109: How to Power Up Your Pre-Launch Using the Ash Chow’s POWER Framework (the Systems and Workflow Magic Podcast)

The Systems and Workflow Magic Podcast is brought to you by Dolly DeLong Education. This podcast is for creative business owners who want to learn tangible steps to automate their business through workflows, systems, tools, and strategies to go from scattered to streamlined with purpose because even muggles can become automated wizards!

Hey friends! We’re continuing our launch strategy suite with this week’s guest Ash Chow. Ash is a launch strategist and conversion copywriter who is going to share with us her mistakes to avoid when getting ready for your launch. Don’t skip this one!

Meet Ash Chow

Ash Chow is a Launch Strategist and conversion Copywriter who helps high-integrity experts and coaches develop a deeply human strategy for their content and launches that create a powerful emotional connection (while also skyrocketing their visibility and bank account).

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🔗Links mentioned:  ⭐️The Systems & Workflow Magic Bundle (this comes out at least once a year, and even if you miss it, you should still get on the waitlist to be notified of the next bundle!) (click here or click on the banner below) ⭐️A private podcast about the 4 different launching phases (here or click on the banner below) ⭐️A free workshop on how to get started with refining my top 5 recommended systems, workflows, and sops to impact the backend of your own creative business today! Sign up for this free 90-minute workshop and walk away with a game plan of action!

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CONNECT WITH ASH

• Website: ashchow.com
• IG:@itsashchow
• Her Freebie mentioned in the show: www.ashchow.com/prelaunch

CONNECT WITH DOLLY 

• Website: https://dollydelongphotography.com/
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/dollydelongeducation/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dollydelong
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/dollydelong/
• The Systems & Workflow Magic Podcast: https://www.dollydelongphotography.com/podcast

Want to listen to the other episodes in this series? Check them out here! Start with Episode 105 ⬇️

Episode 105: https://dollydelongphotography.com/2023/11/16/copywriting-tips-for-launching/

Episode 106: https://dollydelongphotography.com/2023/11/25/how-to-use-tiktok-for-launching/

Episode 107: https://dollydelongphotography.com/2023/12/03/easy-launches-during-busy-seasons/

Episode 108: https://dollydelongphotography.com/2023/12/10/how-to-host-a-webinar/

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Read The Shownotes + Transcript Here

Dolly DeLong: Welcome to the Systems and Workflow Magic podcast, where I help entrepreneurs go from scattered to streamlined in their creative businesses. I’m your host, Dolly DeLong, a wife, a mom, and a photographer turned systems educator. Join me every week as we have conversations centered around creating tactical workflows and automation in your business. Now, let’s make some strategic workflow magic. Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Systems and Workflow Magic podcast. I am your Systems and Workflow BFF and Guide, Dolly DeLong. And today, I am so honored to have a new friend on the podcast. I want to give a warm welcome to Ash Chow, who is a Launch Strategist. And a conversion copywriter who helps high-integrity experts and coaches develop a deeply human strategy for their content and launches that create a powerful emotional connection while also, this is the best part, while also skyrocketing their visibility and bank account. I love that. So Ash, welcome to the podcast. It’s so fun to meet you finally and get to connect with you both on this podcast and YouTube as well!

Ash Chow: well. Hi Dolly. Thank you so much for having me on. I’m very, very excited to be here. 

Dolly DeLong: Well, I I’m just thrilled to have you on. And I know I just gave a little introduction about you, but do you mind sharing with my audience a little bit more about you? I didn’t mention this, but audience Ash and I are meeting at 7 p.m. My time. And I don’t even know what time it is for you, but you are in a different area of the world. 

Ash Chow: Yes. Yes. I’m based in Melbourne, Australia. So thankfully it’s like 11 a.m. my time, but I think what you just said reminded me of just how lucky we are as online business owners to be able to network and you know, become friends with so many different business owners and clients from all around the world. You know, I’ve been super privileged to be able to like. Work with clients in like the US or UK, even while I’m, you know, like down under in Melbourne, Australia. And that’s been, I think the internet, as much as it has its cons, has opened up. Like, you know, it’s given us like a borderless business, which I so appreciate.

Dolly DeLong: Yeah. , I love how you formulated that, even though it has its cons, it has so many advantages and it has helped connect me with so many people. From all over the world. So I just want to say again, thank you so much for agreeing to come on the podcast and the YouTube channel. And I am selfishly excited that you are on the podcast for so many reasons, and you have very extensive knowledge about launching. And I know that my audience is going to love what you’re going to talk about. I mean, I. I’m going to be most likely taking notes too. I shared with you that like right before we hit record, but for those of you who are brand new to the systems and workflow magic podcast or YouTube, I am in the middle of a series centered around the topic of strategic launching. So what launching is, why it’s important, and how do apply it to your own creative business? And Ash is going to be talking about the topic of how to power up your pre-launch. And so if you feel like, Oh, this is too advanced for me. No, I want to encourage you, the listener or the viewer to take lots of notes and to listen in, because this could apply to a service that you already do and, or. a digital product that you are creating or revamping. So please listen up and this could apply to you in the next season of business you’re in. So either way, Ash has a lot of cool nuggets of wisdom to share. And I do want to share like while the open part period is when Money is made and this is vital for any type of launch. I have only launched four times and I’m learning more and more about the majority of the heavy lifting before the cart even opens up the heavy lifting happens during that pre-launch period. And so this is what Ash is going to be diving into. This is how to power up your pre-launch. So I’m kind of like setting this up for you, Ash, and I’m so excited for you to take it away.

Ash Chow: Thank you so much, Dolly, for such a great introduction. And yeah, you’re 100 percent correct. So as a, you know, launch strategist, I work with a lot of clients and I think most course creators are very, very focused on that open cart period because that is the period when, you know, you’ve launched your course and you are hoping that sales are rolling in. So yes, it’s super important. But I think what most people forget about is that there is a pre-launch phase that is also. Very important. And so to make sure we’re all on the same page, like the name suggests, the pre-launch phase is that pivotal period leading up to when you open the doors to your course. And so it can be anywhere from like the Three months out, like I know huge course creators like Amy Porterfield, you can start to see them ramping up their pre-launch, like two to three months out, or it can even be one month out or even like a week out. It doesn’t matter. Like, it’s just that period in the lead-up to your launch. The reason it is so important that you create content during this time is because now I’m willing to bet like the majority of your audience. aren’t ready to buy your course. Yeah. And what I mean by that is like, they are just not in that right state of mind because at any given moment, like right now, your audience is likely carrying a lot of those deeply rooted beliefs and objections that are deterring them from understanding why they should learn about the topic you’re teaching. Or causing them to doubt their ability to achieve the transformation you’re promising them. So if we look at a very practical example, let’s say you want to launch a YouTube course and you want to help people launch their own YouTube channel or split their business. But right now, a lot of people either believe YouTube is very saturated or, um, it’s too late for me to grow. I don’t think I can make space or grow an audience on there right now because it’s just so crowded. So, see how that’s like a belief deterring them from wanting to learn more about YouTube. Or, they may be thinking, I want to start a YouTube channel, but I’m not interesting enough, and I’m awkward on camera. And what if no one, I don’t think anyone wants to like, watch my life, or listen to what I have to say? So. Those are those beliefs that are causing them to doubt whether or not they can succeed on YouTube. And so then what happens is if you don’t create content addressing those beliefs, then what happens is when you launch and you say, Hey, my YouTube course is here. What will happen is your audience’s beliefs and objections are immediately going to flare up. and be top of mind for them, right? So they may see your announcement or they might jump on your sales page and they’d be like, cool, there’s a YouTube course, but oh, like, I think YouTube is too saturated, and oh, I’m not that interesting. And I’m scared of what people are going to think of me, blah, blah, blah. And so all those beliefs are going to convince them to buy your course. And so they may need to read that sales copy a bunch more times, or they may need to receive more emails and they may not end up buying until a lot later. Or not at all. That is why in your prelaunch, what you need to be doing is creating content before you even launch. So you can prime your audience to be in that right state of mind where they want to learn about your course. They understand why they should learn about it. And they understand why they should learn from you and not anyone else. So if there’s one thing to take away from this, it’s that your prelaunch is so important for priming your audience to be in that right state of mind.

Dolly DeLong:  I love this because again, like right before we hit record I was telling Ash that I was speaking with Emily Conley, who was also on the podcast in previous episodes, and she spoke about the importance of having a strategic copy for all the phases of a launch, but especially during that pre-launch phase. And she said the same thing. And I think it’s like this copywriter magic that you all seem to have like that. It’s so I hope if you’re listening or you’re watching you are paying close attention to what Ash is sharing with us again as fun as it is to go with the flow of life and just let things happen. I strongly, suggest that you don’t do that with your launches because you should have some sort of strategy in the pre-launch phase, and that warms up your audience tremendously. That helps them, like Ash was Sharing uncover some, maybe they don’t understand that these are like, what, like myths that they’re just like going on in their mind. It might be going on in the back of their mind, but it’s not at the forefront. But if you help them uncover it, you can help them unravel these negative mindsets. I don’t want to call it a negative mindset, but I just like it. These thought patterns that they might have, and every single week or leading up to, like, your specific launch period, you’re helping them uncover, like, getting closer and closer and closer to the solution, which is, You’re amazing. For example, in Ashe’s example, the amazing YouTube course. So by the way, everyone, I’m not putting out a YouTube course. , It’s like, you’re seeing my YouTube channel and you’re like, wow, Dolly, you need to work on your editing skills, but you guys one step at a time. 

Ash Chow: Yeah, that’s it. That is exactly right. Not about the YouTube quotes, but you’re exactly right about how, yes, you want to be. identifying what their thought patterns are and then helping them see a different way. So it’s not necessarily that it is what the, that the mindsets they’re holding are negative. It’s just that they maybe don’t know about your unique approach to the solution or why they need to learn about this specific topic that’s going to help them achieve their goals. 

Dolly DeLong: Can I ask you a question real fast? I feel like from your standpoint when you are working with your clients, especially in crafting very compelling copy for a launch period, how do you identify your ideal clients’ thought processes, especially in that pre-launch phase as a listener, I’m sure listeners are like, okay. But how? How do I do that? 

Ash Chow: Yeah, that’s a great question and it is pivotal for creating your launch strategy and your pre-launch strategy. It’s very much about understanding what is your audience’s current state of mind. And the best way to do that is through research. Practically speaking, it’s as simple as talking to your audience and finding out what they need. think, feel, and believe about the topic you’re teaching. You want to understand, okay, what are the current challenges they’re facing? What are the barriers that are stopping them from reaching their goals in this specific area? What do they commonly believe? So very practically, The way copywriters like to do research is we will send out surveys to the audience, asking those questions, like what challenges do you face when it comes to starting a YouTube channel or starting a podcast? If you, and that usually yields a lot of great responses and data in helping me understand these are the beliefs that they hold, or these are the challenges they’re facing. Now, if you don’t have a particularly large or engaged audience that you feel comfortable sending out a survey to. What I also love doing is just doing a lot of stalking on Facebook groups that the ideal audience is hanging out in, seeing what questions they’re asking, seeing how they’re talking about their struggles. So that’s helpful. And another secret weapon I love is using Reddit. Now, I find Reddit such a gold mine because it is like fairly anonymous and people are very, very honest on there because it is like fairly anonymous. And so what I love doing is, for example, I might type in, like, struggling to start a YouTube channel, Reddit. And then Google will pop up all of these forums where people are talking about those struggles. And then I would read through them and I would usually see what people are saying. They might be saying like, Oh, like, They might be saying like the algorithm is against me, or like they might say, I want to do this, but I feel like I need to look more professional or I feel like I need to have a better camera first. And so I look at that and I’m like, Oh, okay. So see how they have a belief that to succeed, they must need better equipment. So. Yeah, very practically speaking, I ask the audience, or I do stalking on platforms like Reddit and Facebook, but usually reading through what they say is what helps me identify those beliefs and objections and thought processes that are deterring them from seeing the value of the course we’re about to launch.

Dolly DeLong: I LOVE that idea. I’ve heard about people utilizing Reddit, but to be completely honest, I’ve never heard anybody explain how to use Reddit before. So you’re the first person because I’m, I mean I know what Reddit is, but I’ve never taken the time to check it out. And I’m like, okay, I need to go into Reddit right after this conversation. And just like what you said, search in the search bar and type in maybe like, I’m having trouble with my launching my product. Mm. And somebody would, I’m, I’m assuming like a bunch of answers would populate or forums would populate. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. 

Ash Chow: Well, my pro tip is to rather use the Reddit search bar, cause it’s a little iffy, I find the best results using Google, but I would put the word Reddit at the end so that Reddit search results will come up first. So in your example, it might be, you might type in like. Struggle to launch a course on Reddit and see what comes up and then you’ll see like a whole bunch of Reddit forums populate and you can just click on each one. It’s a much more effective way than using the Reddit search bar itself. So that’s a pro tip for all your listeners out there.

Dolly DeLong:  Okay. Ash can just drop the mic now. She’s like, like, seriously, I’ve always. I’ve heard this so many times from people either on podcasts or I’ve heard it like watching other YouTube videos and tutorials and I’m like, what do they mean by Reddit? Like, I know what Reddit is, but how do they utilize it? So this is, this is gold. So you all DM Ash and say thank you right after this, after you listened to this. Okay. So. What you were sharing, is like you need to prime your prospects to be in the right state of mind, especially during the pre-launch, and you do that using Google and Reddit together. So talk to us about what most biz owners get wrong about the pre-launch phase.

Ash Chow: I think this is a very, very great question because I think most course creators have a vague idea that they need a prelaunch. But what they do is they either neglect it because they have so much to juggle for the actual launch, which is fair enough. Or they think that a prelaunch is just about, you know, okay, all I have to do is create content that adds value and build type. And so those are two phrases that I hear a lot when I talk to clients or when I talk to my audience. And while they’re technically like, yes, your prelaunch. That’s not all there is, because if you think about it, like looking at the concept of add value, that in itself, it’s a very, very broad concept because add value means. A dozen different things, right? You and I can add value by obviously providing educational content like this, or providing encouragement to our audience, or being funny, being relatable, or even being polarizing is adding value in some way. But just because you are funny or encouraging doesn’t necessarily mean you are helping your audience understand the value of the topic you’re about to teach or understand why they need the solution. You’re about to offer, and it’s the same thing with build hype. Like, yes, we want our audience to be excited about our launch, right? Because we want them to care about the fact that we’re opening something up, or we want them to, you know, obviously jump on the sales page when it’s live and ready. What is the point of driving all of this traffic onto the sales page if, you know, the moment they get on there, those beliefs and objections that they have are again, going to flare up and make them like jump right off because they’ve successfully talked themselves out of it. So while adding value and building hype is important, your prelaunch content and your prelaunch strategy need to be so much more than just those two things. 

Dolly DeLong: I love that so much. And while you were talking, I was just furiously typing. I love that, you merged that so well together because we hadn’t started talking about the prelaunch, about how you need to talk about those limiting beliefs or those objections. That’s the word I’m looking for. Those objections that your clients may have. And then you like, so perfectly Merged the, okay, and this is also when you are building hype and there’s also, there’s this component of adding value and something that like I’ve noticed a lot in the education space is people say this all the time and you’ve probably heard it over and over, like add value, build hype. Yes, but you perfectly bridge that gap in my mind for my mind. And I’m excited for my listeners to like it. Get, get that puzzle piece in place in their mind as well. So like, again, if you need to re-listen to this episode, re-watch this episode, go back a few seconds, 30 seconds even, and re-listen to Ash explaining, like, how you can still build hype, awareness, excitement, and you’re still handling those objections or handling those. Like answering those limited belief questions, like you can do the two at the same time. 

Ash Chow: Yes, there’s add value, there’s build hype, keep doing all those things, but there also needs to be so much more you need to do to get your audience to that crucial right state of mind for your launch. 

Dolly DeLong: Exactly. And I also love the example you gave. Again, I’m going back to that Reddit example. That was a prime example of how you can go over that objection. Well, I don’t know how to research all of my clients’ objections. Like, Ash just literally gave us a prime example of how to do that, and then you can build hype with whatever answers you find for a particular topic you’re looking for. So, again, I am going to be Googling this, like, at the end of this conversation, because I, like, I’m so excited about applying what I just learned. So let’s talk about how to now like we, we understand all of these foundational phrases like building height, building awareness, adding value, talking about the objections. Okay, but how do you create an intentional pre-launch strategy?

Ash Chow: Knowing what we know about prelaunch it’s all about getting people to that right state of mind to create an actual effective prelaunch strategy where you’re not just pumping out content for the sake of it, what you need to do is first, as we talked about, identify What are your prospects current thoughts and beliefs? So what is their current state of mind? And we talked about that before, where to do that, you would research, you would ask them, you would go onto platforms like Reddit. So if we use the YouTube example, the current state of mind might be like, Oh, I need a better camera before I can start posting consistently on YouTube, or like, I feel like YouTube, it’s just too late to grow on there, it’s saturated, my videos aren’t taking off, I don’t, I don’t think this is the right platform to be on, or they might be saying things like, I want to, but I’m not interesting enough, no one cares, I don’t think anyone will care about what I have to say, I’m so awkward on camera, I have to wait until I have an aesthetic studio, so maybe that is their current state of mind, so that’s step one. So now once you’ve identified where they currently are, what you want to do then is identify what is the right state of mind for your course. Okay. So what is it that you need your audience to think, believe, and feel to feel ready to invest in your course? So in this YouTube example, it might be like, Well, for someone to want to spend a few hundred to a thousand dollars on a YouTube course, they need to believe that YouTube is still the best platform to be on for awareness and visibility and lead, right? They need to believe that like YouTube is still going to continue growing, it’s still going to continue being the great place to be, so they better get in on it now. They also need to believe that It doesn’t matter what equipment you have and that it is better to start with what you have, whether that’s like your smartphone or a hundred-dollar camera. A shitty tripod, whatever. Right? Like, it doesn’t matter. Yeah, your computer, it doesn’t matter. Like, just need, you don’t need the best equipment, you need to start with what you have. So we need your audience to believe that. And they also need to believe that they are worthy of it. sharing their stories. Like they have a voice that deserves to be heard. They have a message that deserves to be heard. So they need to believe that there is someone out there that needs to hear what they have to say. And that is why they should take that next step and get that message out there. So that’s the ideal state of mind. That’s all of the things we need them to believe and feel and all of that. Now that you’ve identified, okay, where they currently are and then where you want them to be. What you have to do then is just create the content that’s going to help them adopt those new thoughts and beliefs we’ve just mapped out, right? So I want you to think of your pre-launch content as like this vehicle or this bus that’s going to guide them from This place where they are hesitant and doubtful and skeptical, to this place where they are empowered to take the next step, where they do believe that this next step you’re offering is right for them and is worthy of the investment. I 

Dolly DeLong: love that so much. And you have a framework to go along this, right? 

Ash Chow: Yes, yes. Because I think when I, usually when I lay out the strategy, everyone’s like, yeah, cool. But then like, oh, oh my God, like I’ve got to create all of this content. Like, how do I, like, yes, I get that the content is going to guide them, but what exactly do I write? It feels overwhelming. And I want to say the goal here is not to add a bunch more things onto your plate, like creating more content, right? And it’s not to overwhelm you. It’s not to make you feel like there’s so much to do. It’s like? What I found is that so long as your content has these five pivotal objectives, it’s, it’s going to help guide the audience and help you understand what those objectives are, I created my signature power framework that I’d love to walk you all through. So, essentially, to power up your prelaunch, your content needs to prime your audience Overcome the objections, walk through the why behind your offer, establish your authority, and reshift the audience’s beliefs. Now, we don’t, we don’t have a visual of the framework, but if you think of it as a circle, and these are everything I just listed out, all of the things you need to be doing on repeat in the lead-up to your launch, and you know, we can go so much further into, into breaking it down, but. Those are, you know, the five key objectives.   

Dolly DeLong: Oh, I love it. Can I ask it, like, this might sound like a dumb question, but I was just thinking this. Can you do this even when you’re not in a launch period? Meaning, let’s say you want to always have people be aware of your services. And treat your services like a launch, even though you may know them as a business center, Oh, this service is always available to everybody at all times of the year. But is this possible to apply this framework to a service that you may want to treat as a launch? Does that make sense? 

Ash Chow: Yeah, it does. It does 100%. And yes, I have applied the Power Framework to a service, right? So you can apply it if you are about to launch a new service, or you can even refer to the same principles to promote an existing service that is always open. Because if you think about it, all it is, all the Power Framework is, is just about getting your audience to that right state of mind where they feel like empowered and ready. To take that next step with you, whatever that is, whether that’s a course, a four-figure service, whatever. 

Dolly DeLong: Gotcha. I was just thinking this, especially for my listeners who are service-based business centers. You may not yet have a digital course, or you may only be, you feel like, well, I, I just am a wedding photographer. I’m a graphic designer. I do this, but I was just thinking. About, comparing it to that feast or famine cycle that a lot of creatives face, this busyness happens, this feast that happens in certain seasons of your business. And of course, like your schedule is full during the feast, but then like that famine month is like two months. down the line and you don’t want to think about it or you’re, you’re forgetting about that. And then when that happens, you are stressed out. So maybe you can start incorporating this power framework to fill up your client roster two, three, or four months down the line. Like even if you’re So full right now, I want you to strategically think, how can I use this framework to my advantage to market myself and get people primed to book me two, three, or four months down the line? 

Ash Chow: Yeah, 100%. I love that you brought it up because it’s a very relatable, very relatable situation. And it is like the power framework, the things I’m talking about today can also be applied to a service. So if you think about, okay, what is that ideal state of mind? For my prospect to want to invest in my service, like maybe, for example. If you are like a systems and automation person, it’s like, okay, what, what will make someone want to invest in their systems? Okay. They have to believe that systems are the backbone of their entire business, right? They have to believe that systems are what keep your business running so that you can go on holidays or be sick and be okay and things like that. And maybe you might need to address this. A misconception that they have is that creative people don’t need systems, like all those things like that. So once you’ve identified the ideal state of mind, then you can use the power framework to start creating the content that’s going to help them believe those things.

Dolly DeLong: I love that. And yeah, let’s just like dive into priming your audience then, because I know you have a lot of notes about this and I am so excited about you sharing this.

Ash Chow: Yeah, of course. So the first element of the power framework is priming your audience. And all that is, is essentially like keeping the topic of your course or your service top of mind for your audience. So with the systems and automation example, you want to be always creating content about systems and automation so that your audience is thinking about that by the time you launch or they’re thinking about that about you. If you’re launching, um, a podcast course, start talking about, you know, the benefits of having a podcast. If you’re launching something about, uh, a product on how to collect, better testimonials, start talking about the importance of testimonials. And again, all of this is so that by the time you open the doors, they’re already thinking about it. It’s already front of mind for them. So when they see your course announcement or whatever, they’re like, Oh, that’s exactly, you know, what I need. And to help them get to that, like, that’s exactly what I need a point. Your content should be doing things like drumming up the desire for it. So Why should they invest in systems? Like what are the benefits of having systems? So what are the benefits of having a podcast? But then you also want to make them aware of the challenge, right? Like there’s a reason. Why they haven’t implemented a system yet, or why they haven’t created the podcast of their dreams yet? Right? So you want to be conveying the challenges and saying things like, Oh, this is why your podcast isn’t taking off yet. Or this is why your systems keep breaking or whatever it is. And then crucially, you want to be seeding the solution. So your content in your prelaunch needs to be talked about. What your unique approach to the solution is, and what you’ve done to solve the problem for yourself and for others so that your audience will want to learn from you and understand that you have the solution, which again will make them want to check out your course. So that’s, so that’s priming your audience in a nutshell.

Dolly DeLong: Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but in the same content piece, can you do the strumming up of the desire and conveying the challenges and seeding your solution? Can you, is that? Is this something that you teach your clients to do or do you have them break it apart? I’m just curious. 

Ash Chow: No, that’s a great question. I’m so glad you brought it up because yes, you can have one email for or one content piece like an email, a blog post, or an Instagram post. That hits all of those things I talk about, right? So you can either use it as a way to prompt your, brain for content ideas, like, okay, like I need to drum up desire, or you can have one content piece that achieves the whole thing. So you might start your email being like, I went, I like, I went on holiday, but I was, my business was still, you know, running in the background all thanks to my system. So right there, you’re drumming up desire, but then you’re like, you know, Most people, most of my clients aren’t at this stage yet because they don’t have a strategy for their systems. They don’t understand how their tech works. They don’t understand why they need it. So right there, you’re conveying the challenge, but then you might be like, but thanks to my unique framework or whatever it is, or thanks to the workflow I’ve set up for myself, or thanks to my unique framework, or thanks to the strategy that I have, I’m able to, you know, create systems in. less than a day or whatever it is that allow my clients and my businesses to keep working on like working on autopilot. 

Dolly DeLong: I know I put you on the spot! 

Ash Chow: (that’s okay)! So many of them, like you primed your audience to start thinking about systems, but then you’ve also achieved the sub-objectives of, I want that. But, oh yeah, I have all those problems. Oh, it looks like so and so has the solution. So better stay on her email list or like better sign up for her wait list. So yeah, that is priming your audience in a nutshell. 

Dolly DeLong: I love that example so much. And so that kind of weaves into then helping your audience overcome those objections, which is the next letter in your framework.

Ash Chow: Yeah, yeah. So the next one is, like you said, overcoming objections. And no matter what you’re selling, your audience is going to have objections, right? It’s just a very, very natural part of the decision-making process to have questions, be a little bit skeptical, be hesitant. And I think the ones that we commonly understand and face are things like cost. So like, Oh my, the cost of the service is too high right now. Or the cost of the product is too high. Another one is time, which is more so for courses. Like, I don’t have time to do a course. Like, I don’t have time to be in a group program. So those two objections are highlighted. Cost and time are objections that you are usually tackling. Within the open cart period, but in the prelaunch, what you need to do is tackle objections to words, and the topic of your course or service. So what are the doubts that are stopping people from wanting to learn more about the actual topic itself? So again, if we use the systems one, I know a very common objection or misconception towards the idea of implementing systems. I’m a creative. I don’t need systems. 

Dolly DeLong: Or I’m too dumb. Like, I’m so creative in my day. I’m too, I’m too dumb. Like, I don’t want to be held down by systems. I just want to be held down. Yeah, yeah. 

Ash Chow: Yeah. That’s a very, I don’t want to be restricted. I don’t want to be confined.

Dolly DeLong: Exactly. I want to do the artistic way of being, yeah, being free. Like, I’m like, I’ve heard this all and I am the same way. I don’t want to be restricted either, but it’s hard to explain how freeing you can be. It is to have systems in place. Like, I have more freedom in my life because it’s in place.

Ash Chow: Exactly, but like we said, that’s the objection people have. So obviously, if they believe that, they’re going to be less likely to pay three or four figures for someone to come in and create systems for them, or they’re going to be far less likely to buy a course about systems. So that’s why your content needs to acknowledge those objections, or beliefs, and then explain. What you, so you said it well, Dolly, systems is what gives you more freedom. Like that could be a post in and of itself and that’s you overcoming or addressing that objection. But the main point I want to point out here is that that’s what you’re doing in the pre-launch. So you’re not necessarily tackling how long it takes to do a course, but what you are tackling is what is the hesitation. stopping them from wanting to learn or commit to my topic. 

Dolly DeLong: Gotcha. And then you will most likely tackle those, like the price and the time during the launch period, I’m guessing.

Ash Chow: yes, exactly. Then during the launch, you would then obviously tackle like the investment objection, the time it takes, but to even like get them to the point where they’re thinking about, Oh, I want to learn this course, but it’s too long or it’s too expensive. You need to address why they should be learning about it in the first place or better yet, it’ll be easier to overcome those objections when they’re already sold on the initial idea of why they should learn about it or have it in the first place. 

Dolly DeLong: Ash, I’m like learning so much from you, and you’ve gone through so much. Do you mind sharing just a little bit more? 

Ash Chow: Yeah, yeah, so I’ll, um, quickly go through the last few bits of the framework, so you have everything you need to create your content, but essentially, after overcoming objections, you want to walk through your why. And this is essentially talking about, like, why. You created your product in the first place because you want people to connect with, you know, your mission and your purpose. After all, that is why they’ll want to learn from you over anyone else. Right? So you’d want to be thinking or creating content about what inspired you to create this offer or service, and what gap in the market. Are you feeling or what is the wider impact you’re hoping to make? So that’s walk through your why. And then after that establish your expertise, which is pretty self-explanatory, right? It’s establishing your credibility early on so that people know what you’re teaching and what you’re offering. works. And, you can do this by sharing case studies, testimonials, and all of that. And then finally there is reshift beliefs and it’s pretty much what I’ve been talking about the whole time. But essentially what you want your content to be doing is acknowledging. The current beliefs that your prospects have and then kind of helping them adopt a different point of view. So it could be like, Oh, I’m too dumb for systems might be a belief that they have, but then you say like your content might say no one is too dumb for systems or you don’t have to be smart to have systems or whatever it is that you believe. But that is essentially the power framework in a nutshell and you can find all of that recapped. In the free guide in the show notes. 

Dolly DeLong: Yeah, I will link that in the show notes. I’m so excited for people to get Their hands on this free. I mean this has been a master class in itself So like you all pay Ash just send her money after this I know we talked about addressing objections during a pre-launch phase and the launch phase and we now know how to like Actually research those objections, but can you quickly go over the difference between prelaunch content? And then launch content like those are two different types of content and even I I can get stuck in the weeds of these two and I want to get them so perfectly and then I get stuck or perfectionistic tendencies or whatever or sometimes some people just don’t know like they get stuck and then they don’t move forward. So how can you help a listener get unstuck in differentiating these two types of content? 

Ash Chow: Well, I first want to like to acknowledge that, yes, I think the reason you get so stuck is that there are a lot of similarities because if you’ve ever launched something before or marketed something before, you’d probably recognize a lot of the principles I’m talking about because you do that for your actual launch. All pre-launch is, is essentially like starting that process earlier before you’ve launched so that by the time you do launch, they’re already. Ready, and you can spend less time essentially doing the heavy lifting. So yes, there are similarities, but here are the three main differences I like to highlight. So the main, the first one is like the purpose, right? So during the launch, your purpose is obviously to make sales. Um, and to do that, you want to keep your product or your course top of mind. 

Dolly DeLong:  So you’re continuous. That’s the right state of mind that you were mentioning. 

Ash Chow: Well, yeah, the launch is about keeping the course top of mind, so reminding them you have a course. Whereas the pre-launch is about getting them to that right state of mind. Yeah, exactly what you said. It’s about getting them to that right state of mind by using things like the Power Framework. The second main difference that we kind of address is the type of objections you’re tackling. So during the launch, you’re tackling objections related to the course itself. So things like the course costs too much, or it’s going to take me too much time to do a course, or I don’t like group programs or PDFs or whatever it is you’re selling. Whereas in the pre-launch, you’re tackling objections. stopping them from committing to the topic. So it’s like, I don’t have time to start a podcast versus I don’t have time to do a podcast course. See the difference? Yes. Yeah. And then the last one is your call to action. So during the launch, the call to action is very obvious, which is buy my thing or hire me or potentially ask a question if you’re confused about buying the thing. So you just want to close the sale, but the pre-launch you can’t necessarily do that yet because your course isn’t open. But what you can do is, number one, ask people to join a waitlist to signify their interest. And, or, ask them to engage with your content and reflect on it so that they are, you know, adopting those new beliefs that they, you want them to have. So those are the three main differences.

Dolly DeLong: I love it. Thank you for breaking it down even more. Like, that was so helpful. And Ash, I, like, truly mean this. I’ve learned so much from Talking with you and engaging with you, and I’m excited for my audience to learn from this episode like y’all, I am dropping more hints to you that Ash is going to be a part of the systems and workflow magic bundle, the 4. 0 edition, and this is the launch edition. So do you love how like we are? I’m just breaking it down. We’re priming you. We are trying to excited about the importance of launching. Do you just love what I’m like? Yes. So, to the point of meta, yeah, meta, like we are, we are getting below the surface, but I want to convey to everyone, that I am bringing on all of these experts to showcase there are different elements or different puzzle pieces and systems. To launch that you need to dive into and uncover. And Ash has this incredible take on, I mean, through her power framework and the pre-launch strategy. And so I’m excited, Ash, about you sharing again, this is us like, Hey guys, like, this is going to be a part of the bundle. Like Ash, do you mind just kind of like teasing out what you are going to be contributing to the launch bundle?

Ash Chow: Absolutely. So, it’ll come as no surprise that I’ll be contributing a product called the Prelaunch Power Primer, which is a mini course walking you through exactly how to create your profitable prelaunch strategy to ensure that your audience is primed and ready to go. by your course. Now it’s going to help you get really crystal clear on how you can apply the principles I talked about to identify the pivotal topics for your pre-launch so you’re not wasting time creating other content that doesn’t prime your audience. How to determine, you know, the ideal length of your pre-launch runway and also how to apply the Power Framework to your offers, whether that is a course or you can also apply it to a service. So that is what I’m super excited to contribute. 

Dolly DeLong: I am so excited that you are going to be doing this. And I love that you brought up how to apply this to a service as well. Because again, shout out to all the OG listeners of the podcast. I know a lot of you listeners don’t yet have digital courses. You are service-based business centers. So yes, this applies to you still. I want you to know that you can prime your clients and your future customers Throughout the year and apply it to your marketing strategy as well so that you can fill up those spots and you don’t have to experience feast and famine. Like I don’t want you to experience this, in the upcoming months. So definitely check it out. And if you want to meet Ash, Ash, how can people connect with you? Find your work with you. Tell us all the things. 

Ash Chow: Yes. I’d love to hear from you after this. So if you’d love to connect, I hang out on Instagram at at it’s Ash Chow, and you can also find me on my website@www.ashchow.com. There should be a link below to download my free guide and join my email list where I like to send out lots of personal essays about launching and wrestling with the feelings when it comes to launching and all the human emotional side. So definitely come check it out. 

Dolly DeLong: Yes. I love that you shared that. You shared the real raw emotions of launching and all the feelings that go into it. ’cause the feelings are real and like, I’m like are real. Wow. I didn’t realize I was, I still have these middle school girl emotions about Yeah, actually, it’s just like, wow. That’s the way I name it. And like you, you might name it something else, but I’m like, wow. Like I haven’t experienced this much of a roller coaster. With my emotions since middle school, I’m like, and it’s normally during a launch phase, so you all get on her email list. She’ll, she’ll walk you through, it’s going to be okay, like, I love it. Well, thank you so much, Ash, and thank you everyone for joining us either on the podcast or the beautiful, gorgeous YouTube channel. I know you all are laughing because I’m still, I’m still working out the production part, but you all. The fact is you, you showed up, you’re watching it, you’re consuming it. And that means a lot to me. And I just, I’m thrilled that you listened all the way through or watched all the way through. And if you learned something from this episode, then I strongly want to encourage you to invite a business friend to consume it and learn from this as well. Subscribe and follow and leave a five-star review if you haven’t yet. And again, this series that we are in is all centered around the power of strategic launching, because again, I want you, even if you don’t have a digital product, I want you to learn how to launch your services and how to get out of that like feast or famine cycle so that you can apply these strategies to your marketing strategies. And like the next quarter, the next two quarters, whatever. So I just really want you to. Be more confident on the back end of your business. Okay. So until then have an extremely streamlined and magical week. You amazing muggle. I’m so glad you, you stay till the end and Ash, thank you for coming. And until then I will talk to you all next week. Bye. Thank you so much for listening to the systems and workflow magic podcast. You can find full show notes. from today’s episode at dollydelongphotography.com/podcast. If you love the podcast, I’d be so honored if you’d subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast player. Be sure to screenshot this episode, share it with your stories, and tag me at dollydelongeducation over on Instagram. Until next time, go make some strategic workflow magic.