Product Launch Success with Sigrun

Sigrun never expected to become a millionaire. Entrepreneurship, for young girls in Iceland, was unrealistic. Becoming an expert entrepreneur who learned how to master the art of the product launch—forget it.

But sitting next to the radio, that six-year-old girl named Sigrun waited with bated breath to hear her story. It was, in fact, the first story she ever wrote, which was picked out of her entire class as the winner. And her story would now be read live on the only radio station in Iceland. This dream of hers, to be a writer, may have been newfound, but she was ecstatic and confident that she was about to embark on the life path of an author. 

“You can’t live from being an author,” her mother told her. 

“So,” Sigrun recounted, “I needed to find something else. And then I realized teachers have four months off. So when I was eight, I realized I could be an author in the summertime and a teacher the rest of the year.” 

Alas, when Sigrun turned eleven, the teachers went on strike. “So I asked my teacher, ‘Why are you going on strike?’ And he said, ‘They pay us too little money.’ And so, I decided to become an architect.” 

Accountability in Authorship

Several decades later, despite career changes, her dream of being an author never quite went away. It always sat there in the back of her mind, tugging at her, begging her to write her inspired words on a page. But society’s concerns of not making enough money as an author hitchhiked along with her passion. 

Throughout her career, Sigrun made attempts at writing a book but never managed to finish. In 2016, she publicly declared that this would be the year she’d finally do it, but again, she didn’t follow through. Frustrated with herself, Sigrun realized she needed accountability. “I obviously need to do what others do which is getting a coach, getting deadlines, and you know, they follow through,” she explained.

That’s when Sigrun decided to work with book publishing coach Dr. Angela Lauria of Difference Press. Sigrun had been following Angela on social media and was attracted to her group coaching program’s step-by-step process for writing a book. She also appreciated Lauria’s philosophy of choosing a specific, marketable topic versus something too general—an easy trap to fall in. 

Sigrun’s initial book concept centered on highlighting successful self-made women, but Angela’s guidance steered her toward a more focused approach.  “I realized this idea of self-made successful women was a little bit too general,” she shared. 

Aligning Book Writing and Business Offerings

With this realization and Angela’s guidance, she decided to align the book with her existing course, creating a synergy between her written content and her business offerings. This strategic decision to conduct a product launch not only streamlined her book-writing process but also set the stage for generating leads and expanding her clientele—setting the foundation so that she would, in fact, earn money as an author. 

Despite her experience, Sigrun embraced the role of a diligent student, meticulously following the process Angela laid out. She identified her ideal reader, carefully crafting her message to resonate with that one person. Through this process, Sigrun found clarity and a deeper connection with her audience. 

Even with all these advantages, Sigrun still found the writing process challenging at times. Some days she could only squeeze out a few hundred words; other days she miraculously wrote thousands. Having deadlines from Difference Press’s coaching program kept her on track. “I really needed them,” Sigrun said. “You just have to have them. It was so helpful to have deadlines.” 

The Big Pay Off

The dedication paid off. Shortly after publishing her book, Kickstart Your Online Business: Create an Online Course and Start to Make Sales, Sigrun saw tremendous success. She launched the book while— ironically—traveling around Iceland on vacation. With no marketing plan in place, she had to hustle, sending daily emails to her list and blasting social media. That weekend alone, her book ranked number one in ten categories on Amazon and even reached number two in all English business books in Germany. 

Sigrun credits her engaged community for much of the early buzz. Existing clients and fans immediately told others about the book, driving significant downloads. She pushed hard for reviews too, incentivizing with free bonuses. Before long, Kickstart Your Online Business soared past 100 reviews on Amazon.  

And the book delivered on its intended purpose: a product launch that would attract new leads. 

“People write in the testimonials that they’re going to buy the course,” Sigrun said. “So it obviously works as a lead generation.” The next launch after her book released, Sigrun had her first ever $2 million launch. 

Lead Generation with a Product Launch

Today, Sigrun is doubling down on the book’s lead generation power by creating an elaborate sales funnel around it. She plans to run Facebook ads to the book funnel for five months straight, letting it build momentum before her next big course launch. Reflecting on the process, Sigrun says writing the book brought many benefits beyond leads and sales. 

“There’s so much clarity that comes from writing the book,” she explained, including better understanding of her ideal clients and being able to easily repurpose content from the book for other marketing. She also uses the book constantly for networking and publicity. 

“It’s my business card now,” Sigrun said. She brings copies to events and meetings, handing them out strategically. She also secured a launch event at a major bookstore in her hometown of Reykjavik.  

For any entrepreneur considering writing a book, Sigrun has straightforward advice: “Everyone should write a book. That’s my first tip.” 

With a published book elevating your authority and credibility, opening doors for partnerships and collaborations, and serving as a powerful lead magnet, it’s clear to Sigrun that a book has infinite power in the business world. As Sigrun puts it, “Marketing is 90 percent, but put 100 percent into the writing.” 

With the right mindset and support, your book dreams can become a reality, too.