Tim Ikels

Tim Ikels

Creator, Publisher, Marketer. Freedom advocate.

Launch By Jeff Walker

These are my book notes on Launch by the author and creator of the famous Product Launch Formula®, Jeff Walker.

Let’s dive in.

Facts

  • Title: Launch
  • Subtitle: An Internet Millionaire’s Secret Formula To Sell Almost Anything Online, Build A Business You Love, And Live The Life Of Your Dreams
  • Author: Jeff Walker
  • Author’s website: jeffwalker.com
  • First published: 2014
  • Type: non fiction
  • Genre: online marketing / launching products
  • Rating: 5/5
  • Recommended: Yes (Hell, Yeah!)

I believe that entrepreneurs are the future of humanity. They’re the ones who are driving human progress, creating jobs, and building real value in the world. And that’s one of the reasons I’m so passionate about my business - it’s all about helping entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs.
- Jeff Walker

Table Of Contents Of The Book

  • A Note to the Reader
    1. From Stay-at-Home Dad to Six Figures in Seven Days
    2. Food Stamps to Six Figures: The Product Launch Formula Explained
    3. A License to Print Money: Your List
    4. The Sideways Sales Letter: How to Sell Your Stuff Like Crazy without Being “Salesy”
    5. Weapons of Mass Influence: The Mental Triggers
    6. The Shot across the Bow: Your Pre-Prelaunch
    7. Sell Them What They Want: The Magic of Prelaunch
    8. Show Me the Money: It’s Time to Launch!
    9. How to Start from Scratch: The Seed Launch
    10. How I Made a Million Dollars in a Single Hour: The JV Launch
    11. Creating a Business from the Ether: The Business Launch Formula
    12. Creating a Business You Love
    13. A Recipe for a Big Life
    14. It’s Your Time to Launch
  • Acknowledgments
  • Glossary
  • About the Author

Key Concepts & Ideas

I also believe that we are living in the greatest time in history for entrepreneurial growth and opportunity.

It’s never been easier to get started, and it’s never been easier to grow a business.

The ability to reach tightly niched markets on a global basis is simply unprecedented.

[…] Of course, that’s not to say that it’s easy.

There’s plenty of hard work involved, just like in any human accomplishment.

This is definitely not a get-rich-quick book.

But the formula has been proven over and over - it’s the roadmap to a fast start for your product or business.

After all, if you’re going to put in the work, it’s nice to know that you’re using a proven, tested system.

From Stay-at-Home Dad To Six Figures In Seven Days

What I’m talking about is creating a business (or building an existing business) generating profits right out of the gate.

A business with low overhead, low start-up costs, and minimal or no staff.

A business that is highly profitable and gives you great flexibility in your life.

And, last but not least, a business that creates great value in the world and allows you to “do good” at whatever level you choose.

The reality is this:

The Internet has completely changed the game for anyone who wants to have their own business.

It’s now easier, faster, and cheaper to start and run a business than at any time in history.

Food Stamps To Six Figures: The Product Launch Formula Explained

Here’s the big picture:

The Product Launch Formula® is a system to get your target market so engaged with your product (or business) that they almost beg you to sell it to them.

And this all happens before you even release the product.

It’s a very different world, and we’re never going back to the old ways of doing things.

Nowhere is this more true than in business, and in that arena, we’re going to focus on three huge changes:

  1. Speed of communication
  2. Cost of communication
  3. Interactivity

Jeff Walker On Sequences

People find conversations a lot more interesting than monologues or lectures.

You can’t rely on one single marketing message; instead you need to think in “sequences”.

Instead of relying on a single communication to make your point, you use a sequence of communications that build upon each other.

Your product launches use a series of sequences - pre-prelaunch, the prelaunch, the launch, and the post-launch.

So let’s take a quick look at the primary sequences in PLF:

  1. Pre-Prelaunch
  2. Prelaunch
  3. Launch
  4. Post-Launch

Jeff Walker On Stories

Stories are powerful.

They are how humans have passed down wisdom, knowledge, and culture for as long as we’ve been around.

If you want to make your business and your marketing memorable, then your marketing needs to tell a story.

That doesn’t mean you have to become a novelist, but you need to tell an engaging story about your products and services and why they matter to your prospect.

And you need to communicate that story to your prospects.

Jeff Walker On Mental Triggers

Humans are funny creatures.

We all like to think that we make rational, logical decisions.

But it’s really not that way.

In fact, the vast majority of our decisions and behaviors are based in emotion and mental programming - and then we use our precious logic to justify those decisions.

There are a number of mental triggers that influence those decisions and behaviors.

These triggers are always working just below our consciousness, and they exert enormous influence over how we act.

For instance, if we perceive something as being scarce, we will naturally give it more value.

Or if we consider someone as an authority figure, we are almost automatically more influenced by that person.

Or if we consider ourselves part of a community, we will overwhelmingly act in accordance with how we think the people in that community are supposed to act.

Those are just three mental triggers. (complete list below)

These triggers create enormous influence over our actions.

They are timeless, and they are universal.

They will not lose their power of persuasion anytime soon, and they work in any language, in any country, and just about any business.

And at the end of the day, no matter what business you’re in, you are really in the business of influencing your prospects and your clients.

And your launch sequence gives you the ultimate opportunity to activate those mental triggers that will influence your prospects and clients.

Jeff Walker On Combining Sequences, Story, And Mental Triggers

When you layer these mental triggers on top of each other, you’re not dependent on any one trigger but combining them to create a powerfully influential message.

Then you embed those mental triggers into a compelling and memorable story that cuts through the marketing fog, a story that connects your offer to the hopes, dreams, fears, and aspirations of your prospect.

And you deliver that story in a tight sequence that turns your launch into a big event that captures your prospects’ imaginations and builds anticipation toward your launch day.

Now you’ve got a formula for an incredible launch.

Jeff Walker On List Building

[…] What I had was almost the equivalent of a license to “print” money whenever I needed it.

I had an email list of clients and prospects, and that list gave me the ability to create income on demand.

Of course, there will always be work involved, but the bottom line is that having an email list is the closest thing you can have to a printing press that will print money for you.

List building is one of the core strategies I always focus on in every business I own.

Your list or database of prospects and loyal clients is always one of the most important assets in your business.

Obviously, you want a responsive list.

It’s better to have a list of 100 people where 60% of them open your emails (i.e., 60 people are reading your email) than a list of 1,000 where 1% open your emails (i.e., 10 people are reading your email).

So how do you build and maintain a responsive list?

Well, there’s a lot of strategy (and a little magic) in building a responsive list, but it really comes down to “relationship”.

And the easiest way to increase the responsiveness of your list is to increase the connection and relationship you have with your list.

Remember …

  1. The size of your list is not nearly as important as how responsive the list is, so your list relationship is extremely important.
  2. The entire PLF process is one of the best ways to build your relationship with your list.

9 Example Mental Triggers

  1. Authority
  2. Reciprocity
  3. Trust
  4. Anticipation
  5. Likeability
  6. Events and Ritual
  7. Community
  8. Scarcity
  9. Social Proof

Personal remark: You’ve seen me talking about RTR (respect, trust, rapport) or KLT (know, like, trust) before.

At the core, this is exactly what mental triggers are about…

More on that here.

Six Keys (Business Launch Formula)

  • Always Deliver High-Value Prelaunch Content in Your Launches
  • Always Be Building Your List and Building Your Relationship with That List
  • Make More Than One Offer
  • The Circle of Awesome: Seed to Internal to JV
  • Relaunches and Evergreen Launches
  • Take Care of Your Clients and Launch to Them Again

Closing Thoughts

My book notes only cover small parts of the book.

So if you like what you read, please consider buying the book from the author.

Thank you for reading and stay awesome,

Tim for Online Business Dude

PS: Start And Grow Your Own, Profitable Online Business From Scratch, Step-by-Step, Today!

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