Download - Product Launch Ebook

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Oliver Olsen [email protected] www.productlaunchperformance.com

Copyright Notice All rights reserved. It is illegal to take out pieces of this report and represent them as your own ideas. However, feel free to distribute this report in its complete form - without any alterations, via email or download from your website.

Legal Notice While attempts have been made to verify information provided in this publication, neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, omissions, or contradictory information contained in this document. This document is not intended as legal, investment, or accounting advice. The purchaser or reader of this document assumes all responsibility for the use of these materials and information. Write Marketing Systems Inc. assumes no responsibility or liability whatsoever on behalf of any reader of these materials.

© 2010 Write Marketing Systems Inc.

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Table of Contents

4 How much money can I make with a product launch?

5 What can I sell with a product launch?

5 Performance Based Marketing

6 The Big Picture on Big Pay Days

8 The Sales Letter is Dead— Long Live the Sales Letter

12 It’s Time to Get Ferocious!

13 The Unstoppable Ass-Kicker

14 The Honor Filled Opportunity

16 What is product launch marketing?

17 Why is a product launch the best way to sell stuff online?

19 What does a product launch manager do?

20 How do I choose a Product Launch Manager?

21 Do I need a product launch manager?

22 What do I need to start product launch marketing?

22 A list of things you’ll need for your launch…

24 What does a product launch cost?

24 How do I make a deal with a product launch manager?

26 What is an Internal launch?

27 Why do we do Internal launches?

27 What is a JV launch?

28 How profitable is a JV relationship?

32 What is a JV sequence?

32 How do I establish JV relationships?

33 What is a perpetual or rolling launch?

34 Some of the hottest online markets…

37 Why should I care deeply about keyword research?

38 What can mess up a product launch?

39 Who is Oliver Olsen and how can he help me?

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Introduction

I hear that cry of frustration a lot from prospective clients. What I'm going tell

you about is the most lucrative way to sell your products and services online

where you can rake in tens of thousands of dollars in just a matter of days.

Even hundreds of thousands. Even a million or more...

How much money can I make with a product launch?

Hardly a month goes by and another million dollar launch gets entered into the

"Would somebody please

just tell me what to do to get

MAXIMUM sales of my stuff

online - JUST TELL ME! I'LL

DO IT!"

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books. There are half a dozen six figure launches every week. Five figure

launches are “business as usual” and occur daily.

Product launch marketing is responsible for the biggest online pay days in the

shortest time, with the lowest investment—in any niche.

What can I sell with a product launch?

Here’s an actual list of things that have been sold with product launch

marketing.

… online dating... love letters... test preparation... any kind of course or tutorial... loan officers... realtors... creative writing... programmers... knitting... B2B… crochet...

futures trading... investing... learning piano... learning guitar... music and band promotion… ecommerce... online gaming... real estate investing... ebooks... tax

preparation... language lessons… self-help... live seminars… business coaching... health food... raw food... massage therapy... personal

trainers... business systems... pet care... business opportunity... medicinal herbs... board games... Forex trading... copywriting...

horse training... dentistry... chiropractic... weight loss... cosmetics... online video... yoga... consumer electronics... estate sales... soccer coaches...

law of attraction... dog training... retail stores... wooden doll carvings... cow embryos...

Performance Based Marketing

Let’s face it, you can lose a lot of money, waste a lot of time and get nowhere

fast when trying to sell your product or service online. Unfortunately it’s

happening all the time—even to seasoned business owners.

For every Internet marketer there’s yet another “killer strategy” - a wild mix of

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search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click advertising (PPC), social

networking, blogging, viral marketing, banners, yada, yada, yada.

The result? A lot of burned and bewildered entrepreneurs.

In my books, if the Internet marketer doesn’t take the lion’s share of his income

from commissions based on sales...run the other way. Selling is a war. How

hard do think your soldier is going to fight if he knows he is going to return with

the booty without so much as a scratch?

Avoid this nonsense—work with Internet marketers who get paid for

performance.

The Big Picture on Big Pay Days

Internet marketing. What in the heck is Internet marketing? Selling stuff to

people online. Fine. But deeper than that - what is it, really?

What is responsible for those big product launch pay days? Is it great

copywriting? Is it social networking? Is it killer PPC strategies? Is it successful

conversion funnels? Is it SEO?

It's a mix of all these things and more, sure. But this is the small picture, and

unless you have the big picture in mind, you will never cash in BIG online.

There are two things you need to get straight in your mind.

1. What your prospect needs from you in order to buy online.

2. Why your prospect buys.

Do people buy what they need? Hardly ever. Do they buy what they want.

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Sometimes. But what they really buy like mad are things they feel they cannot

live without.

In order to hit those big pay days, that’s what your product must make them

feel or they simply won’t buy from you. Does this mean we manipulate

prospects into buying something that’s not right for them? No, it does not.

Aside from it being unethical, it’s just a horrible way to do business. You just

end up biting the hand that feeds you because you’ve turned your buyers

against you. Clearly, you want happy buyers who rave about your great

products to the world.

Nevertheless, prospects must be aggressively led to the things that will

improve their lives. This means creating a picture in their mind about what life

will be like once they have your widget. This picture (among other things) will

stir various emotions that motivate them to click the “buy now” button.

If it turns out they realize that your widget is not right for them, you simply give

them a refund. Everyone’s happy —- especially your buyers who’ve found the

very thing that solves their problem or fulfills their desire.

But the question remains, how do you get them there? What does your

prospect need from you in order to buy your product online?

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Most business owners are so focused on “push” selling, that they neglect the

most important condition for any sale. And online, this condition is non-

negotiable.

Glossing over this necessary condition is the "big mistake” entrepreneurs make

online.

The Sales Letter is Dead— Long Live the Sales Letter

Before I get into the “big mistake”, we need to get a picture of what is happening online right now.

No doubt, you've seen your share of online sales letters. Sales letters are also

known as the "complete sales presentation."

They contain (if they are good sales letters) every bit of information that a

prospect needs in order to make a buying decision: a unique selling

proposition, proof, credibility, overwhelming benefits, as well as tried and true

buying triggers (reciprocity, scarcity, risklessness, strong calls to action etc.)

Indeed, sales letters are powerful selling tools and I am not here to dissuade

you from using them. But here's what's happening online: people aren’t reading

them. They scan them...get a rough idea of the offer, the price, the guarantee,

and then they make their decision, which 99.9% of the time is “no thanks.”

So what do you do when one of the most successful sales presentation

tools—as sales letters are through the mail—gets routinely ignored online?

Well, to put it plainly—you have to do something else. Online, a sales letter on

it’s own just doesn’t do the job. The band-aid solution has been to capture the

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prospect’s email address and send them autoresponders. This is a lame

strategy. Think about it, the prospect has already decided the offer is not for

him...and now you are begging him to reconsider. This is the last place you

want to be with your prospect!

Thankfully, there’s a better way: product launch marketing. Interestingly

enough, sales letters are still used in product launch marketing. However,

instead of being the first thing your prospect sees to find out about your

product or service–the sales letter comes at the end of the selling process,

which of course is “launch day” — the first day prospects actually have the

opportunity to buy your widget.

In launch marketing, the sales letter is a backup sales presentation. The real

sales presentation was rolled out during the previous week during pre-launch

via video, teleseminars, reports, and a powerful email sequence (not

autoresponders! —- do yourself a favor, just drop the whole idea of

autoresponders. Instead, send broadcasts!).

The pre-launch process has an enormously positive effect on conversion rates.

People actually pay attention during pre-launch. The information about the

offer comes at them in easy-to-digest bite size pieces vs. being faced with a 20

page sales letter. Sales letters are just too much to chew for click-happy web

surfers.

Now, what was that big mistake I referred to in the last chapter? It was that

business owners were so busy selling, selling, selling that they neglected the

most powerful sales trigger of all.

One of the biggest reasons people don’t buy stuff online is because they worry

about punching in their credit card details into a form on a website. Their main

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worry is that the seller will not uphold the risk-free guarantee. The buyer

knows that if the seller closes shop the next day, there’s isn’t much he can do

to get his money back.

In order for the buyer to make a purchase, he must fully trust the seller. Trust

is the non-negotiable condition for an online sale. Obvious but think for a

moment about how you intend to gain your prospect’s trust. With a trust seal

on your site? It’s just not enough. I’m talking about the kind of trust you have

with a friend...that’s the relationship you want—no, NEED—in order to cash in

on those big product launch paydays.

There are many reasons why product launches hit big paydays. But the trust

issue is one of the biggest (the strength of your offer being THE biggest).

A product launch goes further than any other type of selling system to deepen

trust with your prospects. But how? That’s what you need to know, right?

The launch manager solicits your prospect’s input via surveys and blog

comments...and then answers the prospect’s questions during pre-launch

through the free content such as videos, teleseminars, reports, and emails.

Think about it. If you were the prospect and you asked a question...and then

received the answer a day later through some cool content, how would that

make you feel? You would probably appreciate what the seller has done—

answered your question in depth. You would like the seller more than you did

before. And you would trust him more because he takes you seriously and

appears to be looking out for your interests.

With each piece of content, another handful of sales objections are knocked

down. By the end of pre-launch, they are sold. When prospects see the sales

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letter on launch day, most don’t even read it—they just scroll down and hit the

“buy now.” We know this because it would take them at least 30 minutes to

read the letter...and sales start coming in as soon as the cart opens.

Even better, the trust issue can be addressed before pre-launch. By delivering

useful and valuable content for free to your list, they come to like and trust

you...before you even announce you have something for sale.

Remember, you make friends online the same way you make friends

everywhere else.

Be there for your friends. Help them out. Share good times. Don't be a leech.

Don't be high maintenance. Don't talk about yourself all the time. Listen.

Empathize. Do favors. Be genuine. Never betray their trust in you. Regularly

show them that your relationship with them is valuable to you. Care!

To begin making friends online—truly loyal followers who listen to you, you

must have a means of putting yourself within the stream of high traffic. Notice

how I didn't say "attract traffic" or "drive traffic." It's the wrong way to visualize

what is happening. The traffic is there...and you will get noticed by the traffic

when you put yourself IN IT with something of value.

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It’s Time to Get Ferocious!

The traffic is rushing by you at the speed of light. How do you get them to

notice you? For them to notice you, you must have something of high value

that they are already looking for.

I'll say that again: high value that they are already looking for.

But we have to understand what “high value” means. Is something that is

merely free good value? No way! Even if it's free, it's going to eat up a

prospect’s time...time that they will never get back. (You can always get more

money, but you can never get more time).

If you waste your prospect’s time with your freebie - they are going to be upset

with you. You cluttered their hard drive, wasted their time, and now you're

sending them autoresponder emails. Groan. Now they’ll unsubscribe, or

worse—just not open your emails, giving you a false sense of how many

genuine prospects you have.

If you give them a free report and prove that the information is going to net

them at least $500...does that have value? Actually, no. In fact, they are just

breaking even because of the time it took them to read and apply what you

have in your report.

Human beings have an incredibly sharp sense of value. Within seconds they

can judge if something is worth their time. If you’re having to use a lot of words

to show the value...you’re probably not presenting your offer correctly. Value

must be self-evident.

The value must be ferocious!

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The Unstoppable Ass-Kicker

There is actually only one thing you can offer your prospects that will churn

their emotions and place true value on what you have for them.

And that is your passion.

Now, don't glaze over on me. If your competitor has passion and you don't -

you are going to get your ass kicked from here to the moon in your

marketplace.

Every human being has passion for something - it's automatic. But it is a

CHOICE to tap into it.

Unfortunately, many things in our upbringing and culture suppress our

passionate instincts. It's a real shame because it’s the fuel you need to have a

successful business. Show me a business success and I’ll show you someone

who has built a business around their passions.

Here’s the online selling success formula:

Your prospect’s

desire for something they cannot live without.

+

Your passion =

Your Wealth

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The Honor Filled Opportunity

But is the traffic actively looking for what you are passionate about? It's simple

online research to find out. Keyword research tells us exactly what people are

looking for online...how many people and how often. Competitor research tells

us what they are buying / not buying.

The data is irrefutable and available to anyone with a computer and an Internet

connection. Take a close look and you will likely see glaring opportunities for

your passions to flourish into riches.

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If you find that there are lots of competitors in the area of your passions -

THAT'S A VERY GOOD THING. Should you be depressed by the idea that it

will be hard to compete? No! You should be relieved! There are hoards of

people who want what you are passionate about. Good!

If you see a market that has little or no competition - run the other way, unless

you are into experimenting and accept the idea that the odds of making money

in new markets are heavily stacked against you.

Now, let’s say you’ve found your niche and you've put yourself in the traffic

stream. Time to make friends! First, you have to get their attention...but NOT

with something for sale.

Instead, you must produce something that you really absolutely love with all

your heart and then give it away in exchange for the honor-filled opportunity to

be their friend.

(But just to reiterate: you did do your research first, right? There are people

actively looking for what you produce, right? If they're not looking for it, you are

going to fight an uphill battle.)

The freebie you produce could be anything. A blog, a Facebook page, a

mindmap, a wiki, a podcast, a video, a teleseminar, an ebook,...it doesn't

matter.

Whatever it is, it's substantial and really useful to those searching for it. It could

be a one-off or something that's ongoing (blog, podcast series, a mini-course

etc.).

It solves a problem, or fulfills a need or desire. It has a high perceived value!

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Whatever the case, the user feels like they are the ones getting the amazing

deal...and they love you for it—this is the start of a beautiful friendship. This is

the start of a lucrative Internet business. It is quite simply the start of the one

and only way to make BIG money online: an ever growing list of rabid fans who

love you.

Even if they give you thousands of dollars down the road when they buy from

you...they will love you all the more—as long as you deliver value—both actual

value and perceived value.

What is product launch marketing?

Perhaps you’re thinking it’s a strategy to sell only new products. New products,

sure. But it doesn’t have to be a new product – you can use product launch

marketing to boost the sales of your current products as well as new products.

Product launch marketing can also build your prospect lists, increase your

traffic, recruit affiliates, and establish life-long JV relationships.

Can product launch marketing really do all this?

Yes! And more…

Product launch marketing is also a proven effective way to position you above

your competitors, create social proof of your product benefits, generate web-

wide buzz, and even create products.

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Why is a product launch the best way to

sell stuff online?

No Launch Launch

Your offer hangs in cyberspace forever = zero sales triggered from scarcity

Your offer is available for a limited time, at a limited price, with limited bonuses = scarcity triggers sales.

The sale of your product is simply another offer among the all others out there.

The sale of your product is an EVENT that has a beginning, middle, and end = gets more attention.

Product always available = zero sales due to anticipation of opening / launch day.

Product not yet available: builds anticipation of launch day = more sales.

A free report or piece of software just doesn’t cut it anymore.

Free content during pre-launch makes prospect feel indebted to you: reciprocity triggers sales.

No interaction = minimal trust = money left on the table.

Direct interaction with prospects via surveys, comments, and email during pre-launch builds trust = triggers more sales.

Attention held for just a few minutes when they look at your sales page.

Attention held for weeks by means of various digital content: teleseminars, emails, surveys, a blog, and videos.

Zero feeling of community. Being in the launch loop makes prospects feel part of something; clicking the “Buy” button completes this feeling.

Reason to ACT NOW is weak…product is more or less always available.

Reason to ACT NOW is real – product will be taken off the market, prices will change, bonuses will go away.

Zero social proof generated during sales cycle.

Social proof of interest in product generated through comments on blog and survey results BEFORE product goes on sales = feeling of people lining up to buy.

Complete sales pitch only exists in sales letter – most people do not read the whole thing and therefore miss key triggers.

Complete sales presentation happens during pre-launch in digestible bytes. The sales letter is only used as the last line of defense on launch day.

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Product launch marketing is an all encompassing strategy to overcome the

many challenges of selling online.

A successful online seller

• Continually builds a list of subscribers

• Creates content to give away for free to subscribers

• Surveys their subscribers

• Creates products with varying ticket prices

• Does product launches (Internal and JV launches)

• Attracts affiliate marketers

• Attracts joint venture partners

• Builds a team to accomplish the above tasks

Product launch marketing is a multi-phase process that accomplishes all of

these necessary tasks, step-by-step. The challenge you face manifests itself in

the scarcity of your time.

Where is the best place for you to spend your time in your business? Are you

the product and content creator? If this is where you passions lie, then you

should remain focused in this area. You certainly don’t want to be bogged

down with creating squeeze pages, writing copy, configuring affiliate tracking,

launching, managing the team etc.

The key to a successful business is a business built

around you—your interests, skills, and passions.

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What does a product launch manager

do?

The job of a PLM, in essence, is to formulate a product launch strategy that

accomplishes your particular goals. Where do you want to be 6 months from

now? A year? Five years? The PLM will manage the execution of your launch

marketing for maximum conversion. The PLM’s ability to do this depends on

their skill set and experience...after all, anyone can call themselves a Product

Launch Manager.

Some PLMs are just strategists who’ll recite Product Launch Formula to you

over the phone for a fee. This is obviously a lame service.

Some PLMs will write all of your copy including the launch email sequence and

the sales letter...others don’t write copy and that means you’ll also need to hire

a copywriter.

Some PLMs are also JV Managers which means they will implement the

strategy to attract the promotional support of JV partners during your launch.

Some PLMs don’t have anything to do with recruiting JVs or affiliate marketers,

requiring you to hire someone else to perform this necessary function.

In short, get clear with your PLM on what they will be doing—and make sure it

ends up in the contract.

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How do I choose a Product Launch

Manager?

Has your prospective PLM done launches? What were the conversion rates?

What did they actually do during the launches they’ve done? Get on the phone

with the business owner they launched for and have a frank conversation.

Does your PLM write copy? The launch email sequence? The sales letter?

The JV sequence?

Does your PLM attract and manage the affiliate marketers and JV partners?

Can your PLM do the launch tech? Install and configure blogs, create custom

squeeze and landing pages, configure your list host, your video embeds,

analytics, your shopping cart and your affiliate tracking?

Can your PLM create content? Write reports? Shoot screen capture videos?

Edit video and audio? Build membership sites?

What’s your PLMs social networking strategy for you?

Does your PLM have a Traffic Geyser account?

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Do I need a product launch manager?

How much time do you have? Other than the fact you may not have the

inclination to manage your own launch, time is the real issue. If you’re busy

creating your product or pursuing other passions, a multi-skilled PLM will

eliminate a ton of hassle and dramatically increase the return on your

investment.

What do I need to start product launch

marketing?

You might expect me to say, “You need a product.” But it’s not the case. As

soon as you know what your product is going to be and you have decided on

your niche you are ready to take your first product launch marketing step: start

building your list.

You certainly don’t want to start building your list after your product is created!

By the time your product is ready for sale, you want to have a list of at least

1000 loyal subscribers, ready to pounce on whatever you offer.

List Building 101

1. Create an awesome freebie to give away on your squeeze page. Put time

and money into this and make it really special! Set the bar high and make a

killer first impression. This will ensure they open your next email (very

important).

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2. Get a list host. Aweber is my favorite.

3. Get a web page created for your squeeze page. In fact, do at least three

squeeze pages with different strategies and A/B/C test them with Google

Website Optimizer to ratchet up your conversions.

4. Drive traffic to your squeeze page via blogging, banners, pay-per click, and

social networking.

A decent squeeze page has at least a 30% opt-in rate. You’ll need at least

1000 targeted subscribers to do an internal launch. Make sure that your

freebie relates directly to your product.

Treat your list like gold. In a sense they are gold because this is how you are

going to build your wealth. Your job is to make raving fans out of them. To do

this, you must give them free content that helps them overcome their

challenges and / or meets their desire. Your highest ticket product will achieve

this in the fullest sense.

A list of things you’ll need for your

launch...

Ok, let’s take a look at what you’re going to need.

1. A list host. I use Aweber and love it. Very popular, very easy to use,

integrates easily with web platforms and shopping carts. Another option is

1Shoppingcart: list host, shopping cart and affiliate tracking all in one platform.

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There are others out there too (Mail Chimp, ListMailPro, Infusionsoft, more).

2. Webmaster. Someone who can create and publish squeeze and landing

pages as well as put up and configure blogs. Your Product Launch Manager

might perform this function.

3. Designer. You’ll need some graphics: headers, product shots, some custom

design for your pages.

4. Tech Guy. Integrates your mail host, your shopping cart, makes sure affiliate

tracking works, makes sure server can handle the launch. Experience with

fixing stuff under pressure (like during the launch).

5. Customer service. Could be your virtual assistant. Zendesk is good. They

take care of customer problems, returns, lost passwords etc.

6. Copywriter…if your product launch manager does not do it himself.

7. Video person. Someone to edit and put your videos online…if your product

launch manager doesn’t do it himself.

8. Content creator. You need content for the launch and beyond. Your product

launch manager can guide you in terms of what you need…but you or

someone else will have to create the bulk of this content: blog posts, reports,

videos, podcasts, other digital content.

9. JV manager. This might be your product launch manager. Basically

someone who is implementing the strategy to attract JV partners and affiliates.

10. BBQ person. This person is responsible for grilling the steaks and jumbo

shrimp. Please make sure they are provided with plenty of ice for the coolers.

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Very important.

11. Hosting. I use Netfirms. Much info on the net on how to choose a host.

Personally I find Godaddy really painful. You will probably need an Amazon S3

account with Cloudfront as well. This enables you to play videos to subscribers

around the globe without tech problems.

12. Payment processing. You can just use Paypal most of the time. Depending

on the size of your launch you might consider setting up a merchant account

with Power Pay and use Authorize.net. Your Product Launch Manager will work

with you to make sure all of these tasks are covered (especially the ice). In

fact, a decent PLM will perform a number of these tasks himself.

What does a product launch cost?

To get an idea of the costs involved, I’ve made this video on crunching the

numbers for your launch.

See the Product Launch Math Video here:

http://bit.ly/PLM-Math

How do I make a deal with product

launch manager?

There is no such thing as a “standard deal” with a Product Launch Manager.

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However, here are some things you’ll want to get straight before signing on the

dotted line.

PLMs charge an upfront fee plus a commission on the gross sales of the

launch.

The upfront fee can be anywhere from zero to $20K. The thing to keep in mind

here is that PLMs are looking to make the lion’s share of their money from the

commission. If you get the feeling that the PLM is looking to make most of his

money from the fee...run away!

One of the reasons PLMs charge a fee is to ensure that the business owner is

serious. If the PLM were to work strictly on commission, they might find

themselves working full-time for a couple months only to have the business

owner change their mind and not follow through with the launch. The fee

prevents this from happening.

A $20K fee for the right PLM might be exactly what’s right for your launch. But

this is all about the math. You need to crunch the numbers here to make sure

you and your PLM agree upon a win / win situation.

What that comes down to is the size and responsiveness of your list, the price

of your product, and the conversion rate. With these numbers it’s simple math

to calculate the return on your investment. If you haven’t seen my Product

Launch Math Video, take a look…

http://bit.ly/PLM-Math

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In the video, I show you how to crunch these numbers and there’s even a

spreadsheet you can DOWNLOAD to enter in your own figures. :-)

Be sure and sign a contract with your PLM that clearly states the fee, the

commission payout structure, the exit clause, and the deliverables.

Depending on the nature of your business you will need to negotiate the length

of the commission period. There is no set standard here. It will depend on the

nature of your offer. If you run a relatively low priced continuity program with a

rolling launch model, the PLM will want to collect commissions for a longer

period.

However, for a straight launch, the PLM will normally collect his commission

after the 30 day refund period. Commission rates for PLMs range anywhere

from 10% to 50% ...and this is based on the usual factors: list size,

responsiveness, ticket price, and the work you require from your PLM.

PLMs usually make deals to do an internal launch, then a JV launch, which is

where most of the money is made.

What is an Internal launch?

An Internal launch is a launch to your list only. During this type of launch there

are no affiliates or JV partners sending traffic into your launch.

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Why do we do Internal launches?

We do Internal launches as preparation for JV launches. If you have not

launched before, it’s generally very hard to attract affiliates and JVs because

you have no proof of conversion rates to demonstrate that people want what

you are selling.

The Internal launch proves you have a “converting offer.”

What is a JV launch?

A Joint Venture Launch is where other business owners promote your product

to their list. Whenever someone from the JVs list buys, you pay the JV (or

affiliate marketer) a 50% commission. Each person that buys, gets added to

your list…so now you can market to them down the road.

A Product Launch Manager can help you in the quest to find JV partners—

other businesses that have a similar mission to yours – not direct competitors.

Start with searches on Google and click on the sponsored listings. Look for

sites that squeeze emails…so you know they are building a list.

The next step is to find a way for you to begin a happy relationship with them.

There are many reasons that they will not want to do business with you, so

take this to heart. A JV relationship is GOLD. Get used to worshiping this

notion. You should look at it like you are going to be friends with this person for

the rest of your life.

Potential JV partners know what you want. And it worries them! They’re worried

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that you’re going to hijack their list. You have to prove to them beyond a doubt

that you are there to help them with THEIR MISSION. Do this, and they will

help you with yours.

This takes time but the payoff in the end is massive. If you’re not willing to

spend the time building the JV relationship, then don’t bother – you’ll just waste

everyone’s time and patience.

How profitable is a JV relationship?

This requires a deeper look at the overall product launch marketing strategy.

Let’s say you’ve created a product that you want to sell for $400…but you have

no list. Shame on you! You have two options: create a sales page and drive

traffic to your offer using SEO and paid advertising or adopt a product launch

strategy.

One of these is painful and time consuming and the other is fun and lucrative.

Step 1 – Seed Launch To Build Initial List

Ok, job #1 is to build a list fast. The quickest way to do this is to create a

teaser version of your product with a relatively low price, say $97. This

product must be bursting with value. The goal here is a fat conversion rate –

not hard profit. You want this product to end up in as many hands as

possible. Period.

The fact is, you are not going to make a single penny off the sale of this

product. You are going to give this product to someone who has a list - a JV

partner, and they will take 100% of the profit.

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Well, why the heck would you do that? Why not just give the JV a standard

50%? Well, hey – if he goes for 50% fine. But if that’s the case, then lower the

price to $47 and give him 100% so you get more conversions.

Why? What do you care about the conversions if you are making zero money

on the deal? Because every time someone buys, they get added to your

list. Remember, the goal is to get that product into as many hands as possible

because that’s what builds your list. Building the list will net you way more

profit in the long run than the piddly amount you make on your low ticket

product.

The list size and responsiveness is the thing!

So, do this same process with a few JV partners and presto, you have a

list. You do not need a massive list at this point.

Step 2 – Internal Product Launch

Now you can launch your high ticket product to your list. This is called an

internal launch and again, the goal here is not about making a ton of

money. It’s about getting that conversion rate. You need this to move

forward. Given the people on the list already bought the small version that was

bursting with value, you should see a healthy conversion rate on the high ticket

product.

Now you have what you need to do a JV launch: a fat conversion rate. It’s

proof that people want what you offer. Without it, JVs simply will not mail for

you, despite the fact they may say they are interested.

Step 3 – JV Launch

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You need to be prepared to give affiliates marketers and JVs 50% of the ticket

price. So with the Product Launch Manager 10% commission of the gross, you

end up with 40%.

If you are seeing that giving away 60% is a negative, then you have it all

wrong.

Let me ask you this: what is the asset you gain from selling your product?

Money? Sure, you’re going to make some money off the sales of your product.

But that amount of money is nothing compared to another asset that gets

created during the product launch process. What I’m talking about is the

massive growth of your list during a JV launch.

Again, just like before, everyone who buys gets added to your list...which

enables you to market to them again and again.

The accurate way to think about your product is that it is first and foremost a

means to build your list. As Dan Kennedy says, you don’t create a list to sell

products ….you sell products to create a list. Because in the end it is the list

that makes you the money – not your product.

Let’s look at some numbers.

Let’s say you end up selling 125 units of your high ticket product ($400).

125 x $400 = $50K

Your 40% take = $20K

Let’s be conservative and assume you converted at 1%. You would now have

a list of 12,500.

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A month or so later, one of your JV partners has a $147 product and he wants

you to try sell it to your list. He agrees to give you 50%…just like you gave him.

At a 1% conversion rate, you pocket $9187 …and all you had to do is send out

5 emails to your list.

If you sell other people’s products 6 times a year with similar numbers… that’s

$60K just by sending emails to your list.

Now, look back to the selling of your own product. You gave away 60% = $30K

…but by having a list, you got it back plus another 30K. And that’s just the first

year (with conservative numbers)…you will keep growing this list and selling to

it year after year. You are coming out way ahead!

Why? Because you created a great product and made a healthy profit off it?

No! Because you made a great product and ultimately used it build your list via

a JV relationship.

So, the real money is in the list size and your relationship with your list, as well

as your relationship with your JV partners.

Alas, JV relationships are not as simple as exchanging a few emails. These

are real relationships built on trust, respect, and honor.

Here are a few reasons why JVs won’t promote your product:

• JVs can only promote a limited number of products in a given year. Why

should they promote yours?

• Your product is the same as all the others out there.

• The JV looks at your product and figures he could build the same thing

himself and not have to share the profits.

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• Disparity of price between your offer and what their list is used to paying.

Your product is $97 and their list buys $797 products or vice versa.

• You have no data to prove people love your product (conversion rates,

reviews, testimonials).

• Bad timing…they are about to launch their own product.

• Your product competes with theirs.

So what you need is a relationship strategy to get around all of these

objections. You want the JV partner to fall in love with you.

What is a JV sequence?

A JV sequence can mean a couple of different things. It can refer to all the

legwork required to win the heart of a JV so that they’ll promote your offer

when you launch.

It can also refer to the sequence of communication to your JVs during your

launch to motivate them to aggressively promote for you. You will want to

make promoting your offer dead easy for your affiliates and JV partners. This

means providing them with email copy and any other resources: banners,

keyword lists, training and contests.

How do I establish JV relationships?

That’s the million dollar question (so glad you asked).

Answer: Help them with their mission.

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What do they need? How can you help?

Can you write a report that would be useful to their list? Can you make them a

video? Can you write a blog posts for them? Build them a mini-course for their

list? Give them software?

Hint: they want to make their list happy.

What is a perpetual or rolling launch?

Let’s say you have a product that you sell all year long. An example would be

an ebook on debt reduction. These prospects are looking for an immediate

solution to their problem. They are not going to wait for your product to come

available the next time you launch.

So how do you use launch marketing on a product that is always available? A

launch is simply an Event – something special that comes and then it’s gone.

Let’s say the product costs $97. And now you want to do “something special.”

• You can offer the $97 product with special bonuses for a limited time.

• You can bundle the $97 product with another product, again, only for a

limited time.

• You can lower the price for, you guessed it, a limited time…and any

combination of the above.

How often do you launch? Some products lend themselves to launch just once

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a year. Others re-launch to new leads every month.

What you need to do is figure out how often to launch to get the most sales in a

year.

Generally, the higher the ticket price, the less it should be available during the

year.

For a rolling launch, you might put your widget on sale for 3 days. This

strategy works particularly well if you are adding a healthy amount of new opt-

ins to your list every month. Be sure to launch to new leads when you do a

monthly launch. You certainly do not want to be perpetually launching to the

same list. This will kill your list. Instead, launch to old leads every 6 months

with new bonuses and incentives. Keep it fresh!

Some of the hottest

online markets...

1. Success, Self Improvement,

Wealth Creation

This is an evergreen market as there

are always millions of people

perpetually looking to improve

themselves in order to build their

wealth.

2. Marketing, Advertising and

Copywriting

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Another evergreen market. Business owners are always looking for ways to

connect with prospects.

3. Trading Stocks, Money, Investments, Real Estate

Again, evergreen. People want to know how they can grow their wealth while

they sleep.

4. Natural Healing, Herbal Remedies, Alternative Medicine

The baby-boomers are the huge market here. They want to live longer and

have lost faith in conventional therapies.

5. Weight Loss & Fitness

Evergreen market. People are perpetually attracted to new ways to lose

weight and stay fit.

6. Sex & Dating

Evergreen market. The need for love and

companionship is hard-wired into all of us.

There’s hardly a human on the planet who

doesn’t struggle with sex / dating at some

point.

7. Healthy Food & Cooking

People are worrying about what they eat

exponentially. The detriment to our health as

a result of mass food production is common

knowledge.

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8. Beauty and Well-Being

Again, this plays into the need for love and

companionship.

9. Dogs and Dog Training

People are wild about their dogs. The Internet

provides a ton of free information on solving various

pet issues. Competing in this market is an all out

war!

10. Golf

Another evergreen market. 100% of golfers want to

improve their game.

11. Traveling

Again, like the pet market, people turn to the Internet

to do research: where and how to travel.

12. Music (Piano, Guitar)

People turn to the Internet to find ways to improve

themselves and research hobbies. With streaming

video, you can teach people almost anything online.

13. Fishing

Another hobby with fanatical followers, always on the

lookout for something that will take them deeper into

their passion.

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14. Public Speaking

Again, people turning to the Internet to find ways to improve themselves.

Public speaking and snakes

are the two most common fears.

15. Writing, Writer's Block, Creativity

With Internet technology, people want to know how to blog, write emails, sales

copy, and other content.

16. Learning, Teaching, Studying

With streaming video and MP3 audio, you can create a course on just about

anything. For the expert, mentor, or guru the Internet is a cash machine.

17. Yoga and Relaxation

People are more and more aware that stress kills faster than poor diet or lack

of exercise. Given they can’t escape their stressful life, they need things that

help them reduce stress.

18. Spirituality, Sacred Texts and Mythology

Human beings are continually searching for meaning in their lives.

Why should I care deeply about

keyword research?

Keyword research is the roadmap for selling your wares online. It tells you

what people want. It also gives you the bait to attract prospects and buyers.

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Keyword research is the first thing you should do when considering a niche or

a product to sell online.

Sixty minutes of keyword research will reveal the level of competition, domain

name ideas, ideas for positioning, and untapped niche markets.

What can mess up a product launch?

The number one thing that will kill your launch is the strength of your offer. The

value of your offer must be self evident and require no explanation. If you are

having to use persuasion to get your prospects to see the value of your offer,

the offer will fail.

Bad positioning can kill your launch. Positioning spring boards off the story

that is already playing in your prospects mind. It is entirely likely that a

competitor holds the number one position in your market. Do not try and knock

them out of position! History shows how this fails every time. Instead, you

must find a way to position yourself as FIRST. This requires finding an

untouched position—probably a combination of stories that are playing inside

your prospect’s mind.

You must be clear on your positioning from the start. It will govern your product

creation, branding, design, and sales copy.

A cold list can easily kill your launch. If you pummel your list with offers and no

content that helps them or fulfills their desire, they quickly see you are simply

out to squeeze them for money. Even if they stay subscribed your open rates

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will plummet. A cold list needs to be significantly warmed before you begin a

launch.

Not starting a conversation with your prospects will significantly lower your

conversion rate. Survey your list! What are their challenges? How do they

feel? How do they feel about you and your products? What do they want from

you?

Every launch has a story. If it’s about you, then you will distance you prospect.

The launch story must be about the prospect—even if you are the main

character in the story. When they see that the main character’s situation is

very much like their own—you will hold their attention and stir their emotions.

(Important!)

Who is Oliver Olsen and how can he help

me?

Product Launch Manager, Oliver Olsen is an expert at using product launch

marketing to maximize your online sales, build your list, recruit affiliates, and

establish life long joint venture relationships.

I’m also a direct response copywriter. So, during the launch I’ll write all the

copy: the email sequence, the JV sequence, video scripts and the sales letter.

I’m also able to create all your landing pages, increase your traffic, do your

keyword research, establish your positioning, configure your launch tech, and

assist you with your content…and of course, implement your particular product

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launch strategy and manage all aspects of your launch.

Ok, let’s get into the nitty gritty of what I can do for you…

With me, you actually get three things:

1. direct response copywriter 2. jv manager 3. product launch manager Direct Response Copywriter The product launch strategy plays out in the email sequence. I think it would be very cumbersome to have PLM who was not writing the copy. Just think how that would play given a launch is not a fixed sales funnel. It’s a conversation with the list. If the strategist has to communicate his ideas to the copywriter, then pass the copy back and forth until he gets what he wants the effect is diluted. As you may know, Jeff Walker writes all his own copy. JV Manager This starts on the first day you hire me. You may have some partners already, but this is a numbers game. You’ll need to launch to X number of prospects to reach your sales targets. That means creating relationships with a specific number of JVs. The amount of work here will depend on your market, list size, offer, and assets. These relationships are the pot of gold in terms of wealth-building online. They are quite likely far more valuable than all the money you make in your first year of launches. It is important to get clear at the very beginning just how lucrative these relationships are in the long run. Any sort of short-term thinking in this area will undermine the achievement of your overall goals. My job as a JV manager is to help you attract and deepen these relationships. It is easy to be fooled into believing that you have a ton of support for your launch. Every business owner who has done launches has a story about the big one that got away because his partners did not mail to their list - when they

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said they would. Again, this is a numbers game – we must be prepared that many who say they will promote you, will not follow through…but there will be others that do, enabling you to reach your targets - as long as you have not put all your efforts into just a handful of JVs. A rule of thumb is to expect that only 3 out of 20 partners will actually support you when the big day arrives. JV partners are not affiliates. We don’t communicate with JVs via mass email or autoresponder. Email is actually the worst way to open an introduction. In fact, depending on the market, you may need to create a relationship with someone further down the trough…merely to put yourself in line for a proper introduction. As a JV Manager, I will: • Research and list viable JV partners

• Strategize on the most effective way to build a relationship with them

• Assist you in the creation of freebies and products that can be given to the JV to giveaway or sell to their list. (We do something for them before asking for their support.)

• Create a presentation (videos, resources page) to garner their genuine interest in your products via proof of conversions, support materials, and creative payout structures. (This applies to the affiliates too).

• Launch to them for the JV launch; rally and push for their support. Product Launch Manager The thing you want to avoid in a PLM is someone who merely recites Product Launch Formula to the team. Anyone can do this. Anyone can follow a launch, swipe the copy, and copy the landing pages. Here’s what I think is the job of a good PLM and what you can expect from me: Phase 1 – Set Goals • I will help you get clear on your goals – where do you want to end up?

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• Research and discuss feasibility - keyword and market analysis.

• Create a budget and make conservative projections based on market, list size / growth / jv relationships / keyword analysis / current assets.

Phase 2 - Get you launch ready • Optimize your list build – put up various squeeze pages – all of them A / B tested to ratchet up conversions on your opt-ins. Set up and configure lists and sublists where necessary.

• Increase your traffic. If you sign with me, you get the full benefit of my Traffic Geyser account, which publishes your content in every corner of the web with the press of a button.

• Optimize your offer – through competitor analysis and surveys of your prospects, I will ensure you open with an absolutely crushing offer.

• Your positioning – correct positioning comes from knowing what story the prospect is playing in their mind. I don’t guess. I'll jump into forums and interact with them – find out their problems and desires. I’ll warm the list into conversation with you via surveys, teleseminars and blog posts so that we are clear on their objections, problems, desires. Again, no guessing here, no assumptions. Choosing a position will also serve to inform decisions on logo, design, and product name.

• Assist you with the creation of pre-launch content, viral products, bonuses, jv content, blog setup and configuration, and create original squeeze / landing pages.

• Optimize your social networking presence and funnel. Used as a traffic funnel and a way to gain market intelligence.

• Install testimonial generator.

• Tech i) manage the creation of all web pages. Much of this I can do myself – depending on the volume, this may be delegated to the team or outsourced.

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ii) tracking for traffic flow - we want to know from whence they came.

iii) manage the installation and testing of affiliate tracking with a backup system in case of tracking failure / dispute.

iv) manage the installation and testing of payment processing. Includes phone calls and heads up notices with merchant account, Paypal, and the server.

v) manage set-up of a customer service solution. • Begin JV sequence – create list of JVs to romance -- in line for the JV launch. Build these relationships via tangible reciprocity plays.

• Formulate entire launch strategy - a number of strategies and tactics come to play here, depending on your market, your offer, positioning and price. Some launches are announced as launches…others are positioned as invitations to free content / events. In this case, prospects may not even know it’s a launch until they are deep inside it. But again, there’s no guessing here – no brilliant moves – product launch marketing enables us to hear directly from our prospects and this enables us to formulate a winning strategy to convert them.

Phase 3 - Pre-Launch • Begin email sequence – drive traffic to the content, stimulate conversation to generate social proof. Respond to objections via email sequence and create further content where necessary to knock down objections. Over 20 sales triggers are pulled during pre-launch.

• If this is a JV launch then JVs will receive ‘done for them’ email copy to mail to their lists and various other incentives to promote. (If the launch dovetails into an affiliate program -- or if one has already been running -- affiliates will receive banners, keyword lists, copy, training and incentives – prizes, tiered commissions etc.)

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Phase 4 – Launch • Shopping cart opens. Continue to pull triggers via email sequence. Release more content. Possibly add a bonus. Introduce multi-pay option. Close cart. Possibly do quick re-open.

• Run JV contests: prizes and leaderboard to further motivate them to promote.

Phase 5 – Post Launch • Run stick strategy to reduce refund rate. • Compile all stats and submit report. 98% of what you read above I will be handling personally. Other PLMs will outsource many of these tasks and that’s fine…just be sure you know what they will do vs. outsource because they will expect you to pay the outsource expenses. Pretty much the only time I outsource is when the workload is impossible given the timeline. This is something we decide together. I will have a tech professional check my work re: affiliate tracking, payment processing and server load. This is prudent practice no matter who does the initial configuration. An oversight or miscalculation here could kill your launch. If you need specialized graphics – these should be done by a designer. For all other design, that only need to be simple yet attractive, i.e. web and landing pages, headers etc. – I will do all this. Payment My payment is a fee + commission. If you have a list of at least 5000 subscribers and intend to do an internal launch and then a JV launch, the fee is $5000 + 10% of the gross sales calculated and paid after the 30-day return period. Actual fee will depend on an assessment of your list responsiveness, market, and offer. The fee covers: 1) Sales copy:

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- email sequence for launch - email sequence for JVs - swipe emails for JVs - short copy for squeeze pages (including video scripts, if necessary) - sales letter

2) Launch strategy + management of: - Internal launch - JV launch

3) Attract and recruit JVs and affiliate marketers for the JV launch

4) Most of what is outlined in Phases 1 to 5 above. The specifics will be listed and agreed upon before we begin, including exactly what needs to be outsourced.

For subsequent launches that I manage, I will be paid strictly on commission. i.e. no further fees due. If we decide to part ways after the JV launch and you continue to use my email and sales letter copy, I will be paid 5% of the gross for one launch with an agreed minimum amount due. This is negotiable. Commission payouts for rolling launches and continuity programs are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Generally there is a time limit and / or cap on amount collected by me. For lists with less than 5000 names: The fee increases depending on how much the list needs to grow in order to achieve your goals. A number of factors are assessed here: What are your present JV relationships? What price is your list used to paying? Why did they opt-in to the list? How old is the list? How warm is your relationship with them? etc. In cases where the list needs to grow, we add an extra phase in the product launch process to sufficiently grow the list for an Internal launch. This is a mix of social networking, pay-per click advertising, SEO and early JV partnerships (the fastest method).

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It will also entail assisting you in the creation of products that self liquidate to grow your list. If we are beginning the process with a small or unresponsive list and zero JV relationships and your goal is an Internal launch, then a JV launch, an estimate would be a $10,000 up front fee + 10% of gross sales after the 30 day refund period. Each project is assessed on a case-by-case basis. The Team I am happy to work with your team or we can mix it up with my team. I do not have permanent staff, save for my assistant. I have a number of people I use for outsourcing tasks where necessary. The amount of outsourcing will depend on the timeline. Being able to perform all these tasks makes me an excellent manager – as I am acutely aware of what needs to be done, how long it should take, and what the cost should be. Guarantee I make no guarantee of conversion rates. My guarantee is that I work on commission. Given that the lion’s share of my income comes from commission – this in itself ensures my best work. My product launch business sinks or swims based on previous conversions so you can bet my motivation to convert at the highest level is sufficient. As well, I will not take on projects that are not clearly win / win scenarios for you and me. This is determined when we look at your goals and crunch the numbers based on market research, list size, and the offer. With conservative calculations, we look at the data together and decide if this is a win / win scenario. In my opinion, that is much more comforting for you than a flat out guarantee.

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Going forward… In order to give you a proposal specific to your needs, I will need the following information. After I receive your answers, you can choose one of the options: 1. A free 30-minute phone call where I give you my verbal assessment. I suggest you record the call. If you would like me to record it and then send it to you, let me know. 2. A written proposal with my specific suggestions for your product launch marketing strategy. This will include strategy, tactics, and resources. Cost: $500.00 If you decide to hire me as your Product Launch Manager, the $500 will be deducted from the up-front fee and we will both sign a simple contract provided by me. The contract states the up front fee, commission structure, list of deliverables, responsibilities of both parties and exit clauses. Here are the questions. Skip ones that don’t apply. To download a word doc of the questions, go here: 1. Please describe your project 2. Is the product completely finished and ready to go to market? 3. If not, how soon will it be ready? 4. What is the product? 5. What are all the product deliverables? 6. Are these deliverables ready for market? 7. Are there upsells / downsells? Please explain. 8. If there is continuity, please explain.

http://bit.ly/PLM-Questions

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9. What is the price point? (give a range) Payment plan? 10. Have you done any price testing? 11. Has it sold before? 12. What were the results? 13. Do you have testimonials or case studies? 14. Do you have a list? 15. Where is the list hosted? (Aweber? ListHost Pro? etc.) 16. How many on the list? 17. What did they opt-in for? 18. What % are buyers? 19. What price point are they used to paying? 20. How responsive are they? (Open and click through rates) 21. How often do they receive mail from you? 22. What % of time are they being sold something? 23. Do you have JV partners? 24. How have they supported you in the past? 25. How have you supported them? 26. What other assets do you have? - content - professional relationships - blog - search engine rankings

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- team members (check ones you have) - tech person - video person - web person - graphics person - seo person - ppc person - social networker - assistant - other Check off the following that you already have installed: - Survey Monkey (or other survey interface) - Hosting - S3 or other bulk hosting - Cloudfront or other CDN network - Shopping cart - Affiliate tracking - List host (Aweber? etc.) - GoToWebinar - Other 1. What is your social networking presence at this point? Number of followers / friends / connections. 2. Please list web addresses of current websites, blogs, landing pages, and social network profiles relevant to this project. Please add any other information you feel would help me help you. Email the questionnaire to: [email protected] I hope this report has been helpful, I sincerely look forward to the possibility of working with you. If you would like to watch over my shoulder during a launch, just visit this link: http://bit.ly/watch-launch All my best, Oliver