Opening and closing the cart
Lesson 20 of 31 in the course “Million Dollar Sales Course”. Free, with animations and a quiz.
Case: $27,000 from a $14.97 ebook
In lesson 19 you built your story, and the prelaunch from lesson 18 leads people to the offer. Now comes the day it was all for: opening sales. First, a case from Walker’s book. Susan Garrett, a dog trainer and multiple agility champion, decided to travel less after her husband had a heart attack. She had no list, no product and no tech skills. She emailed 1,200 past clients, and 700 subscribed. She turned old articles into an ebook and priced it at $14.97. Her prelaunch was emails only. Per Walker, the launch brought in $27,000, while her DVDs never made more than $10,000 in her best year. Why did it work? The prelaunch did the heavy lifting, and sales were open for just a few days that everyone knew about in advance.
Before you hit Send
The most painful loss in a launch is when people want to buy and can’t. A broken link, a buggy checkout, access that never arrives, and a warmed-up buyer walks away. Walker advises walking the whole buyer path yourself before the open-cart email, more than once. Does the sales page load? Do the links go to the right place? Any typos in the checkout? Does a test purchase go through? What does the buyer see after paying: a thank-you page, a receipt email, course access? Walker admits that even after dozens of launches he gets nervous before that button. That’s normal. The checklist on the diagram takes away half the nerves: you know the tech will hold. Misha makes a test purchase himself, then asks a friend to buy with a different card.
The open-cart email: short
Your prelaunch already said everything important. That’s why Walker’s open-cart email is almost empty: one sentence, a link to the sales page, a sign-off and a P.S. Why so short? People were waiting for this email, and they need a button, not another lecture. A long text just delays the click. Why the P.S.? In Walker’s experience, it’s the most-read part of an email. That’s where he puts an honest limit: say, that the live workshop spots will run out soon. He repeats the link under the P.S. Misha writes the same way: “That’s it, enrollment is open,” the link, his name, and in the P.S. he says the personal video review is only until Friday. The limit is real: he physically can’t do more reviews.
5 days: an email every day
For a first launch, Walker suggests keeping sales open for 5 days. Shorter is risky: if something breaks, you won’t have time to fix it. And the classic beginner mistake is going quiet after the open. His plan: Day 1: the open-cart email, and a second one 4 hours later, “everything’s running, here’s the link.” Day 2: the buzz, what people are saying and buying. Day 3: a long email answering common questions. Day 4: a warning that it closes in 24 hours, and exactly what people will lose. Day 5: an email in the morning and another 6–8 hours before close, maybe a third. Why does the last day matter so much? You saw in lesson 1: about half the orders come at the end. People put it off until the last minute, and if you go quiet, they never buy.
An honest close: what people lose
In lesson 5 you learned that scarcity has to be honest. Walker adds the mechanics: closing needs a consequence, or there’s no deadline. Per Walker, without a real consequence sales drop by about half. There are three kinds. The price goes up: simple and clear, but the weakest. The bonus goes away: with a strong bonus, this works better than a discount. The offer itself goes away: the next round isn’t soon, and this is usually the strongest. You can combine them. Why isn’t this pressure? People put off decisions anyway, and an honest deadline helps them finally decide whether they need it or not. Misha picks this: after Friday the price goes from $49 to $69, and the personal video review disappears. And he really does it.
If no one buys
Sometimes sales are open and there are almost no orders. Walker says don’t panic and don’t slash the price at random; find the leak in order. Step 1: tech. Open your own email, click the link, place an order. Does it all work? Step 2: traffic. Did the email arrive, how many opened, how many clicked, how many reached the page and the checkout? If nobody reaches the page, the copy isn’t the problem. Step 3: the message. If people arrive and don’t buy, it’s either the offer or the copy. The offer: does it solve what people really want, not what you wanted to make? The copy: is the change clear, what’s inside, the price, the guarantee? Why this order? The simple checks take minutes, and Walker has seen a tweaked offer save a launch right in the middle.
After the close
Sales are closed, but the launch isn’t over. Walker splits people into two groups. Buyers get more than they were promised: a couple of bonuses he never mentioned during sales. Why does this work? People are used to things getting worse after they buy, so when they get better, they remember and tell others. He also advises fast answers to questions and an automatic “getting started” series. Non-buyers: don’t push anything on them, and don’t delete them. They watched your prelaunch, and many will buy next time. Send them a couple more useful emails so the connection doesn’t cool off. Misha sends buyers a bonus lesson on audio that wasn’t in the description, and sends everyone else a breakdown of the three mistakes he saw most in the comments.
Do it yourself: your sales window
Grab a calendar and mark 5 days of sales right after the prelaunch. Before opening: walk the buyer path yourself and ask a friend to buy with a different card. Write the open-cart email: one sentence, a link, a sign-off, a P.S. with an honest limit. Write the other emails in advance: “all running,” the buzz, answers to questions, “closing in 24 hours,” and two last-day emails. Decide what latecomers lose: the price, a bonus or the offer itself, and write down how you’ll follow through. Prepare a surprise for buyers and two useful emails for everyone else. Why all in advance? During sales days there’ll be lots of questions and emotions, and you won’t have time to write emails from scratch. Next lesson: the webinar, selling live to one big room.
Check yourself
- Which open-cart email is better?
Correct answer: One line, a link and a P.S. about the Friday review. People were waiting for this email, and they need a button. Walker writes one line, adds the link and uses the P.S., the most-read part, for an honest limit. - What should he do on the last day?
Correct answer: Send an email in the morning and one 6–8 hours before close. About half the orders come on the last day: people wait until the end. Walker calls going quiet that day the big mistake and recommends 2–3 emails. - What should he check first?
Correct answer: Click the link in the email and place a test order. Walker goes in order: tech first, then traffic, then offer and copy. Zero orders after a good prelaunch most often means a broken link or checkout. - What about those who didn’t buy?
Correct answer: Keep them on the list and send a couple of useful emails. Walker reminds us: these people watched your prelaunch and already know you. Many will buy next time if the connection stays warm.