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  Launch

  This is a GREAT book about launching products and growing businesses, but it’s about so much more. It’s about creating a movement, making an impact, and delivering huge value into the marketplace—and it’s based on experience and results. If you want to bring your product, business, or movement into the world in a big way, then LAUNCH is your recipe book.

  —Daniel G. Amen, MD, Author of Change Your Brain, Change Your Life and eight other New York Times Bestsellers

  The title of this book, LAUNCH, is uniquely appropriate because Jeff Walker is the pioneer innovator of online marketing launches, as well as the online marketing industry’s foremost teacher. The careers of thousands of successful online entrepreneurs have already been launched by Jeff’s extraordinarily practical concepts, structures, strategies, tools, and processes. LAUNCH is a must read for all marketers—the go-to handbook for making money selling anything on the Internet.

  —Dan Sullivan, President and Founder of The Strategic Coach

  It took me four years to grow my first business to $5 million. Using Jeff Walker’s product launch model, I was able to hit $5 million in sales—in a brand-new business niche—my first year. Jeff has created one of the most important innovations in marketing in the last 100 years.

  —Eben Pagan, Founder of Hot Topic Media and Serial Online Entrepreneur

  Business is a succession of launches—new products, projects, promotions, incentives, partnerships, etc. To succeed you’ll need to master the launch. To do so you’ll want to study the master of the launch—Jeff Walker. Ten thousand hours and millions of dollars later, he has figured it out. Read this book and shorten your path to profits dramatically.

  —Darren Hardy, Publisher and Founding Editor of SUCCESS and New York Times Bestselling Author of The Compound Effect—Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success

  This book is a must read for everyone trying to influence and change people’s lives in a positive way. It’s a GREAT business book, but it’s also much more than a business book. I plan to get a copy for every Hay House author.

  —Reid Tracy, CEO, Hay House, Inc.

  Even though I am a 30+ year veteran in direct marketing, this book made me realize how much there is still to learn about being an excellent marketer . . . and a human being as well. As one of the heroes among heart-based entrepreneurs on the planet, Jeff has written possibly the most important book about both direct response marketing and entrepreneurship in the last decade.

  Anyone who thinks the word “launch” refers only to online marketing hasn’t been paying attention to direct response marketing over the last five decades (or more). And anyone who thinks that Jeff Walker hasn’t earned the right to own the word “launch” in today’s marketing landscape also hasn’t been paying attention.

  LAUNCH is a must read for anyone in business today—experienced or novice—who needs to get their product or service out to the world . . . and wants to do it with integrity and power.

  —Brian Kurz, Executive Vice President, Boardroom, Inc.

  This is not just a book. It’s a license to print money. (Okay, maybe I’m overstating it a bit, but not by much.) I used Jeff’s Product Launch Formula to create a seven-figure-plus business I absolutely love. And unlike some successful entrepreneurs, he holds nothing back. It’s all here—a proven strategy, real-world examples, and step-by-step instructions—everything you need to create a business you’re crazy about while making an incredible living doing it.

  —Michael Hyatt, New York Times Bestselling Author and Founder of PlatformUniversity.com

  The first day of launching a new business has always been a stressful, nerve-racking time. But since applying Jeff Walker’s ideas, we’ve turned these “launch days” into moments of celebration, success, and amazing cash flow as our businesses have managed to pull in incredible customer demand on day one. This has added millions to our bottom line and raised the valuation of our company immensely as day-one sales trumped all expectation.

  —Vishen Lakhiani, Founder and CEO, Mindvalley

  This isn’t a book as much as it is a recipe and a blueprint for changing you and your family’s financial fortune. It breaks down everything from the Seed Launch, where you start completely from scratch, all the way up to the mega JV Launches that can bring in millions in a matter of days. The process definitely takes some work, but if you get the process down and use it, then you can have nearly instant sales and momentum in your business. Not only will following Jeff’s formula make your success more possible, it will make it more probable. So buy Jeff’s book—after all, he’s the guy who sold a million dollars of his product in a single hour! LAUNCH has both of our full endorsements, and it can change your business and your life.

  —Joe Polish and Dean Jackson, ILoveMarketing.com

  When it comes to Internet marketing, Jeff Walker is a bonafide genius. Now with LAUNCH, he maps out exactly how you can successfully market any product or service online. A must read for all serious entrepreneurs.

  —Randy Gage, Author of the New York Times Bestseller, Risky Is the New Safe

  This book isn’t just for people who want to make a lot of money in their businesses really fast. This is for people who want to live their best life, doing what they were born to do, and serving the world. I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to make a bigger impact along with a much bigger income.

  —Christian Mickelson, CEO of CoachesWithClients.com

  Wow! What can you say about Jeff Walker? This guy owns the launch space. Believe me—if you’re looking to launch a product, business, or even a book, then pick up this book and read it NOW. I guarantee you won’t regret it.

  —Eric T. Wagner, Founder and CEO of Mighty Wise Academy, Writer on Forbes

  If I could say one word about Jeff Walker and LAUNCH, it would be: IMPACT. If you are looking for a huge positive impact on your business, your family, or in life, then LAUNCH is a must read. Don’t walk to get a copy . . . run, and let Jeff Walker help you create a great legacy for those around you.

  —JB Glossinger, Founder of MorningCoach.com

  In the early days of Web marketing, it was complete freaking chaos online. We knew we had unprecedented access to vast global audiences, but we lacked a simple, elegant way of introducing new products and closing sales.

  Enter Jeff Walker . . . who arrived well-versed in old-school direct marketing, coupled with a unique early-adopter’s grasp of the potential online. He explained his idea to me, early on, as simply turning a damn good sales letter on its side . . . and using every aspect of this powerful new technology to attract prospects, build their desire to the breaking point, and then transform their lives by fulfilling on the promises that drove them nuts over an extended process of education, sharing, and giving away teasingly good samples.

  The launch formula he perfected produced results for us far beyond any of our other online marketing efforts . . . time after time after time. It was stunning. And fun. And elegant in its simplicity. Jeff codified the way online launches will be conducted for generations to come.

  —John Carlton, Legendary Copywriter and Author of The Simple Writing System and The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Getting Your Shit Together

  I’ve known Jeff Walker for several years—I’ve watched the way he does business. It’s 100% based on building value, and that’s exactly what this book does. In LAUNCH he gives you the proven recipe for launching your product or business. Jeff teaches from experience, and he teaches with huge heart and great humility. His strategies are both revolutionary and incredibly effective.

  —Janet Bray Attwood, New York Times Bestselling Coauthor of The Passion Test

  Jeff has a long track record of overdelivering, and LAUNCH is no exception. It’s packed with real-world case studies,
usable step-by-step advice, and the kind of insights you get only from someone who’s been there, done that. This is probably the most valuable book you’ll read this year.

  —Paul Myers, Publisher of TalkBizNews.com

  I was lucky enough to spend a day in a small room with just a few dozen people listening to Jeff Walker teach his heart out. Every person in the room was riveted to their chair as he taught for nine straight hours. The strategies I learned that day completely transformed my business and my idea of what was possible. In LAUNCH, you get the strategies Jeff taught that day, and more. This is the business book of the year, and I’m personally buying a copy for all my top coaching students.

  —JJ Virgin, CNS, CHFS, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Virgin Diet and The Virgin Diet Cookbook

  People trust Jeff Walker because Walker has consistently for years been on the forefront of producing results online with his Product Launch Formula. Now he has distilled his system into LAUNCH so anyone can learn it, implement it, and launch it! It’s almost unfair, how easy he just made it for you. I won’t launch another book without using LAUNCH. Jeff Walker created the road map, and I plan to use it.

  —David Bach, Nine-time New York Times Bestselling Author and Creator of the FinishRich Book Series

  We’re completely biased about LAUNCH because we used Jeff Walker’s launch strategies to generate many millions of dollars in revenue over the past four years, all while costing us almost nothing to execute! That allowed us to play bigger and increase our positive impact on our clients all over the world.

  —Bob and Susan Negen, Founders of Whizbang Training

  I’ve read a lot of marketing and business books . . . and most of them spend 300 pages to get to one worthwhile idea. This is a serious, practical, comprehensive guide for the real world business owner. If you’ve ever wondered how to start your business or find more customers online, LAUNCH will help get you where you want to go.

  —Sonia Simone, Cofounder of Copyblogger Media

  If I could recommend only one book on how to start, build, and grow an online business, LAUNCH would be that book.

  —Ray Edwards, Founder and Publisher of RayEdwards.com

  While so many Internet marketers make bold promises, Jeff Walker quietly produces real results. This book will change how you think about marketing forever.

  —John Jantsch, Author of Duct Tape Marketing and Duct Tape Selling

  For anyone who yearns to be free of the 8-to-late grind, Jeff Walker is a map maker. Many books claim to offer a roadmap to success. LAUNCH really does. If you dream of turning your love of dogs or sports or wellness or just about any passion into a portable business that pays the bills AND feeds your soul, then you need to read this book.

  —Valerie Young, Dreamer in Residence of ChangingCourse.com

  “What Jeff Walker teaches in LAUNCH is vital for modern marketing success. You don’t need more tactics or tools; you need smart strategy, and that’s exactly what this book delivers.”

  —Marie Forleo, Founder of B-School, Award-Winning Host of MarieTV, MarieForleo.com

  First published in Great Britain by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd, 2014

  A CBS COMPANY

  Copyright © 2014 by Jeff Walker

  This book is copyright under the Berne Convention.

  No reproduction without permission.

  All rights reserved.

  The right of Jeff Walker to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.

  Simon & Schuster UK Ltd

  1st Floor

  222 Gray’s Inn Road

  London WC1X 8HB

  www.simonandschuster.co.uk

  Simon & Schuster Australia, Sydney

  Simon & Schuster India, New Delhi

  Every reasonable effort has been made to contact copyright holders of material reproduced in this book. If any have inadvertently been overlooked, the publishers would be glad to hear from them and make good in future editions any errors or omissions brought to their attention.

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

  ISBN: 978-1-47114-316-8

  Ebook ISBN: 978-1-47114-318-2

  Interior design by Bonnie Bushman

  [email protected]

  Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY

  Dedicated to my wife Mary, and my incredible children Daniel and Joan, who have been with me for this whole crazy ride (and giving me unwavering support every step of the way). I love each of you with all my heart.

  Table of Contents

  A Note to the Reader

  Chapter 1 From Stay-at-Home Dad to Six Figures in Seven Days

  Chapter 2 Food Stamps to Six Figures: The Product Launch Formula Explained

  Chapter 3 A License to Print Money: Your List

  Chapter 4 The Sideways Sales Letter: How to Sell Your Stuff Like Crazy without Being “Salesy”

  Chapter 5 Weapons of Mass Influence: The Mental Triggers

  Chapter 6 The Shot across the Bow: Your Pre-Prelaunch

  Chapter 7 Sell Them What They Want: The Magic of Prelaunch

  Chapter 8 Show Me the Money: It’s Time to Launch!

  Chapter 9 How to Start from Scratch: The Seed Launch

  Chapter 10 How I Made a Million Dollars in a Single Hour: The JV Launch

  Chapter 11 Creating a Business from the Ether: The Business Launch Formula

  Chapter 12 Creating a Business You Love

  Chapter 13 A Recipe for a Big Life

  Chapter 14 It’s Your Time to Launch

  Acknowledgments

  Glossary

  About the Author

  A Note to the Reader

  This book will build your business—fast. Whether you’ve already got a business or you’re itching to start one, this is a recipe for getting more traction.

  Think about it—what if you could launch like Apple or the big Hollywood studios? What if your prospects eagerly counted down the days until they could buy your product? What if you could create such powerful positioning in your market that you all but eliminated your competition? And you could do all that no matter how humble your business or budget?

  There’s a process . . . a formula, if you will, that can get you there. I’ve created and honed that formula over the last 18 years, and I’m going to share it with you in these pages.

  There’s no theory in this book. Everything I’m going to teach you is based on real-world results. This formula was created through trial and error, testing, and hard-won experience.

  I’ve personally done dozens of wildly successful launches of my own products. But it’s not all about me and my success. I’ve coached my students and clients through hundreds of launches where I was inside the launch, turning the dials and watching all the data.

  You’re going to meet some of those students in this book, because I’m a big fan of teaching from (and by) example. You will note that they are NOT hypothetical scenarios. I’ve read lots of business books that use fictional case studies to explain their methods, but this isn’t one of them.

  I’m going to give you real-world examples. And I’ll go beyond that with audio and video Case Studies you can access on the accompanying membership site for this book. I’ve also got additional training videos and resources at the site, which you can access here: http://thelaunchbook.com/member/.

  I’ll just go ahead and admit to a fondness for bragging about my students. I love to talk about them, and I love to celebrate their successes. I do it primarily because it’s instructive, but also because they’re my heroes. 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.

  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. For instance, the first sale I ever made was in a tiny niche market to a gentleman in Switzerland . . . and I did it from the basement of my home in Colorado.

  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.

  The results have been staggering. I started my businesses from the humblest beginnings imaginable, and I’ve gone on to sell tens of millions of dollars of my products. And more to the point, my students and clients have dwarfed my own success—they’ve sold hundreds of millions of dollars of their own products and services.

  The funny thing is, as I reflect back, it all happened accidentally. I didn’t set out to reinvent marketing or to become a leader in the industry. In fact, when I started out, I had zero sales and marketing experience. And, to a large extent, that’s why I succeeded . . .

  From Stay-at-Home Dad to Six Figures in Seven Days

  Chapter 1

  It was just another mouse click . . . just like the hundreds or even thousands of mouse clicks you make every day. But this was a really important click for me, and I hesitated. My finger hovered over that button before I clicked. Five seconds, ten seconds, and still I waited. The truth is, I was terrified. I had months of planning and years of hopes and dreams riding on that click. In fact, it felt like the future of my family was hanging in the balance.

  Little did I know that mouse click was going to start a cascade of events that would change the very face of marketing and business on the Internet. But as I sat there at the home-made desk I had shoved into a corner of my dimly lit basement, there were no grand thoughts of anything more than making a few extra bucks to help support my family. I was using a beat-up old computer, an old-school dial-up Internet connection, and I hadn’t held a job in more than seven years. Humble beginnings indeed.