Have you ever intentionally ignored something only to find out that you’ve been a fool for doing so?
This weekend I discovered what a fool I’ve been for ignoring a resource that could have been helping me make my business a lot more profitable.
Many of you will have heard of Jeff Walker and his wildly successful ‘Product Launch Formula‘ before. Every time he’s opened the doors on this training a lot of people talk it up as being ‘the resource’ to get if you want to make money from selling your own products online.
I’ve seen all the promotions come and go and… shamefully… I’ve ignored them all.
You see I thought I knew better. I thought I knew what I was doing. I thought I didn’t have much more to learn about this business. I thought that all the hype about this product…. was just hype.
That was until this weekend.
The Best Invested Two Hours I’ve Had for Ages
On Friday I found myself with an hour to spare. I’d seen a number of bloggers that I know and respect talking about Product Launch Formula again and decided to check it out for myself by taking a look at some of the free case studies that Jeff Walker is about to stop using due to the new FTC regulations.
As I hit play on the first case study I smugly thought to myself that I was just going to hear the same old same old teaching from another internet marketer.
Two hours later…. and as my wife called me (for the 4th time) to come eat my dinner – I realised that I’d been a fool. In front of me on my desk was a pad and paper, full of notes. The notes contained things I needed to investigate and think more about as well as action items that I plan to take this week.
Already I was learning stuff that I wish I’d known when releasing my own products earlier in the year.
I particularly found the Product Launch Blueprint video VERY useful.
Keep in mind that these case studies are just part of what Jeff is offering as part of his Pre-Sales process – I’m yet to pay a cent (also note that the case studies are online online for another 2 days so you should view them now).
What I’m discovering is that I’ve got a lot more to learn about developing and launching a product. I also discovered that Jeff’s teaching is not full of hype, that he delivers real value, that he’s passionate about what he does and that his teaching has helped a lot of people.
Why I like Jeff’s Teaching
Note: as you’ll see in the case studies, Jeff really emphasizes a number of things that I think are well worth noting:
- Making money in this way takes work – if you’re not wanting to work, don’t get into the game
- Many of the techniques talked about are particularly powerful in normal everyday niches/topics. Some say it only works in the ‘make money online’ niche – but the reality is that they work better in other niches where the strategies have not been over used.
- Baby Steps are important – Jeff isn’t just into having a big launch and making a big payday all in one day – he’s into building momentum over time and building a sustainable business. His steps are baby steps, you don’t have to invent the wheel all at once – you need to take steps towards your goal. As you do you build your income towards the big pay day rather than just arrive at it.
These three things make what Jeff’s teaching a lot more credible and powerful in my mind. I’ve come away from what I’ve seen so far really liking his approach.
As a result I’m going to be getting into more of Jeff’s stuff for myself and am enrolling with the next class for myself.
Product Launch Formula Opens Its Doors Again Today
Product Launch Formula is opening its doors again to a new class. Last time they did this they only had the doors open for a single day. This time around it’s only available for 36 hours.
Check Out the Case Studies
Whether you buy the full course with me or not – I really think the free case studies are well worth working through (you can see the two videos that I mentioned above for free here and here).
If you do sign up for Product Launch Formula I look forward to working through the training program along side you – we’ll be class mates!
PS: I’m really sorry that I didn’t alert you to the case studies earlier but I only got into them myself for the first time on Friday.
Due to the new FTC regulations Jeff is about to pull them and they’re only available for the next couple of days. Put some time aside today, grab a pad and pen and get into them for yourself while they’re still around.
Update: I’m on the inside of PLF now and am sucking in as much information as I can. It’s really good – similar in style to the free stuff linked to above but there’s a lot more of it and it gets into a lot more detail. It’s a big investment but I’m seeing that it’s the type of thing that pays for itself if you’re dedicated and in it for the long haul.
This all sounds really interesting.
Thanks for sharing!
WOW seems to be interesting!! Downloading ’em right now and can’t wait to watch them!
Thanks Darren
well,I am an affiliate marketer now.When I get some experiences and make some money, I will create my own products such as an ebook. To that day I will be a vendor as will as an affiliate.Now I mainly focus on affiliate marketing.But I will check the video anyway,it seems interesting
I heard Jeff on an Internet Business Mastery podcast. Thanks for the reminder to check out these videos!
Product Launch Formula’s re-launch has been echoing around the web for the last 48 hours like Krakatoa’s just gone off. Quite uncanny how nearly every blog and newsletter is talking about it.
The ‘Blueprint’ is a MUST see. I had a look at it yesterday and I highly encourage everyone to take notes on it.
The key points:
PLF is not just for launching products. It’s for launching websites, blogs, businesses — even new marketing campaigns. Almost anything – the system is (supposedly) proven in any niche.
PLF is the opposite to what Jeff calls “hope marketing”. That is simply advertising and then driving traffic to a sales page – what’s his alternative. Have a look! ^^
Interesting points, I like the way Jeff teaches.
Of course you need to take action to really make money. Unless it’s some automated sh*t.
I just watched those case studies and I must say that even though it’s free stuff it really is powerful.
But I don’t think I want to purchase the product yet, I know many has learned a lot from Jeff’s advice but, I’m not ready paying $1997 for it..
Am jumping aboard the ship Cap’n Rowse!
Get Product Launch Formula 2.3+ Now…
Single payment of $1997 (save $385) or
Six easy installments of $397, spaced 30 days apart
Ummm… think I’ll just stick to the free videos
I am interested to know more abou the “new FTC regulations”.
Hi Darren
I jumped onto that site as soon as i saw your tweet – and the guy really knows his stuff! I’m so impressed, but sadly I can’t dish out the asking price at the moment… so I’ll just try to do some independent research myself. I’ve found the whole concept very exciting, and can see myself launching some products in a niche that I’m really passionate about (not self development, which I blog about). You’re right, I used to think this was the domain of dodgy snakeoil salesmen and mostly in the “make money online” sphere. It was refreshing to see those videos!
Yes, while this may be true, sometimes you have to read so much stuff it’s almost impossible to catch up.
If someone else were talking about it, I would just ignore it. But now, you are the one who did it. It sounds interesting then. There’s nothing to lose to give it a shot first.
I was curious about the changes in FTC regulations that Jeff gives as reasoning for pulling down the videos, and found it really interesting reading. It seems to be a big shift. An overview is here:
http://www.bingham.com/Media.aspx?MediaId=9790
And the official document “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” can be found here:
http://www.ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005endorsementguidesfnnotice.pdf
I am reviewing Jeff’s videos, which do indeed seem to be fascinating. Though, I typically don’t make a $2,000 decision with only 24 hours notice, I will likely pass on the course.
Thanks for the heads up Darren!
-Dan
Dan – yes, it’s a big call and one I had to think through too. For me it was on the advice of a few friends who’ve done it that convinced me but it certainly won’t be for everyone. I’m sure a lot of what I’ll learn will seep into what I write here on ProBlogger though so hopefully me doing it will help others too.
I do it all the time, I am now used to the feeling. :)
I have some products (scripts) to launch this winter, and thses studies might prove themselves useful. I’ll come back and tell you how they behaved.
Wish I hadn’t got your email at 10pm. Especially as I got up at 4am and have to get up at 5.30am tomorrow for surfing. When do bloggers get to sleep? Okay, I’ll just watch one video before bed. Thanks for sharing:)
I found the video very interesting. My business is not too much grow up but I like the way it is going, hope to see some spikes in my revenue in the upcoming month. Thanks Darren for sharing such a great tutorial with us.
I’m with you on Jeff’s PLF. I signed up yesterday myself and am totally immersed in it. His methodology and manner is right on in terms of building a sustainable business model.
But not to make you feel badly, I did buy your product a few months ago so you weren’t totally off base.
Darren – while I really do trust your recommendation, that site looks horribly spammy. I normally run from sites that look and read like Jeff’s does.
I’m interested to know what your take is on the “marketing letter” style. To me, it comes across like someone selling something from their coat pocket -all those capitalized words and extreme statements come across as somewhat sleazy.
I’m not saying he is, that’s just how the site and copy come across to me…
My 2 cents.
TheSecretLifeofKat – I hear you, I too don’t react well to long long sales letters – it doesn’t appeal to me at all, however as someone who has launched a couple of products I can sort of see why people have them – particular because they work but partly because when you’re selling something you get asked a lot of questions by your readers and need to provide them with a certain amount of content to answer those questions.
Having said that – the sales pages on these things do put certain types of people off which is sad – because what’s inside this particular course is excellent.
The other thing that I’d say is that most people who see that sales page know Jeff by the time they see it. ProBlogger readers don’t because I came across PFL so late and didn’t gieve you a chance to get the case studies over a week or so. A sales page like this tends to work best if you already have a relationship with the person behind the product.
Anyway – take it or leave it. The case studies are free and I do recommend checking them out while they’re still online.
Why do you help such spammers?
That site looks like other 1 million get rich quick scams. It’s the same bull in all of them.
It’s not the first time you commercialize spam stuff and i’m starting to question my decisions of following your blog & your work.
Ciprian Rusen – my comments to TheSecretLifeofKat probably apply to your question to… but for the record…. ‘spammers’ are people who send you unsolicited communications (ie email you didn’t sign up for). Jeff doesn’t do this. He does build a list of emails but only from people who opt in. So you’re only ever going to hear from the guy if you sign up for it.
His page may look like a get rich quick scam site – but I’m not sure how to develop a page that covers this topic that doesn’t. I’m also pretty sure that if you listened to his case study mentioned above that you’d find that he’s certainly not promising that you’ll get rich quick. His methods take work – a lot of it – and time.
I have spent the hours online today, absorbed in case studies, formulas and blue prints. Thanks Darren, some great stuff!
Darren, that site is not about spam, get rich quick schemes but it surely looks like one and it has the structure and look of such a site.
He is triggering the wrong mental triggers with his site and he should change the design ASAP if he wants to truly be successful.
I’ve also looked at the first minutes of the video you recommend and there is nothing extraordinary about it. Just your typical common sense recommendations.
If he wants to convince people such as me to pay for his knowledge then the approach definitely needs to be changed. If you want not to be considered a scheme, then you at least should not look like another million schemes the aim to trick people into paying for crap.
Personally i find that site to be a total failure which just reinforces my point. If the person behind it would have a true/working model, he would live it, and his work/sites would stand out from the mediocrity around him. But he does not.
Ciprian – the guy just sold out his $1997 course in 36 hours and made somewhere in the vicinity of a million dollars in revenue doing it… he’s successful :-)
In the end of you don’t want to signup and don’t like the teaching then that’s your right – but I personally feel very comfortable with it and am really enjoying the teaching. I’ve spent a good 10 hours in the last weekend digesting Jeff’s teaching and am pretty confident that next time I launch a product I’ll see significant increases in sales.
Ultimately though – that’s just me and where I’m at. If it’s not where you’re at then that’s no problem – no one’s pushing you to do anything
Hats Off to You Darren. Point taken. And… loved the way you answered. Very few people have the ability to be so diplomatic, to the point and very convincing at the same time.
Thanks for taking the time to respond Darren. I appreciate the extra assurance from you that this fellow is honest and knowledgeable. I’m off to truly explore the content.
Kat
Nice blueprint video there, thanks for sharing
Darren, I did sign up for the course after reading an email newsletter you sent off – I would not have otherwise considered it. I thought long & hard about the expense and wondered if this really was going to be worth it. I’ve spent a couple of hours so far looking at the material – and I have to admit there’s a lot of it! It’s making my head explode!
I think in the end, what really convinced me was Jeff’s willingness to give a full refund within 45 days if I wasn’t happy with the course. I thought that was fair and made me feel confident that he at least stands by his work.
I was up all night but I got them all downloaded!
I think the blueprint and case studies are only ok. A lot of talking, not many new points. The way he keeps talking about how those people are “absolutely loving what they do” and “the income keeps coming” makes the whole thing sound so salesy.
I think Mixergy interviews are 100x better than this. Its nicer to learn how each entrepreneur built his biz his own way, rather than how they used one ‘amazing formula’.
Thanks for sharing anyways.
@Lorraine, thanks for the compliment on my work.
Though, if Darren likes something, I’m always open to hearing more about it.
1997 $, u kidding ….
I guess, free videos would be nice ;)
This are all the Interesting points, I like the
way Jeff teaches.Of course you need to
take action to really make money. I just
watched those case studies and I must
say that even though it’s free stuff it really
is powerful.
This scared me, I know I am still new to these internet marketing, blogging and making money online schemes, but even now I ignore some things that are relevant to what I am doing and learning about.
If you realized your mistake, then I should also probably stop being ignorant to opportunities that on the first look seem to be something that I already know or at least am familiar with
Thanks for making such a killer blog. I come on here all the time and am floored with the fresh information here.
@chels I know what you mean, its hard to find good help these days. People now days just don’t have the work ethic they used to have. I mean consider whoever wrote this post, they must have been working hard to write that good and it took a good bit of their time I am sure. I work with people who couldn’t write like this if they tried, and getting them to try is hard enough as it is.
I have heard and read a lot about Jeff’s pre-launch formula earlier. You have mentioned about a video here. But I clicked on it and there is no video, it is removed from there. Is there any other resource I can get that video?