This post will share what online Launch Managers do and outlines what skills you may already have as a virtual assistant or service provider and how those skills can be transferrable to an online Launch Manager role. Let’s dive in!
What does an online Launch Manager for coaches do?
In the strictest terms, an online Launch Manager is the person who helps to lead a coach and their team through the successful execution of the launch of an online program, course, or product.
However, as a Launch Manager, there are different levels of service that you can provide to support your clients.
Launch Strategy
Some Launch Managers provide strategic planning and advice to their clients. This could include things like annual and quarterly planning services, consulting on the marketing strategy for the launch, as Well as strategy around team structure and systems.
Launch Production
Most Launch Managers facilitate the production of the launch, which means they are responsible for overseeing the successful execution of the launch. This would include building out project plans, facilitating team communication, and making sure deadlines are met.
Launch Implementation
There are also Launch Managers who offer some level of implementation to support the launch. They made themselves actually execute the implementation or have their own team that facilitates the execution on behalf of the client.
Why Become an Online Launch Manager?
Adding online launch management to your either focusing solely on online launch management or adding online launch management to your offer suite has many benefits including:
- The opportunity to consistently grow your leadership skills. Leading launches are a very nuanced experience that requires a growth mindset and the willingness to grow. You will encounter varied personalities, different projects with varying scopes, new challenges, all of which stretch you outside of your comfort zone and encourage your personal and professional growth. Every new interaction is an opportunity to grow!
- Getting to work with different kinds of people. Being a launch manager you will be leading teams and typically teams of varied clients. Which means that you get to meet, interact, and collaborate with all different kinds of people. From agency owners, to consultants, to service providers like copywriters and designers. If you value the opportunity of being amidst diverse circles of people, becoming a launch manager is the perfect way to do that.
- The ability to raise your revenue. When you specialize in any area, regardless of whether you are a virtual assistant, service provider, consultant, or coach, you start to develop skill sets that are highly valued based on your level of expertise. And the deeper your expertise in a particular area, typically you’ll be able to charge a higher premium for that service.
- It can make marketing easier. When you offer specialized service, especially one that’s in high demand, your marketing can feel and be easier. Whether it’s your messaging, the content you create, knowing what circles of people to network in, when you’re clear on a specific outcome you provide and the specific types of businesses you provide that service to, it’s easier to be more specific and direct in your marketing and create better results.
- Creating more time freedom in your business. Now there’s definitely a balance here. Because depending on the complexity and scope of the launch is that you’re managing, they can be quite time and energy consuming. However if you choose to do something like launch a boutique launch management agency or charge a higher premium to work with a smaller handful of clients, it can create more time freedom in your business rather than working for a lower rate with more clients who demand just as much of your time.
- Having more influence in your clients businesses. I know one of the desires I had for myself as a virtual assistant was to be more involved in driving the direction of the business (whether that was within the scope of my role or expanding my role). Expanding my skill set into launch management, and now launch strategy, allowed me to become a strategic thought partner to my clients and rather than be someone who constantly took direction, I was directly involved in driving the direction of the business, our strategy, our projects, and our team.
How do I become an online Launch Manager for coaches?
Thinking about becoming online Launch Manager can seem intimidating if you’re not clear on exactly what they do, or even if you are clear.
What skills does an online launch manager need? Do I already have those skills? What skills will I need to learn? What will make me successful in the role?
These are some questions you may be asking yourself as a virtual assistant or service provider.
The fact is that if you been working in the online space is a virtual assistant or service provider, you likely have a lot of the skills required to become a launch manager, and maybe even a launch strategist.
The most important thing is to consider is what YOU actually WANT to do, what services you’d enjoy providing.
Here are some things to consider:
- Make an inventory of your current skill set, both hard skills (like technical or creative skills) and soft skills (like communication or leadership).
- Assess each of the skills for how much you actually enjoy doing them or how fulfilled they make you.
- Figure out which of the skills you are both proficient and enjoy and how they could potentially serve you in a role as a launch manager.
- Decide which skills to offer and have an understanding of which ones you may want to improve upon on your journey to becoming a launch manager.
What Kind of Skills as a Virtual Assistant or Service Provider Would Be Good for or Transferable to a Launch Manager Role?
- Technical: Most people with technical skills like web development, funnel building, automations and integrations, are very detail oriented and are already proficient problem solvers, both of which will serve well in a Launch Manager role.Regardless of whether you’re supporting with strategy management or implementation, detail oriented mess and problem-solving skills are integral to a launch manager skill set because it is sometimes the smallest changes that can have a big impact on the success of a launch as well as being able to proactively anticipate problems or find opportunities in the moment.Also when you understand the technical pieces that come together to create a launch, you’ll be much more adept at managing a team’s execution of those pieces.
- Administrative: Virtual assistants and service providers who focus on administrative skills are often very adept at organized multi-tasking and are strong communicators.Being organized and able to manage multiple or shifting priorities is highly valued in the Launch Manager role as launches have a lot of moving parts.And strong communication is key because successfully managing a launch relies heavily on positively interacting, communicating, and supporting the people that are making the launch happen!
- Creative: Virtual assistants and service providers who support clients with creative assets or services in the online space can make amazing launch managers and strategists.Their curiosity and flexibility lends itself well to a Launch Manager role as they tend to not get boxed in by doing something the same way every time and can role with the proverbial punches as they navigate a launch.
Now that you have an understanding of what an online Launch Manager does and the skills you already have to make you successful, it’s time to learn how those skills actually get put into practice.
I’ve created a day in the life of a launch manager checklist to support you in understanding the specific responsibilities that I launch manager takes on on a daily weekly monthly and as-needed basis to support clients through a successful launch.
