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What the Mafia Can Teach You About Pre-Launch Marketing
What does the mafia have to do with pre-launch marketing?
More than you’d expect.
At Social Media Marketing World, I told a story about undercover FBI agent Joe Pistone. And while his story has nothing to do with launching an online course or selling a service, there’s one part of it I haven’t stopped thinking about.
Because Joe understood something we could all use in our marketing:
You don’t always have to convince people.
Sometimes, you need to create the right environment and give them enough time to come to their own conclusion.
Why Autonomy Matters in Pre-Launch Marketing
In last week’s episode, I talked about the three things I believed were essential to Anticipation Marketing™: buzz, demand and desire, and belief.
But I realized I was missing one.
Autonomy.
And Joe Pistone’s story is a pretty wild example of why it matters.
When Joe was trying to infiltrate the mafia, he couldn’t walk into a bar on day one and convince everyone he belonged there.
Instead, he showed up.
And showed up.
And showed up.
For more than six months.
Eventually, a bartender named Charlie invited Joe into a gambling night that would give him access to members of New York City’s mafia families.
Joe didn’t sell Charlie on Joe.
Charlie sold himself on Joe.
That distinction is at the heart of how I want us to think about marketing.
What Pre-Launch Marketing Can Learn From Joe Pistone
Your buyers probably aren’t sitting around waiting for one perfectly worded Instagram post to convince them to buy.
They’re watching.
They’re gathering information.
They’re figuring out whether your offer is right for them.
Good pre-launch marketing gives them room to do that.
A few things we’re digging into in this episode:
- Why pre-launch marketing sometimes needs more patience than we’d like
- What changes when you stop making “convince them” your marketing goal
- How autonomy can help create internal motivation in your potential buyers
- Why the environment you create before your launch can influence what happens when the doors finally open
And there’s an important difference between creating that environment and trying to pressure someone into making a decision.
That difference is what we’re unpacking in this episode.
How Pre-Launch Marketing Pulls Buyers Toward You
I used to say that selling made me feel itchy.
What I really didn’t like was the idea that selling meant convincing someone.
But what if your job isn’t to convince?
What if your pre-launch marketing could create enough buzz, desire, belief, and autonomy that the right people start moving toward the offer themselves?
They’re not being pushed into a decision.
They’re asking, “How can I buy this?”
That’s a very different kind of launch.
Listen to last week’s episode here.
And if you want support creating a smarter pre-launch strategy for your own offer, explore ways to work with me.
You can also find me on Instagram at @BrennaMcGowanCo, where I’m sharing behind-the-scenes content as I work through my own pre-launch.
Next Steps:
- Let’s work together! Book a strategy call
- Join the Behind the Launch Facebook Group
- Connect on Instagram
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Thanks for Listening!
Brenna
