Smarter Launches Can Lead To Softer Summers

Summer launches don’t have to be slow.

In this episode of As Good As You Are, I sat down with Nikki Trailor—launch strategist, marketing coach, and host of Marketing Icks—to talk about what it really takes to make money in your business when the rest of the internet is on vacation.

Nikki built her business in the middle of the pandemic after the travel industry shut down. With time on her hands and zero online business experience, she went down the rabbit hole of online education, discovered marketing strategy, and never looked back.

Now she helps entrepreneurs create launch strategies that sell—without burnout, gimmicks, or endless hustle.

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Why Summer Launches Feel Harder

Most business owners see summer as “the slow season.” Clients are out of office. Leads dry up. Motivation dips.

But Nikki doesn’t buy into the myth that summer means sales are impossible.

“You still have a business to run,” she said. “Just because it’s harder doesn’t mean it won’t work. You just need to get smarter about the way you do it.”

Her approach? Prepare early. Build anticipation. And warm your audience before your promotion begins.

Because when summer hits, people’s attention is divided—and the only businesses that win are the ones that started the conversation weeks before.

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The Key: Pre-Sell Before You Launch

If there’s one thing Nikki preaches, it’s pre-selling.

That means starting the sales process before you officially promote.

“If you go into a launch knowing you’ve already sold a few spots, everything shifts,” she explained. “You have proof, confidence, and energy—and that energy is contagious.”

To do that, she uses what she calls a hand-raiser strategy:

• Send focused emails that hint at your upcoming offer.
• Track who’s clicking or engaging.
• Reach out personally to start a conversation before your launch even begins.

It’s part visibility, part psychology. When people feel like they discovered your offer early, they’re more invested.

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Summer Success Starts with Positioning

Nikki believes there’s no “wrong” type of offer for summer—only misaligned messaging.

Instead of rewriting your entire offer, tweak how you frame it.

For example:

• A DIY course can become “the perfect project to finish before September.”
• A one-to-one service can be framed as “done-for-you so you can relax.”
• A live program can be positioned as “a short, focused sprint before fall.”

“The success of a summer launch comes down to positioning,” she said. “If you know your audience’s objections—like not wanting to sit at a screen—you can flip it and make your offer feel like freedom, not work.”

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Launching with Ease (and a Timeline That Works)

Here’s how Nikki plans a stress-free summer promotion:

1. Start Early: Build awareness 6–8 weeks before launch.
2. Use a Waitlist: Drive people to sign up for updates, then keep them warm.
3. Send Consistent Emails: At least once a week—preferably twice—to stay top of mind.
4. Focus on Belief-Shifting Content: Help people understand why now is the right time to buy.
5. Communicate the “Why Now”: Don’t rely on fake urgency—help your audience see what they’ll miss by waiting.

“You don’t need high pressure,” she said. “You just need clarity. People buy when they understand why now is the moment to act.”

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The Lead Magnet Rethink

When it comes to growing your list before a launch, Nikki isn’t chasing trends—she’s chasing relevance.

Forget generic freebies. The best lead magnets now are quick, valuable, and genuinely useful.

“People don’t want another 10-point checklist they’ve seen everywhere,” she said. “They want something that gives them a win.”

Her advice:

• Give them a transformation, not information.
• Deliver it how they prefer to learn. (PDF, private podcast, or quick video.)
• Make it unmistakably yours.

And if you want to stand out? She’s loving the rise of custom GPTs as interactive lead magnets that give personalized results while showcasing your expertise.

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Being the Disruptor During Sales Seasons

After watching the chaos of Black Friday unfold year after year, Nikki predicts a new wave of “summer sales” for service-based businesses.

But her take on disruption isn’t louder—it’s more human.

“Everyone’s scaling everything—automation, AI, funnels. But what actually stands out now is interaction,” she said. “Give people more of you.”

That might look like:

• Hosting an open house (live or virtual).
• Offering a behind-the-scenes tour of your program.
• Running small-group Q&As instead of big webinars.

People are craving real connection—especially after being burned by faceless group programs that overpromised and underdelivered.

“There’s a level of mistrust now,” she said. “If you can show your audience what’s real, you win their trust faster than any sales page ever could.”

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Offers That Work (and Work for You)

When it comes to building scalable, human-first offers, Nikki is a big believer in asynchronous support—like voice or video messaging instead of constant calls.

“Most clients are busy. They don’t want to sit on Zoom all day,” she said. “They want access and progress without the pressure.”

It’s a model that allows her to serve more clients, maintain her energy, and protect her schedule.

Boundaries are part of her brand.

“I decided early on I’d never spend more than 20 hours a week at my desk,” she shared. “I reverse-engineered my business from there—my pricing, my offers, everything.”

The result? A six-figure business built on freedom, not fatigue.

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The Real Secret: Data, Boundaries, and Discipline

Nikki treats her calendar like a non-negotiable strategy.

Every boundary has a data-backed reason. Every goal connects to capacity.

“If I’m working more than 25 hours a week, something’s off,” she said. “That means I’m doing tasks that don’t drive revenue or joy.”

By reverse-engineering her income goals based on how she wants to live, she’s proven that flexibility doesn’t come from “doing less”—it comes from doing what matters most.

Because the real luxury isn’t freedom of time—it’s freedom of focus.