Short answer: to run a 5 day challenge that sells, make the challenge a smaller version of your paid offer's end result, work out how many sign-ups you need, promote it for one to two weeks, open a community with a kickoff party, then deliver five short sessions with one aha moment and one action step each. Pitch on day three with a fast action bonus, follow up personally, and sell a low priced offer to everyone who didn't buy.

A 5 day challenge (some people call it a bootcamp, a workshop or a free mini course) is still one of the best ways to take a brand new audience from "who is she?" to "how do I join?" in a single week. But only if you run it properly.

I've run challenges live over three days, live over five days and pre-recorded over five days. These are the eight steps that make the difference between a challenge that's fun and a challenge that sells, with how long each takes, what done looks like, scripts to copy and an action plan at the end.

This is part of my ultimate guide to a 6 figure course launch, where the challenge is the conversion event at the heart of the launch.

Step 1: Set one promise that matches your paid offer

Your challenge is a try before you buy. It should be a snippet of your paid offer, with the same promise and a smaller scope. If your programme helps people get clients on LinkedIn, your challenge is about getting clients on LinkedIn, not "mindset for business".

Name it around the end result, not the problem. Some of your audience know exactly what their problem is. Others have no idea. If you lead with the problem, the second group scrolls past. Everyone knows the result they want. People join outcomes, not topics.

Time: 30 minutes. Done when: your challenge name says the result, and it's a smaller version of your paid offer's promise.

Step 2: Know your numbers before you promote

The average challenge converts around 1 to 3% of sign-ups. So if you want to sell 10 spots and use 3%, you need around 333 people to sign up. Work this out first, then map where every sign-up will come from. I break this down in how to have a 6 figure launch.

Time: 20 minutes. Done when: you have a sales target, a sign-up target and a source with a number next to every sign-up.

Step 3: Set up the opt-in, thank you page and reminders

• Opt-in page: a free option, plus a paid VIP upgrade for people who want extra access or resources. The VIP upgrade makes you money from day one and can cover your ad spend.
• Thank you page: put the action you most want as step one. Mine is join the community. Step two is add the dates to your calendar (we use a calendar link that adds every session in one click, opening in a new tab so they don't lose the page). Step three is the VIP upgrade.
• Reminders: emails and WhatsApp messages between sign-up and day one, and every day of the challenge. People are far more likely to open a WhatsApp than an email.

If the tech is the bit that stops you, hand it over. The Funnel Builder inside Ascendia OS builds your opt-in page, thank you page and VIP upgrade checkout for you, and the Email Marketer writes the reminder emails, so you can spend the half day on your content instead.

Time: Half a day. Done when: you've signed up yourself as a test, landed on the thank you page, joined the group, added the dates and received the first reminder.

Step 4: Promote it for one to two weeks

Two weeks is the sweet spot for a big challenge. Any longer and people forget they signed up. If you only need a few hundred sign-ups and you have a decent audience, one week can be enough. During promotion, use all four routes:

• Your social media, every day. Promo posts, value posts and stories with a call to action, reels, lives and comment below posts ("comment YES and I'll send you the link"). More comments means more reach.
• Other people's audiences. Guest speaking in groups, memberships and masterminds, live interviews and collaborations, Instagram or Facebook takeovers and promo days in Facebook groups. If you don't have a big audience yet, this is where most of your sign-ups will come from.
• Your audience's audience. Give prizes for sharing your graphic and tagging you, and set up an affiliate scheme so people earn commission if someone they bring in buys.
• Ads, when you're ready. I hit multiple five figure months and a six figure month before I ran a single ad. Perfect your challenge organically first, then use ads to amplify something you know works.

Time: 20 to 40 minutes a day for one to two weeks. Done when: you hit your daily sign-up target (total sign-ups ÷ promotion days) and log where each batch came from.

Step 5: Open the group with a kickoff party

Open your community a couple of days before day one (I like a Friday). Send an email 24 hours before and again an hour before saying the group is opening. Then go live: get everyone excited, explain how the five days will work, talk about the prizes, and ask them to share your graphic over the weekend. That one live brings in more sign-ups and gets people engaging before you've taught anything. More on this in kickoff parties and community.

Time: 30 to 45 minute live, plus two emails. Done when: the group is open, people are introducing themselves, and the share graphic is out.

Step 6: Deliver five short, focused days

Keep each day short. I now aim for around 20 minutes, because every day of a challenge you lose people, and the longer the session, the bigger the drop. Each day needs one aha moment and one action step, and people should post their action step in the group for feedback.

A simple shape for the five days:

• Day one: your story, your results, why you, and the first aha.
• Day two: go deeper and build belief.
• Day three: more value, then your pitch.
• Day four: more value, then pitch again.
• Day five: bring it all together, final pitch and fast action bonus.

The full breakdown is in what to teach on each day of a challenge.

If you're running it live, pick a time that suits your audience's time zones. When I ran live challenges from the UK, around 7pm UK time worked well because the kids were going to bed and it suited other time zones too. I also ran them Tuesday to Thursday, because reminder emails sent on a Sunday don't get opened, but Monday ones do.

Time: One afternoon to record or plan, then 20 minutes plus group time each day. Done when: each day has one aha, one action step and a reminder scheduled.

Step 7: Pitch on day three and follow up

Days one and two build trust. By day three, trust is high and attention is still at its peak, so that's when you pitch. (On a three day challenge, pitch on day two.) Make it a real pitch with a clear call to action, and add:

• A fast action bonus for the first 24 to 48 hours, so people buy while they're excited.
• A pay in full bonus for a stronger cash injection.

Then start conversations. Reply to every comment. Send DMs like: "Hi Sam, how are you finding the challenge? Any questions?" As the conversation flows, ask if they've considered joining the programme. They'll say yes, yes but (an objection you can help with), or no. No is fine. They might buy next time. If you want my pitch structure to work from, The 5-Figure Webinar Formula includes the pitch script and objection handling slides.

Keep posting in the group and on social every day, and email daily reminders about the bonus.

Time: Pitch around 15 to 20 minutes, then an hour a day of DMs. Done when: everyone who posted an action step has had a personal message.

Step 8: Keep cart open, then down sell

Sales come in on pitch day and then start to slow. Before they drop off, give people a reason to watch you again: a bonus masterclass, a Q&A or an extra live, where you remind them about the offer. Then close cart.

After that, promote a low priced down sell, around $47, to everyone who didn't buy. Some didn't trust you enough yet, some weren't ready, some couldn't afford it. A low priced offer gets them into something, builds trust and gives you another chance to sell your main offer. And look after the people who did buy, because a great experience keeps them working with you.

Finally, review your numbers: sign-ups, show up each day, sales, and where people dropped off. That's how each challenge gets better than the last.

Time: A week of cart open, then one hour to review. Done when: cart is closed, the down sell is live and you've written down sign-ups, show up per day, sales and your biggest drop.

For the full launch picture, read the ultimate guide to a 6 figure course launch.

Worked example: a $997 programme from a 5 day challenge

Example (illustrative): a consultant wants 10 sales of a $997 programme ($9,970).

• Sign-ups needed at 3%: 10 ÷ 0.03 = around 333.
• Lead Map: email list 120, social media 80, three guest spots at 25 each (75), two collaborations at 30 each (60). Total 335.
• Promotion: 10 days, so around 34 sign-ups a day.
• VIP upgrade: if a small number of people upgrade, that money can cover any ad spend.
• Pitch: day three, 48 hour bonus, pay in full bonus, then DMs to everyone who posted a task.
• After: a $47 down sell to non-buyers. 20 down sells is another $940, and those buyers are the warmest people for the next challenge.

Challenge benchmarks

Common challenge mistakes

• Mistake: Naming it after the problem. Fix: Name it after the result people want.
• Mistake: No reminders. Fix: Email and WhatsApp before day one and every day.
• Mistake: Hour-long days. Fix: Around 20 minutes with one aha and one action step.
• Mistake: A two sentence pitch on day five. Fix: A real pitch on day three, then again on days four and five.
• Mistake: Letting non-buyers go. Fix: Down sell around $47 and invite them to the next one.

Your action plan

Today

• Name your challenge around the end result.
• Work out your sign-up target at 3%.

This week

• Build the opt-in, thank you page, group and reminders.
• Write one aha and one action step per day.
• Book three guest spots or collaborations.

Next 30 days

• Promote for one to two weeks with the comment below post.
• Run the kickoff party and five days, pitching on day three.
• DM every engaged person, then launch the down sell and review your numbers.
• Read the ultimate guide to a 6 figure course launch to plan the full launch around your challenge.

Frequently asked questions

Should a challenge be three days or five days?

Five days gives you five touch points and more chances to pitch, which helps with a colder audience. Three days means less drop off and less energy for you. The colder your audience, the longer I'd make it.

How far in advance should I promote my challenge?

One to two weeks. Two weeks works best for most big challenges. Longer than that and people sign up, forget, and don't show up.

Do I need a Facebook group for my challenge?

You need a community of some kind. A Facebook group works well during a launch, but you can use whatever community you already have. It gives people a place to share wins, and those posts pull other people back in.

What should I sell after a 5 day challenge?

Your core offer, pitched on day three. Afterwards, offer a low priced down sell (around $47) to the people who didn't buy, and use it to sell your core offer again later.

Laurie Burrows is a UK-based marketing and sales strategist who has built a business that's generated multi-seven figures in sales through social media and digital marketing. Today, Laurie helps business owners use social media, content and digital marketing to get seen, attract more clients and make more sales. She's also the founder of Ascendia OS.