notes. But before we jump into all the juicy content, I want to have you explain how you got into what you do. Kind of tell us about your entrepreneurial journey.

LISA: Yeah, absolutely. So my journey has been pretty interesting because back in 2014, while working for a company you guys probably all are familiar with, which is Target or Tarzay. I was an HR manager. I was getting ready honestly to interview for the role that kind of defined success, the role that I worked nine-plus years to get to. It was the role that I knew back then, if I got it, like, I needed it, right? And I honestly, Ash, as I was sitting outside waiting for my name to be called, I remember being so nervous. But not nervous, cause let's be honest all interviews can be pretty nerve-racking. I was nervous, I was about to do something I was going to regret. Because if I was being honest with myself, in that moment, in that seat, I no longer wanted to climb the corporate ladder. I wasn't necessarily ready to leave corporate. But I knew that I had this burning desire to create my own rules, to start something that was new and fresh, and to be my own boss. And that's honestly what started the journey, which is crazy to think almost seven years ago, for me to be this side hustler of having something that I love while still staying in that corporate world.

BIRD: Wow, that is incredible. And it resonates with me because I had a similar experience when I was an investment banking analyst on Wall Street in New York. And landed this huge deal. And it was supposed to be a big deal to me. It was just like, I am not fulfilled by what I'm doing here. This is not it, you know? Although I thought it was. And I had achieved the thing, but it didn't feel like I thought it would. And so I love that you share that. And so talk a little bit about what you do today and how that all looks.

LISA: Yeah, so complete transparency. If you've been following me for some time, you know this. But if you're meeting me for the first time, my business has evolved. I went from a career coach to a business coach. And there was actually an experience I had back in 2018 as a business coach, where I hired a social media manager to run my account. And she helped me at the time. I was at 8,000 followers. And I was definitely that person guilty of, "I need more followers. People are only going to take me seriously if I have more followers". That was a lie I was holding on to. So I outsourced my account to someone and I said, "Hey, do whatever you can to grow". And it was also the season I was getting ready, planning my wedding. So I still remember to this day being on my honeymoon when I opened my phone and I got to 26,000 followers. Like I remember the alerts coming in, being like, "Oh my god, it's happening." And then coming back and saying okay, well, I got the 26,000 followers, I don't need you anymore. So I let the social media manager go. And instantly my account was frozen. Meaning those days that I was getting 800 likes and I was getting all of this kind of exposure. Come to find out when I let this person go, they were all bots. She was a part of an engagement pod. And it was these fake numbers. And it was that what shifted me into better understanding my account, doing everything in my power to get back to an account where I had to physically remove all of those people. And really get grounded into what community, what kind of community do I want? How do I want to be viewed? And doing all of that, I realized, you know what? I actually do have a passion for understanding Instagram better from a place of how do you nurture your followers, regardless of the amount that you have. To a place that feels good that you have a nice balance of people that are your clients, people that are your colleagues, and people that are your collaboration partners. And that's when my business took that pivot to where I am today, where I'm an Instagram strategist, specifically for busy women, who are not so fixated on the number, even if it's a lie they're holding on to still in the back of their head of how can you do it, even with a small amount, a small but mighty amount to ensure that you're able to build that online business while juggling all the things. 

BIRD: Oh, my gosh, Lisa, I love that so much. I mean, I know the numbers are the numbers. And it could be easy to just look at those and get stuck there. But I'd rather have a small group of engaged followers, you know, that are really engaging, and we're having conversations, and I'm helping and I feel like this is impactful. As opposed to this big number. And it's just crickets. And it's not at all engaging. So when you really go back to your core values, and why you're doing what you're doing, it can help kind of shape some of that. 

So this is incredible. And I'm so excited to have you on the show. We're going to be talking about how to effectively nurture your audience during a launch. And so let's just get into it.

LISA: Yeah, so what I thought would be great, especially for your listeners, and for you, when I talked to you, I put this into five steps. So if you are a note-taker, like myself, definitely take out your pen and paper because I want to be able to give you some tangible things that you can apply to your launch. 

Now, I really come from a place of how do you ensure that when you're planning out your launch, you're planning it out at least six weeks in advance. I do not believe that we can just go on to our account and say, "Guess what? It's here! Come buy for me!" And expect that people are gonna be like, "Oh, girlfriend, take my credit card. Let's go!" 

You truly have to be intentional with nurturing your audience. And I like to compare it to dating. You have to date them to a point that not only are they deciding if they think you're cute. But you're also deciding if you actually think that there's substance behind that cute smile. And that takes time to happen. 

So step number one, and I almost think of it as the pre-work hotspot, is that you want to make sure that before you actually start your launch plan, that you build out your content in advance. And that means that you should have a clear outline six weeks out of what you want that reel to look like. What you want that post to be. What you're going to be talking about in IG stories. And a lot of my clients, and even my colleagues, are like, "Six weeks? Girlfriend, are you crazy?" And I say I'm not. Who wants to be writing content and trying to figure that out during a launch? You don't have the headspace. If you're supposed to be dating these people, you can't be doing some homework at night, every single day to trying to build these relationships. So step one is building up the content. 

BIRD: Ooh, that is so huge, because you feel like inspiration might strike in the moment. Like, oh, it's Monday, it's time for me to post. But then you could be sick. Your kids could be, you know, crazy that morning. Whatever might happen in your day that's affecting that moment, that inspiration. It's like, no. Take care of that on the front end before you're in that moment. I love it so much 

LISA: 100%. So start there. That would be my biggest suggestion. 

BIRD: And I wanted just to say real quick for anyone listening. We're talking about a launch. You're talking about launching a product or service, a digital product, a course, an ebook, a journal. Anything like that?

LISA: The answer is yes. So now I will sometimes get questions that are like, "Well, Lisa, are you saying that I can't promote anything, without it being this intentional plan?" I think if you've established a strong community and you have a good cadence in how you're showing up with your content, then you don't need a launch. This is truly for individuals that want to have kind of this exclusivity around, I'm only offering this specific product or service from this date to this date, for a certain amount, for a price point. If you have a certain price point for a specific timeframe, this is the launch that I'm referring to. If you're doing that, you want to be hella intentional with what are you doing so that way you have the biggest audience, if you will, during that open and close cart time to be like okay, I'm in. Here's my credit card. 

BIRD: That makes perfect sense. Love it. 

LISA: So step two. This is the part that I feel is truly the biggest mess. It even was a miss for myself. It's knowing your numbers. So what I mean by that is it's great to know that you want to make X amount. So if you're saying that I want my revenue to be $50,000, that's great, because you're putting it out there. You have a goal in mind. But then we almost have to take it back to what's the S.M.A.R.T. goal of that? Like, how are you actually going to achieve the $50,000? And what I do first is I establish my revenue goal. So we're just gonna say that it's $50,000. From there, I'm then going to divide that by the cost of the offer. So let's just say for argument's sake, because I don't do math in public, so I'm doing an easy equation for all of us. Let's say it's $397. And if we divide those two numbers, that's going to equal the amount of units that we want to sell. So with this one $50,000 divided by $397. That means I would need 126 people to purchase from me. And to give context to that. Typically, the clients I'm working with, have a course that they're selling, or they have a mastermind. So they are looking to get a bigger reach, if you will, with people opting into something. So 126, that's good to know. But if your first thought is, oh, man, that's a big number. I didn't realize how many people I needed. That's okay. But then the question is, do you have 126 people right now that are banging at your door, or your DMs, if you will, saying, "I want to know about your services". Because if you're hearing crickets, you need to know these numbers to better understand going into the launch. Where am I starting from to ensure that I get to that 126? 

BIRD: Oh, I love that. That is so important. It's so important to know your numbers and like you said, not going blindly into it. Which ties even to your first point of being intentional about your planning, right? You can't jump up one day and say, I'm just gonna do this. I'm just gonna go. You have to really be thoughtful and intentional. And that's the beauty of having a plan and having a strategy behind what you're doing. 

LISA: Yeah, agreed. And I think, if we can even just sit in this spot for a little bit too because I do think there's so much of, I'm a big mindset person, I didn't think I would be a big woo-woo person. But I am very big on putting it out there, putting your numbers out there. And sometimes we focus so much on just saying I want the $50,000, or I want the $30,000, that we're not actually slowing down to put that into a practical number of how many people need to buy in order for that to happen. And why I am so passionate about if you're nurturing your audience for a minimum of six weeks, it gets you closer to that 126 if that was your number. Like it doesn't feel as crazy, because now you're being intentional. And then also putting things in perspective, if you're trying to date hypothetically, 126 people, and you don't want to be dating these people while building out your content, or creating a reel on the spot or having that inspired moment. Because right now your focus is, how do I love on so many people that I get them closer to the point of conversion when the cart doors open? 

BIRD: Yes. Ooh, girl, that is so good. I'm loving it. Loving this. 

LISA: Okay. So then we'll move into step number three, which is all about really just creating your lead list. And it's all around this premise of, it's not if you build it, they will come, right? You have to be really intentional. So I look at it as two types of lead lists that you're going to combine into one. First, it's what's your pre-launch list? So I know if I use this example, 126. There might be some of you that are like, "Oh my gosh, that's so scary. But I really need that 50k revenue". I would recommend that you actually comb through your Instagram account and really think through it. 

There's kind of like two buckets. Who is your cold list of individuals that maybe haven't actually interacted with you? And maybe you could do a better job of interacting with them. But you know there's something there. Add them to your list. Let's not even worry about it. Let's add it. That's a person. That's a possibility. 

Then there's a second bucket, which is your warm list. These are the people that watch your stories every single day. These are the people that are actually leaving a comment on your posts or your reel. These are individuals that are letting you know, I see you. I think you're cute. I'm swiping right. I want to figure things out. Add them to your list. 

For those of you that have an email list, start going through who's opening your emails. Add these people to your list. And this is going to give you a good foundation to see, all right, do I have a certain amount of numbers? And I call that your pre-lists. That way when you go into the launch, you know exactly up front who you're dating to get closer to your 50k for this example, revenue goal.

BIRD: Ooh, that's so good. I love that intentionality and using the data. And like you said, you focus on social media, which is awesome. But there's also email marketing. And you can go and pull the data from there and see. And there might be some crossover. They might follow you on Instagram or Facebook or what have you. And then also be on your email list. And you could say, okay, well this person's really engaged. And then you have more context around the numbers that you're talking about.

LISA: Exactly, exactly. 

BIRD: That's awesome. 

LISA: So that's your pre-list. What I want you to do during your launch, is that you're going to be adding to your list. So as you're putting out this intentional content, you may need to be creative. Do you do some Clubhouse rooms? Do you do a story takeover for someone? Do you do a joint live at someone? Reason being, on top of your content, really being this space for people to be like, "Oh my gosh, I feel like she gets me because every time I watch her reel, it's like she's speaking to me". That's your foundation. 

But now you've got to get your face out there. And you got to do more things outside of your community for people to get to know you. And as you start seeing the follow buttons increase. And maybe if they didn't click on the follow button. But if you're starting to see new eyeballs on your stories, that's when you want to add those handles to your lead list. Because you're doing everything in your power to make sure that you're getting closer and closer to the amount of people that you want to eventually swipe their card for your offer. 

BIRD: Oh, so good. And I love that you're bringing this up because I was actually in a strategy session with a client who I was talking through that, which is, it's one thing to continue to regurgitate the information to the same group of people. But how would it look, if you were to get out of your sphere, and do a joint live, get on someone else's podcast, whatever it might be to expand your market? And she was like, brilliant, I hadn't thought of that. And so that you're actually bringing people into what you're doing. And so that's incredibly important in a launch. And that typically happens very naturally. Like if you're doing a masterclass or a webinar. I know, with my last launch in January, my email list grew, my social media following grew because I was promoting these different free webinars and masterclasses. So that's going to also kind of just happen organically,

LISA: Totally agree with you. And again, I want to bring it back to dating. I know you and I are both married. And I know there are probably a lot of listeners that are married. But for those of you, we all, no matter what season you're in, we all remember what it was like to date. And I honestly look at it this way. If I picked up a couple of people, like they asked for my number if I went to a specific Starbucks. And then it kind of got stale, where there were no new people coming in asking for my number or winking at me. I wouldn't continue just to go to Starbucks. I would have to figure out and venture out to what can I do differently? Okay, I'm gonna go to some more parties. I'm gonna go to some more networking events. Alright, when I go to a concert, I'm gonna be more intentional with okay, like, who am I making eye contact with? Like really putting yourself out there, right? And if you're hearing this, and you're like, "Ooh, this makes sense." It's what we're talking about right now of don't think that you only have to put your face on your account and only speak to the people that are currently following you. You're going to have to be innovative of, "Where else can I go to get more eyeballs onto me, so when they come to my account, that part's doing the work" Right now you're dating. And it's not about "buy from me", when you go to the podcast, or when you go to someone. It's about sharing your personality in a way where again, it's dating. Or someone's like, I like her. I like her personality. And I'm gonna go check her out.

BIRD: And to that dating analogy. You're also thinking about who your ideal customer is, your ideal client is right? And you're saying, where do they hang out? Where are they hanging out? I'm gonna go be there. If they're on Pinterest, then maybe I need to do something with Pinterest. If they're in Clubhouse, then maybe I go there, right? Just like with dating, you might not want to find the person at the club. You know? 

LISA: Exactly.

BIRD: You might not want to find your husband there. I don't know, maybe you do. But you have to be intentional about where you show up. Because you're going to be attracting the people that are going to be buying from you.

LISA: Can we just use that club example for a moment? Because, listen. If anyone is doing that, there is no shame. Ash and I are giving you kisses. We want to support you, whatever you do. But that is the best example of really knowing who your ideal client is. Because you do not want to go to a space just to go to a space because you know there are options there. You're trying to attract the people that you want to be dating and working with, if you will. So go to the place that makes sense. So again, if it's the club, do you. I'm not going to judge, right? But if it's not your spot, because you're like, been there, done that. Then don't go back there. Don't go there then wondering why you're having the people opt in to your area that you're like, I don't even want this. Well, you asked for it when you went to the club. 

BIRD: Yes, Lisa! I'm really loving this dating analogy on so many levels. 

LISA: Okay, good, good, good. So then step four is going to be about really being intentional with nurturing these individuals. So sometimes we think that when you hear like, you need to like build connections and you need to love on them. It's normally followed up by well, how can I share my offer? I don't want you doing that. Because again, if we're using dating as our analogy, as our base, I want to swipe right. Have someone meet me at the coffee shop to say, okay, "So I want four kids and get married. I actually want to do a destination wedding." That's in your back pocket. So that's your offer. You know exactly what you're bringing to the table. But you have to know all the other things beforehand. Meaning, what are their interests? What are their values? What are the things that you guys have in common? So that way you can then talk about the kids and the picket fence and all the other things. 

I want you, when you're looking at this list, it is not about you sharing your offer. It is about, "Hey, girlfriend, I saw you on IG stories yesterday, and that dress was beautiful. Send me the deets. I want that dress too." It's about connecting with them and building a relationship. Why? People buy from people they like. There are so many times, I'm curious if this happens to you too, where I don't even know I needed something. But I ended up falling in love with someone because the way that we connected. I know their kids by name. They will sign into my DM and talk about my husband by name. And then they're like, "Oh, I have this freebie for funnels with your whatever, click up option." And I'm like, I don't even have a funnel, anyone you click up, but hey, I'm gonna swipe right because I freaking love you. And I think I need this and then it just sits there. But it's because of the connection I had, that I'm now in. That's what I mean by nurture the heck out of your audience to the point that they are literally getting committed to you before you freak 'em out with the kids and the picket fence. 

BIRD: Oh, my goodness, this is so good. And yes. How important is it? And even just like I sometimes I think about the bigger picture of you know why we're doing what we're doing and what really matters most. And sometimes for me, it's like, of course, I want to sell. Of course, I want you to buy my offers. But if at the end of the day you feel empowered or inspired or connected with me on some deeper level like to do whatever it is that you're doing in terms of launching and growing your business. Like that means more to me, than you just buying my offer. So, that's so important on so many levels.

LISA: Yeah, you want to make sure. Cause the way I look at it, every client that I've had, even the individuals that have opted into just my course, where I don't have as much interaction with them to the level I do with a one on one. They're now part of my community. And I want to make sure that after the course or after the transformation, that there's still a continued conversation. And I want to be like, "So what do you think about module four?" I want to be like, I want to talk to you. "I saw your trip. Your trip looks amazing." Like you want it just to continue. Why? Because there is a higher chance that they're going to continue to buy from you too the way that you continue to make them feel. So a majority of my clients are reoccurring clients for every offer that I have because I built a relationship with them. And it's vice versa. I like them too. So it's like, I'm building this for you in mind. So it just makes it easier. 

BIRD: Yes, I love it. That's great. 

LISA: So then we'll end then on step five, which is keeping that energy high all the way through the launch. So as I said at the beginning, this is a six-week ordeal. And this is six weeks if you feel like you truly can hit that 126 member mark because it could potentially be a little bit longer. And what I've noticed across the board, and I was guilty of this too myself in the very beginning. You start to get sad because like you had the open cart date. All these people signed up, and then it starts to slow down. And you're like, what's wrong? Does my breath smell? Is like something happening? Like, I feel like I'm doing all the right things. But nothing is progressing to the point of conversion. And we tend to like taper off, right? Because we're tired. We've been like showing up. We've been doing all the things. I remember dating, it was exhausting dating. It was like another job. Launching is like another job for that six weeks. And what I mean by this is continue to check who's following all your stories all the way through that hasn't bought yet? Who's still commenting that hasn't bought yet? And be intentional with how at that point, you're a little more assertive. We're closer to the cart closing. I'm okay if you bring in the kids and the picket fence into the situation because now it's a place of, "Hey, girl. Hey, Ash. I've noticed that you've watched my stories for the last six weeks. I have noticed that you continue to comment telling me this is a struggle for you. But I also noticed you haven't swiped your card. I'm here. I am talking to you. I want to know what's wrong." Every time I do that, towards the end of my closing, I have just as high a percentage of conversion that last few hours that I did the first day. Why? Because I personalized to Ashley. Ashley and I've been talking every single day already. But now I'm calling her out. And she's like, "Okay, you're right. I have commitment issues. I just didn't know. I just didn't know." And I'm like, "Alright, let's talk about those commitment issues." Like, I am now doing the hard sell. Because I know that you see me and I see you.

BIRD: Yes. And it is that connection going back to that like, oh, wow, yes, we've been engaging. But you're going to actually call me out? You're going to actually challenge me? So many people just need that accountability. Just need to be seen by someone. And to say like, yeah, I see you and I want the best for you and I know this program or this course or this, whatever it is that you're offering is going to help you get to where you want to be. And when we think about it like that, it's so much more empowering. What you're offering is actually helping somebody. So don't be afraid to show up in their DM and kind of challenge them. Or to be, like you said, a little bit more assertive because it's going to help them.

LISA: Yeah. And the offers that I've had, not only because they built a really great relationship with me, and vice versa, and I feel good and I feel connected. It's also the ones that probably went a little over the top to make sure that they got the sale. So I'm going to use my current coach as an example. So if you don't know Shannon over at the Social Bungalow, she's amazing. She's been my coach now for almost two years. And I will never forget when I got a personalized video from her about two years ago. And to me, it was that extra thing, right? Like, again, dating, I was like, I think you're cute. I know that you think I'm cute. But do you really see me? Because there's a lot of hungry people right now that are trying to get your attention. And I almost felt like as much as I needed her course at the time. I just kind of felt like, meh, maybe there's something else that's out there. But when I got that personal email that last day before the cart doors closed for her, and she called me out by name. And she's like,"Listen, I already saw your stories. I know that you're trying to figure out an exit plan down the road. This is almost a no brainer. What's holding you back?" That personal video with that personal touch, letting me know that she truly sees me. I am not a number. I had no idea about her 126 that she had, or 125 other people. She made me feel super special, that I was like girlfriend take my money. And look what's happened. Two years, she's still taking my money, and I'm gladly giving it to her.

BIRD: Wow, that is amazing. And it's funny that you mentioned her because that's how I connected with you. Or that's where I first heard you speak, I should say. And I was like she's awesome. I would love to connect with her and have her on the show and all of that. So that's really neat to know. And yes, that strategy is huge. I just got a little scrappy toward the end of my launch last time. And I didn't have these amazing five steps, which I'm so glad that you shared with us today. They're gold, really. But I was just like, what can I do to really show people I care and they're important. And I was like, I'm just going to do a video in their DM, shoot them a video in their DM that's specific to them. And I got such great conversion from that in those last days of my launch. So that's a great strategy.

LISA: See, I just like got goosebumps, because the fact that you did that even in a DM. It's those moments where people are like, oh, you see me. Because all people know is that we're busy, right? They know that we're busy, they know that we're hustling. But they have no idea that we're truly, how much we truly care about each of the people that are following us. And the more that you do that, and again, whatever that looks like. If some of you are like, "I don't want to put my face in a video". That's fine. There's voice note, right? Whatever feels right for you. The goal that what I'm trying to convey is do something that makes that person feel so seen, and so understood and so special, that I'm telling you, they'll sing your praises even more than anyone else.

BIRD: Absolutely. I love love that. Oh my gosh, these are so good. Like I said, I wish I would have had this list before my last lunch. But I'll definitely take it with me into the future. 

Lisa, thank you so much for coming onto the show. I want to make sure that folks who have their pages full of notes and are just loving this conversation and want to connect with you more, that they can do that. So where are the best places online that they can find you? How can they follow you and all that?

LISA: Yeah, so what I will say is, if you want to follow me and connect, do that over on Instagram over @thecorporatesidehustler. I will share though I am doing a little exercise, if you will. So starting in July, not sure when this is gonna drop. But I am actually starting a new account for a short amount of time. Why? Because I want to share with other women that I get that it's hard to grow an Instagram account in 2021. I don't even know how that would look in 2021 because I've had my account since 2016. But I want to make sure that I'm putting my money where my mouth is, if you will, as it relates to you can have a successful launch, even if you don't have thousands and thousands of followers. So if you follow me over @thecorporatesidehustler, you'll get that information. You'll see that new account. You'll be able to hear all of the struggles, the hurdles, all the good stuff, too of what happens during that. And it'll just be for a small amount of time, just to make sure I remind everyone that it is possible. 

BIRD: Lisa, I love that! How neat! I deinitely follow you @thecorporatesidehustler. And I'm excited to see see this product. How neat. That's really, really neat. I love that you're like you said putting your money where your mouth is, and doing this experimental kind of... this is going to be fun. I love it. 

LISA: Yeah, thank you. Thank you. 

BIRD: Great! Well, thank you so much again for being on the show. I'm so glad that my listeners have been able to glean all this wisdom from you. And I know that they'll be following you and learning even more. 

LISA: I appreciate you having me. So, thank you so much. 

BIRD: What a joy! Lisa is just so much fun and has such a beautiful spirit and so much knowledge. So I hope that you can connect with her soon. I'll be sure to link her Instagram in the show notes so that you can just scroll right on down to the episode description, and click the link to connect with her. 

Now I want to say thank you. Thank you so much for tuning into Bird Means Business podcast. It really does mean a lot to me to share this space with you. And if the show has helped you in any way, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Doing this will help others learn about Bird Means Business podcast. And honestly whenever I see a new review pop up, and I read about how the show has impacted your life or your business. It just makes my day. Make sure you tell every entrepreneur you know about this episode so that they too can learn how to nurture their audience during a launch. 

Talk to y'all next week.