Last month I reviewed a book that has since become a NY Times Best Seller: How The World Sees You. Today I’m going to review a book that had reached that position by the time I received it.

Jeff Walker’s Launch was released at the beginning of June, but my copy took about a month to reach me here in the UK.

The book tells how Jeff came up with a product launch method when he was trying to promote his stock market trading product. It was only later that he realised he had created a formula that no one else was using and that it could be used to successfully launch a whole range of products and services.

The early part of the book gives examples of people who have used the formula successfuly. Then it starts breaking the method down.

First Jeff discusses the mental triggers the formula uses. You’ll recognise these if you’ve read Robert Cialdini’s book “Influence – The Psychology of Persuasion” (you can take a look at my review of this book here).

Then Jeff explains the prelaunch, which is based around the answers to ten questions. The answers lead to Prelaunch Content which is usually sent out in emails and spread over 7 – 10 days. Each email has a specific job and together they build a relationship with the readers, they build your authority and create reciprocity. By the time you mention the product you are launching your audience have been lead gently to the conclusion they need what you are selling and that you are just the person to buy from.

Instead of blasting the audience with ‘buy now’ and ‘go, go, go!’ hyperbole the Formula builds and makes its case more gently.

You may even recognise this form of marketing from big blockbuster films like Christopher Nolan’s Batman films, where you had online related campaigns with news reports from Gotham’s newspapers, Joker related content, and so on. Trailers for films like the Hobbit appear months before the film is due to hit the big screen. Look at the information dribbling out of the studios about the next Star Wars film. It’s all about gently building buzz about the main event until everyone with even the slightest interest wants to see it, and before general release if possible.

There’s plenty more in the book, including what to do when a launch starts to go wrong, how to be paid before you create a product, and how to run a seed launch if you are starting from scratch.

The book outlines the formula quite well, but don’t expect to be able to run a big launch yourself after reading it. After all, the full Product Launch Formula course retails at about $2000 and the paperback I received is just under $18, and the Kindle will be even cheaper. Having said that, if you plan to launch a product or service but the course is beyond your financial reach it’s worth taking a look. The book explains the basics and psychology quite well and can point you in the right direction, giving you plenty to think about.

I’ll admit I was expecting it to be a lead magnet for his course, but the hard or even gentle sell I was expecting is absent. However, I notice the Product Launch Formula is due to be relaunched this November, so maybe it’s part of a long game, building buzz before the main event.