How do you get the people within your reach off the fence and into how-to-get-backers-off-sidelinesyour campaign as an engaged backer? In this second part of a two-part mini-training, Tyler shares a load of ideas on how to encourage the 4 different types of “sideliners” to support your project.

This episode’s featured vendor is StickerMule custom stickers and more. Go to ComixLaunch.com/stickermule and get a $10 credit on your next order.

Session Table Setting

Welcome back.
Here’s Part 2 of a Two Part Training that, especially if you’re in the middle of a Kickstarter right now, or are about to launch one, could be the most important training you need right now.

In you haven’t listened to Part One, ComixLaunch.com/session068 Hit pause on this one and go listen to that now. It’s good!
We lay the groundwork, the foundation and cover the psychology of the sideliners in Part 1. In part 2, we’re going to talk about how that understanding gets put into practice, with loads of examples.

Acknowledge

Sam Costello
Split Lip Kickstarter – Sam joined us ComixLaunch.com/session063 to talk about the relaunch of his Kickstarter campaign.
Sam discussed his relaunch plan on this show, and we brainstormed together some ideas.
Happy to report that Sam’s relaunch was a success… and in fact, earned the support of more backers than his previous failed Kickstarter launch.
So, we’re thrilled for Sam, and again, we love stories like this… not about never getting knocked down, it’s about picking yourself back up, learning lessons, making changes, and trying again.

 

Jenny Wood

Flutter Kickstarter a success!
We heard from Jenny on ComixLaunch.com/session065
Exceeded her goal which will help bring her series to a close and to print.

Joe Schmalke
Whore of Babylon campaign – wrapped up recently.
3rd campaign… first time he broke into the 5 Figure level, raising over 11K in funding.
Joe a friend of the show and semi-local creator.
Could be wrong, but I think he put a few ideas in the ComixLaunch Kickstarter Update Guide to tremendous use.
ComixLaunch.com/Club to get free copy of that guide, and also a taste of what being a member of Club ComixLaunch on Patreon is like.

 

Listener Feedback

My favorite time… Negative Feedback

Review Posted on iTunes

Good, but too much filler – 2 Stars

Okay, I want to say just a few things about this.
Last time I shared a negative review, I heard from a few listeners who said that review made them angry, and we had a good laugh about that.  I share the review, though, not to get sympathy, empathy, or as a call to arms for listeners to come to my defense or anything.  I share it because it’s an opportunity for a bit of a teachable moment…

When you create anything and put it out into the world, it is no longer just yours.

Your art is your art, and other people’s reception, interpretation, acceptance, or in the case of this reviewers rejection of it is theirs.
There was a time when reading a review like that about something that I’ve created would have consumed me. Would have forced me to curl up into a little ball and question every single thing I’ve done on this show since the very beginning. Would have paralyzed me and derailed me and would have caused me to stop going.

Thankfully, now is not that time, and I’ve gotten better at dealing with and accepting criticism for what it is… one person’s truth a given moment in time.

And I want you guys listening to this to know that this will happen to you too if you’re brave enough to do what, frankly, most people in this world are not… and that’s to put yourself and your work and your art out there into the world for judgement, for acceptance, and yes, for rejection.
Criticism is never easy to hear, but it isn’t something to fear.

But I will be perfectly honest… getting a review like that gets a whole lot easier to take when the very next review is:

Required Listening – 5 Stars
Tyler James and the ComixLaunch podcast are indespensible…

All that said, CC Lia, I do want to thank you for a few points:

1) I do want to up my podcasting game.
I’m about a year and a half into this thing… and there are a ton of things I want to improve and get better at as a podcaster/broadcaster.
I’ve recorded roughly 60 hours of episodes… which is a long, long way from my 10K hours.
And in-particular, I want to make sure that this show is a good use of my listeners precious time… and I’m certainly always considering ways to make it more efficient, more actionable, and more effective for my listeners.

2) I do want to let you know that there’s a reason why I take my time on some of these things. Sure, most of the episode of ComixLaunch I could bullet the main ideas and take aways on post-it note. And maybe there’s an alternate reality version of this show that’s a minute long as an episode. At the same time, as an educator with a M.Ed from Harvard, I know that most learners don’t learn and retain bullet points… unless they’re grounded in story, and explained in some depth, and misconceptions are debunked, and examples are given, and so on. So, that’s why it’s not just bullets and tips and see you next week. Can I get better at delivering the content efficiently. You bet I hope so. But for me personally, I tend to like the 30-60 minutes of podcasting… and I know listeners like Enrica Jang of Crossing and Red Stylo Media listens to this show on the treadmill and I can’t cut her runs too short now, can I?

3) And as far as time on the podcast spent talking about the other things of value I have to offer you and the rest of my listeners, be they my projects, comics, the books and projects of my guests, and the courses that are helping creators like you take their games to the next level and get results and bring more art bravely into this world, well, I’m going to give that a #sorrynotsorry. Because I believe in what I’m doing, I’m passionate about it, and I believe it would be a disservice not to tell my listeners about it.
And if you, CC Lia, are creating art that you believe in and are passionate about and think will make the world and the lives of your audience and the people within your reach better… and hope you will have the bravery to tell us about it, too.
Again, though, I appreciate your truth, and you taking the time to review the show. ComixLaunch.com/review

I did get a huge kick out of the suggestion that I’ve brainwashed the listeners and made them drink the ComixLaunch Kool-aid over here for those 5 star reviews… but as Rick and Joe and Sam and so many others who have put the ComixLaunch principles to good use in their own creative life are killing it show,
“If the Kool-Aid works, keep drinking it.”
I might have to put that on a t-shirt.

 

What is Today’s Episode About?

Training Show

  • Recap Part 1
    • Derek Halpern SocialTriggers.com for the framework.
    • Your Reach
      • Take My Money
      • Not Interested
      • Sideliners
        • Indifferent
          • Don’t care
        • Skeptical
          • Don’t believe you
        • Worrier
          • Don’t believe in themselves
        • Procrastinator
          • Don’t want to act now.
    • Everyone Else – Ignore
  • 1. How to Make the Indifferent care
    • The Indifferent’s biggest barrier is that they don’t care about what you’re selling.
    • That doesn’t mean they aren’t a fit, it just means you need to show them why they should care.
      • Key Idea – Why is your project important and who is it important for? Why are you the right person to tell it? Why now? Why does it matter?
      • Example 1
        • The Mighty Titan
          • Joe Martino – Tapped into his Why
      • Example 2
        • Align you project with a cause, and idea, a pain point, a troublespot…
        • Pick an edge – Vanilla sells by established brands and market leaders, but YOU will never break into the icecream market with vanilla as your selling point.
        • What do your ideal readers care about?
        • Biggest Publishing project of all-time, Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls tapped into this brilliantly.
        • Concept of a storybook with short biographies about women is not a revolutionary concept…
          • 100 bedtime storiesabout the life of 100 extraordinary women from the past and the present, illustrated by 100 female artists from every corner of the globe.
          • we unlocked our Surprise Stretch Goal! Which means that next January 2017 we will fly to Rwanda for 7 days of workshops for children and grown ups about female leadership. We are partnering with The Art House Rwanda, a local collective of artists based in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda and one of the most vibrant cities in East Africa.
          • “Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls” will not only be an opportunity to inspire young girls through the adventures of these unconventional women,
    • And that’s what you have to do when you’re dealing with The Indifferent.
      • You need to figure out what they really care about and then show them how your product will help them get it.
    • ComixLaunch Podcasts to Listen to follow up on this:
      • Kwanza
      • Jenny ComixLaunch.com/session065
  • #2 How to Make The Skeptic Trust You
    • The Skeptic’s biggest barrier is that they don’t trust you. They don’t trust that you’ll deliver what you’re promising, or that it’ll be as good as you say it is. They may even go so far as to think you’re a scammer.
    • Like with The Indifferent, sometimes we blame The Skeptics for their attitude and get defensive. You might be tempted to say, “No, you’re wrong! I’ll prove it to you!”
    • This will scare them away. It will put them on the defensive, and make them think you’ve got something to hide.
    • And that’s why you should welcome skepticism openly.
    • Even if you readily say, “I can relate. I used to think… But now I have a new way of looking at things. And here’s why…”
      • Do you see how that calmly switches their skepticism into a story about why they should buy?
      • The trick?
      • You meet the skeptic where they are, whether you tell a story about yourself or one of your fans, and gently take them towards your desired end result…the sale.
    • The longer you’ve been at this, assuming you’ve been doing things the right way, the less the ammunition the Skeptics have to work with.
      • Guys like Joe Schmalke or Jenny Wood are going to have less skeptics with 2 previous successful KS under their belt than someone like Rick Marks, who’s doing his first creator owned book and first Kickstater.
        • For those reasons, Rick made the very smart decision to set a relatively small and attainable Kickstarter goal and focus on digital rewards.
        • When Rick delivers… he’s going to have what all of us should be working on every single day… a track record of success.
        • Rick is earning the right to go after and set bigger goals on KS and elsewhere.
    • This is why Skin in the game is key?
      • Who are you more likely to support.
        • Kickstarter from a guy with an idea a few sketches and 100 words of copy on a KS page?
        • Kickstarter with a guy with an idea, a team, 25% finished, a clear and detailed time-table for finishing, a detailed budget breakdow, a well written FAQ and Risks section?
    • In practice, social proof is what you’re looking to add to your campaigns to help make the skeptics believe you’re good for it.
      • John Lees – At NYCC SINK #1. Videos. Gold.
      • Critical reviews from established sites.
      • Blurbs from known creators in same space.
      • Actual customers.
      • Sales of previous books.
        • #1 determination of whether or not a book will sell in the book market. Did the last book by the author sell?
  • #3 How to Make the Worrier Believe In Themselves 
    • The Worrier’s biggest barrier is themselves. They can’t stop WORRYING. They always think, “I’m not the type of person who can back this. What if I try and then I fail? Will I feel stupid later if I back this?”
      • The bottom line is: Worriers don’t think they’re the kind of person who can benefit from your product or service. And that’s what keeps them from buying.
    • Now, most people think that the best way to deal with The Worrier is to tell them not to worry.
    • But instead of getting The Worrier to stop worrying, it pushes them away.
      • Detail the process step by step.
      • Offer a satisfaction guarantee.
      • Give a free sample.
      • Offer a range of pledges.
    • But the point is that you MUST anticipate and address the worry before your prospect even thinks of it.
  • #4 How to Make the Procrastinator Stop Procrastinating
    • The Procrastinator’s biggest barrier is procrastination.
      • Unlike The Indifferent, these Sideliners already want what you’re promising. Unlike The Skeptics, they already trust you. And unlike The Worriers, they believe that they can benefit from what you’re selling…
      • …But there’s still something holding them back.
      • They think, “Do I really need this now? Can I wait and see if something better comes along?”
      • For whatever reason, they don’t see why a purchase has to happen right now, so they put it off forever.
    • How can you get The Procrastinator to act now?
      • Wrong Move
        • Kickstarter Exclusive!!!!
          • And then you make it available after the Kickstarter. (Even worse, at a discount)
          • Scammy.
          • Doesn’t Kickstart.
          • Kickstarter should be the start of selling season for your projects not the end of it.
      • No one likes to feel pressured or manipulated.
      • The good news is that you can get Procrastinators to act now without being sleazy. How? Show them how acting now is in their benefit.
        • Truly limited pledges.
          • Original art or covers.
          • Limited # of script critiques.
          • 2 spots to be a character in the book.
      • The antidote to Procrastination is FOMO.
        • So, there need to be something they miss out on.
      • The Standard Campaign
        • – John Lees live workshop on horror writing.
        • Backers only invite.
        • Truly limited, because can’t go back in time.
        • Only Live once.
      • The Clockticking Bonus
        • Day One Bonuses
          • Ryan K Lindsay – $3+ Level Bundle of 4 bonus comics from him or creators he’s worked with or networked with. Believe there’s a ComixTribe title in there as well.
          • Ryan will be coming on the show for a Digital Comics Kickstarter Masterclass soon… a 201 session to the 101 we did last year.
          • Great strategy… if you have access to great bonus rewards like Ryan. But what if you don’t?
          • One of the problems I’m trying to solve within the ComixLaunch Course… ComixLaunch Exchange.
          • ComixLaunch.com/course
        • Mid-Campaign /Deadzone bonuses.
          • Don’t ever punish your early backers… add value to them.
      • The point is that you can get Procrastinators to act now by giving them an incentive
      • The controversial Discount… (But don’t discount)!
        • You don’t want them thinking about price, you want them thinking about product and value.
        • But, Discounts are also powerful.
      • Test!

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to highlight our featured vendor…

This episode’s featured vendor is StickerMule custom stickers and more. Go to ComixLaunch.com/stickermule and get a $10 credit on your next order.

sticker-mule-inline-dark

So, I just re-ordered another batch of custom diecut C is for Cthulhu refrigerator magnets from the fine folks at StickerMule… and our fans have gone absolutely nuts for these things. Who knew.
When you’re planning your Kickstarter rewards you definitely want to consider unique swag and custom items.

Backers love them…
And you’ll love them because they add perceived value and higher margins to your campaigns.

StickerMule is one of my favorite vendors for Stickers, Labels, Magnets and more. We’re talking:

  • Diecut stickers
  • circle, square, rectangular and oval stickers.
  • Bumper stickers
  • Clear stickers
  • Kiss Cut Sktckers
  • Transfer stickers
  • Sticker sheets — (Doing these for your characters is awesome.
  • Even Giant sized wall and floor graphics.

Check out the website and I guarantee you’re going to get some ideas… and it’s a great company to just try out because they allow really small orders with super fast turnaround times.

Use our referral link at ComixLaunch.com/stickermule and you’ll get $10.00 to put towards your next order when you try them out.
ComixLaunch.com/stickermule

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [069]
[Activity description]
1) How will you make the worrier comfortable?
2) How will you make the the procrastinator act now?

Why So Important
Invite to share results @ comixlaunch.com/voicemail or in an email [email protected]

Wrap Up

Okay, we just wrapped up a Killer 2 part series on getting those sideliners off the sidelines and into your campaigns as backers.
I gave you ComixLaunchers the past two weeks to brainstorm ideas for how you might address the four types of sideliners.
Seriously, that 4 quadrant exercise could be the key to your entire marketing efforts… because that’s where your time should be spent.

Any special announcements
Bring on the guests… I’m getting serious about packing Q4 with some of the best guests we’ve ever had on the podcast. You all are in for a tremendous treat coming up.

Quote
“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” – Mark Twain

Can’t beat Mr. Clemons.

I hope, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing next, you exit this podcast feeling a little more empowered. A little more energetic. A little more hopeful. And a little more great.

In future episodes, We’re going to go even deeper into both mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.

Thank you so much for listening, and for letting me walk with you, as you taken another step forward toward your next successful ComixLaunch.

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

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They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

>>> CLICK HERE TO LEAVE A REVIEW ON iTUNES <<<

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