Podcast Summary: Episode 56 - "How the Black Friday Sale Went"

The Email Sound Booth with Liz Wilcox
Host: Liz Wilcox
Release Date: December 2, 2024

Introduction

In Episode 56 of The Email Sound Booth, host Liz Wilcox delves deep into the outcomes of her recent Black Friday sale. Balancing personal anecdotes with professional insights, Liz offers listeners an authentic look into her strategies, challenges, and triumphs during one of the most critical sales periods of the year.

"[00:05] Liz Wilcox: ... we have a cold front in Florida right now. ... I haven't been in it very long ... I am freezing."

Liz begins the episode by sharing a personal update, setting a relatable tone for the discussion.

Setting the Stage: Goals and Expectations

Liz revisits the ambitious goals she set in Episode 54, emphasizing the importance of balancing monetary targets with personal well-being.

"[01:30] Liz Wilcox: My number one goal was to have fun the week of the sale... so I don't lose my ever loving mind if and when something breaks."

Key Goals:

1. Enjoy the Process: Ensuring the sales week was enjoyable to maintain mental health.
2. Be Present: Prioritizing time with her family over work duties.
3. Create a Valuable Product: Delivering a product that resonates with customers and meets their needs.

Liz rates her performance on these goals, expressing satisfaction with her ability to have fun and remain present despite the pressures of the sales period.

Performance Overview: Numbers and Milestones

Liz outlines the financial targets and actual results of her Black Friday sale, providing a transparent analysis of her performance.

"[05:20] Liz Wilcox: My goal was to make $150,000 from new customers... I made 919 sales, totaling $99,029."

Sales Breakdown:

• New Passholders: 919 sales generating $99,029.
• Upsells: 53 additional sales contributing $5,480.
• Rebills: Over $19,000 from renewals.
• Downsells: Minimal impact with only two sales.
• Total Revenue: Nearly $125,000, approaching the $150,000 goal.

Despite not fully reaching her financial target, Liz expresses immense gratitude for exceeding her performance from the previous year and acknowledges the significant growth achieved.

"[09:15] Liz Wilcox: Last year, I made $162,000. This year, we made almost $236,000."

Strategies and Tactics: What Worked

Liz attributes her success to several key strategies implemented throughout the sales period:

1. Experience and Consistency:
   Having launched the annual pass multiple times since 2021, Liz's familiarity with the process contributed to smoother execution.

   "[19:45] Liz Wilcox: This is something I've done over and over and over again. I first launched this annual pass in 2021..."

2. Team Support:
   Acknowledging her assistant Patricia's crucial role, Liz highlights the importance of having a reliable team.

   "[23:10] Liz Wilcox: Shout out, Patricia. Don't worry, y'all."

3. Email Marketing:
   Utilizing daily emails starting mid-October, Liz focused on list growth and maintaining engagement.

   "[30:00] Liz Wilcox: I started daily emailing my people around October 15th... to help me become a credible source."

4. Affiliate Partnerships:
   Affiliates played a significant role, contributing 29% of the sales, for which Liz expresses heartfelt thanks.

   "[34:50] Liz Wilcox: 29% of sales this last week came from affiliates. Thank you so much."

Challenges Faced: Lessons Learned

Despite the overall success, Liz faced several hurdles that provided valuable lessons:

1. Upsell Conversion Rates:
   Liz introduced a co-working upsell at $100 but saw lower than expected conversions.

   "[10:45] Liz Wilcox: I sold 53 of them... I thought this upsell would do the freaking trick, but it didn't."

2. Downsell Performance:
   The downsell attempt yielded minimal sales, highlighting the difficulty in capturing hesitant customers.

   "[14:30] Liz Wilcox: The downsell totally fell flat. Only two people took me up on the offer."

3. Engagement Fatigue:
   Lower open rates suggested that both Liz and her audience were experiencing burnout.

   "[24:20] Liz Wilcox: The open rate was super, super low... I think people were just more tired this year than last year."

Insights and Future Directions

Reflecting on the sale, Liz shares pivotal insights and outlines her plans moving forward:

1. List Growth Emphasis:
   Recognizing the importance of a growing email list, Liz plans to focus on expanding her audience in 2025.

   "[28:10] Liz Wilcox: Because I grew my list, I made more money this year than I made last year."

2. Enhanced Product Offerings:
   Committing to seven live events in the coming year, Liz aims to provide continuous value to her passholders.

   "[37:30] Liz Wilcox: Next year, I promised seven live events... I'm going to do something amazing for them."

3. Sustained Gratitude and Community Building:
   Liz emphasizes the role of her community and expresses deep gratitude for their support, ensuring continued engagement and value delivery.

   "[43:00] Liz Wilcox: I'm so grateful for my customers... Thank you so much for all you do for being here in the community."

Conclusion

Episode 56 serves as both a celebration of Liz Wilcox's Black Friday sale success and a candid reflection on areas for improvement. Through transparent discussions of her goals, achievements, and challenges, Liz provides valuable insights for fellow online business owners aiming to optimize their email marketing strategies.

"[58:40] Liz Wilcox: This was a highly successful launch that I could not be more grateful for. Thank you so much for all you do for being here in the community."

Liz wraps up the episode with an inspiring message of gratitude and optimism, reinforcing her commitment to supporting her audience in the upcoming year.

Notable Quotes:

• "[05:20] Liz Wilcox: My goal was to make $150,000 from new customers... I made 919 sales, totaling $99,029."
• "[19:45] Liz Wilcox: This is something I've done over and over and over again. I first launched this annual pass in 2021..."
• "[34:50] Liz Wilcox: 29% of sales this last week came from affiliates. Thank you so much."
• "[58:40] Liz Wilcox: This was a highly successful launch that I could not be more grateful for. Thank you so much for all you do for being here in the community."

For more insights and detailed strategies, listeners are encouraged to tune in to Episode 56 and explore previous episodes mentioned by Liz, such as Episode 54 and Episode 52.