Do This and 2x Your Next Product Launch

Let me ask you something. How did your last product launch go?

If you’re like most store owners I talk to, you probably put a ton of time and energy into finding the perfect product. You invested in inventory, you were excited to offer something new, and then when you launched… to the sound of crickets. 

And if that’s happened to you, I want you to hear this clearly: it wasn’t because your product was a flop. It wasn’t because nobody wants what you’re selling.

It was a flawed strategy, not a flawed product.

There’s one step that most store owners skip entirely, and it’s the one that can genuinely double your launch results. It’s called a wait list launch, and I’m going to walk you through exactly how to do it.

What Is a Wait List Launch?

A wait list launch is simpler than it sounds. Before you launch a new product—or even relaunch an existing one—you take some time to collect a list of people who’ve raised their hand and said, “Hey, I’m interested. Let me know when this is available.”

That’s it. You’re not selling anything yet. You’re just building a pool of warm, interested people.

Here’s why this matters so much. Most store owners put all their time and energy into creating the product. Then they get it on their site, send a couple of emails, maybe post about it a few times on social media, and then wonder why sales are slow. And of course, the default feeling is that you failed. That the product wasn’t good enough.

The real problem? Not enough people—or sometimes no people at all—knew the product was coming. In your mind, it’s all you’ve been working on for months. But your audience doesn’t know that. Your email subscribers don’t know that. And that’s the flaw.

Why a Wait List Changes Everything

When you launch without a wait list, you’re asking people to go from “never heard of this” straight to “take my money.” That’s a hard jump. And your expectations don’t match the preparation you’ve done.

A wait list gives you a runway. You’re warming up your audience and building anticipation. From your customer’s perspective, it makes them feel more connected to your brand. 

When you tell someone “you get first dibs on this,” and “these will be available tomorrow”—that feels completely different from a random “look what I have for you, come and shop.”

That feeling of exclusivity is powerful. Your wait list subscribers feel like insiders. And that’s exactly the feeling you want people to have when you’re launching something new.

There’s another big benefit too: a wait list helps you predict demand. The size of that list and how engaged those subscribers are—whether they’re opening and clicking—tells you a lot about how your launch is going to go. In fact, you can count on your wait list converting at a much higher rate than your overall store conversion rate. If your store typically converts at 2%, your wait list might convert at 5–6%.

The Step-by-Step Wait List Launch Strategy

Let me walk you through this using a real example from one of our Inner Circle coaches, Morgan Lane Tanner. Morgan sells jewelry featuring photographs, and she wanted to launch two new necklace designs—one with waves and one with mountains.

Step 1: Build Awareness with a Hook

Morgan’s hook was simple and brilliant: “Help me design the next new product. Which one do you prefer—waves or mountains?”

She created about seven days of social media posts on Instagram and Facebook, each with different images and slightly different copy, all asking the same question. And people showed up in the comments. Because here’s the thing—people love to give you their opinion. Those posts on social media are usually full of comments, where other posts might just be crickets.

By the end of that week, Morgan had built a large pool of engaged people on social media who were now aware that something new was coming.

Step 2: Engage Your Email List

At the same time, Morgan sent the same kind of message to her existing email list. She showed images of both necklaces with a clickable button under each one. Those buttons applied a tag to each subscriber’s profile, telling Morgan exactly which necklace they preferred.

Between her social media engagement and her email results, Morgan could clearly see that the interest was almost evenly split. So she decided to launch both designs.

Step 3: Get People on the Wait List

Now Morgan had a warm audience across social media and email who already knew these products were coming. Her next step was to convert that awareness into a wait list.

She created several more social media posts that thanked people for their input, announced she was launching both necklaces, and directed them to a landing page to sign up. On the email side, she sent a “winner revealed” email, and existing subscribers could get on the wait list with just one click—no need to re-enter their information.

Everyone who signed up received an automated email: “You’re in. Check your inbox on [launch date]. You’ll be the first to shop.”

That’s exclusivity in action. You’re telling people they’ve set themselves apart from everyone else. They’ll get access before the general public, and there might not be any left by the time everyone else sees it.

Step 4: Launch in Two Stages

Morgan’s launch happened in two waves. First, she emailed her wait list and gave them 24 hours of exclusive early access. I’d actually recommend sending two emails during that window—one in the morning (“It’s here!”) and one in the evening (“Only a few hours left for your exclusive access”).

Then, the next day, she opened it up to everyone else. That meant emails to the rest of her list and social media posts announcing the public launch.

And here’s what happened: Morgan sold out. Every piece.

Why This Strategy Is So Powerful

Morgan’s results tell the whole story. She grew her email list through the process. She knew exactly what her audience wanted before committing to production numbers. She turned her inventory investment into cash quickly. And most importantly, it’s a strategy she can repeat a couple of times a year without needing to constantly come up with brand new products.

That last point is worth sitting with.

 You don’t need to be on a treadmill of launching something new every month. A few well-executed wait list launches per year can move the needle in a big way.

You Don’t Need a New Product to Do This

This is something I really want you to hear. You do not need a brand new product to use this strategy.

One of our coaches, Melissa Davies, sells bike helmets with straw hats that go on them—essentially a one-product store. She can’t launch new products all the time. But she used this very same wait list strategy to relaunch an existing product with new images and a redesigned product page, and it was very successful.

Think about how you could apply this to your business. Could you hold a vote on which products to include in a retirement sale? Could you ask your audience to choose between a percentage discount or a dollar-off offer for an upcoming event? Could you tease a seasonal restock with behind-the-scenes images of your workspace or a blurred photo of the product?

The key is to generate interest in what you’re offering and give people a reason to get on that wait list.

What to Remember

Here are the key takeaways I want you to walk away with:

• Build awareness first. Give yourself at least a week of social media posts and emails before you ask anyone to sign up. Get people engaged. Ask for their opinion. This is your warm-up.
  
• Make the call to action simple. After you’ve built awareness, the only ask is “get on the wait list.” That’s it.
  
• Use a buying trigger. Exclusivity works best—“You’ll shop 24 hours before anyone else.” You don’t need to offer a discount. The reason is they want it and they want to be the first to know. You can also lean on scarcity (“I only have 24 available”) or urgency (“This is only available until Friday”).
  
• Follow up so they don’t forget. Set up an automated response that confirms they’re on the list, tells them what they get for being on it, and reminds them to watch their inbox on launch day.
  
• Keep your messaging focused. During your launch, stick to one message. Don’t hit people with ten different things at once.
  
• Email more than you think you should. People don’t open every email. They don’t even see every email. Keep your eye on the prize—you want to sell out your launch, so give yourself the best opportunity to do that.
  
• Post on social media every day of your launch. Use buying triggers and give people a reason to buy. Don’t skip that step.

Now you know you can use this strategy to start getting the results you really want. Launch fewer products, less often, and still reach your goals.

Go make it happen.

RELATED LINKS:

Morgan's strategy to sell out her new collections https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/morgans-strategy-to-sell-out-her-new-collections-episode-221

€600+ sales with a list of 40. Here’s how. https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/proof-that-action-leads-to-results-episode-135

Here’s The Advice That Changed Everything For Shelley https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/heres-the-advice-that-changed-everything-for-shelley-episode-305

Organic Sales: Don't miss these 2 strategies https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/organic-sales-dont-miss-these-2-strategies-episode-282