Archive for the ‘Marketing’ Category

Many of the entrepreneurs whom I coach are people who offer services. They’re coaches, consultants, creatives, speakers, and trainers. And many of them are also beginning to sell information products on their Web sites. They’re smart to offer a lower-priced alternative to hiring them, and to sell a product that can gain them passive income.

But here’s the problem: I see many of them trying to sell their e-book, home-study course, tutorial, etc. on a regular Web page. They list a paragraph about the info-product and give the price, and they expect a slew of sales.

Wrong.

You need a special sales page that has a “slippery slope” sales letter.

Remember that game Chutes & Ladders? If you landed on a space that had a chute on it, you just went down, Baby. No turning back. That’s how your sales letter should be – a “slippery slope” that pulls in the reader because it’s so compelling and interesting.

Here’s a basic outline of the 13 elements you want to include. To see an example of them all in action, visit my latest sales page here.

1. Limit your navigation.

The visitor should not be distracted by links that take her to your bio, other products, etc. The idea is to keep her on this page, reading your copy and leading her to order. So on this page, only have navigation that relates to the product (e.g. FAQs, Order now).

2. Give a powerful headline.

Your headline can make or break your sales. If it’s not compelling, your visitor will click away. Here’s an easy headline formula: “How to _________ So You Can ____________.” Make sure the 2nd part gives a big benefit, for example, “double your business” or “gain peace of mind.”

3. Discuss the problem the prospect has, or incorporate your own story.

Marketers call this “pushing the ‘ouch’ button.” First discuss the problem or pain that the reader has, and then lead in to how your product will solve it. Or share your own failure-to-success story that the reader can empathize with.

4. Tell us who you are.

If I’m going to buy your stuff, I’d like to know why you’re qualified to write about this topic. Give me the feeling that you’ve learned a lot about this topic and want to share it with me.

Even add a picture of yourself and an audio greeting, like I did. These help the reader instantly feel like she knows you better, increasing the “trust factor.” And people buy from those they feel they know, like, and trust!

5. Use bullets like mini headlines.

Lay out everything I’ll get from your product. Don’t just list your table of contents verbatim! Turn each point into an exciting secret. For example, suppose your e-book features 5 tips on how to save money on groceries. That bullet could read, “Revealed: 5 ways you can save hundreds of dollars on your monthly grocery bill.”

6. List plenty of testimonials.

Show your prospects they won’t be the first to buy. It’s more effective to weave-in testimonials throughout your sales letter than to have a separate section for them. Give each person’s full name and Web address, and for extra power, post their photo and an audio testimonial as well.

7. Tell us why your product is such a great value.

How does the price of your product compare if I hired you one-on-one? For example, your manual is a great value at $49 if an hour consultation with you would run me $250.

8. Throw in a few great bonuses.

Offer special bonuses (preferably created by you) that are so good you could sell them alone if you wanted to. It could be a list of resources, a collection of articles, extra tips on a certain subject, or a free consultation.

9. Give an unconditional guarantee.

This puts your prospect at ease, giving her no reason to NOT buy. A few turkeys will take advantage of your generosity, but the amount of sales you GAIN from this strategy dramatically outweighs the risk.

10. Request immediate action by having a limited time offer.

Some sales pages use trick scripts to make it seem like the offer always ends on that day at midnight, but I find these insulting. If you really will be raising your price soon (and you always should be), list the exact date and stick to it. Otherwise just say it’s an introductory, limited-time offer.

11. Make it ABSURDLY CLEAR what to do next.

Nothing bothers me more than when I’m at a Web site, I have my credit card ready, and I can’t find the doggone order link! Make your order process idiot-proof. Example: “Click below to order now on our secure server.” Also sprinkle in order links throughout your page — some people will be ready to buy before they get to the bottom.

12. Make one last plea.

In your P.S., right after your signature, emphasize that I should act now. For example, “Don’t miss out on this great opportunity. Remember, you can buy now and change your mind at anytime.”

13. Don’t forget your contact information!

Readers WILL have questions, so provide an e-mail address on your site that you or someone else will check at least daily. Also, don’t you feel better buying from a Web site that lists a real address and phone number?

Your turn:

What have you noticed works best when offering your products or programs online in a sales letter? Does shorter give you better results over a longer sales letter? What about when you use video, audio or social media plugins? Speak your mind – leave me a comment below.

The foundation for a powerful presence online is a compelling and engaging website. It is the hub for your brand and all of your online activities. With the right copy, visuals and resources, it can position you as an authority in your industry. Ultimately, your website must represent your message, personality and purpose.

Your homepage is the most important page on your site. Most likely, it is the first thing that someone will see when they find you online and you must immediately capture their attention. If you are using a tool like Google Analytics and find that a lot of people are bouncing from your site once they have viewed the homepage, then you aren’t being clear and engaging.

When creating an effective and powerful homepage for your site, you must ask yourself two very important questions:

1. What is the ONE thing you want visitors to do when they come to your site?
2. What is the outcome people receive from working with you?

One of the most important things is to capture a name and email address for your list. As service professionals, many of you are trying to grow your tribe and create a community around your brand. You want to offer an incentive – a special report, checklist, audio recording etc., for people to sign up with you.

You also want to be VERY clear about what it is that do, and most importantly, what is the outcome people achieve by working with you. Will they attract more clients, make more money, get more organized, create and implement a strategic marketing plan, etc.? This must be front and center and easily accessible on your homepage.

Here are ten points to remember when creating a compelling homepage:

What other tips do you have about making your home page (and website, overall) compelling to your community? Leave a comment on the blog!

I haven’t done a scientific study of this, but when interviewing new clients I’ve observed that their marketing ineffectiveness is almost always tied to this very common fear. Here are a few of the things I’ve heard over the past several years:

• I don’t want to come off as pushy
• Nobody is interested in hearing about my services
• Word-of-mouth is the only way to get more clients
• If I ask for referrals it will feel like I’m begging
• Marketing is a bother and an interruption to people
• People won’t want to listen to a talk I give
• No one will read what I write, so why bother?

If you could surmount this one obstacle, you’d attract more clients, earn more money and make the difference you’ve always wanted to make. In this two part article, I will give you ways to overcome this fear of rejection and become a master of your marketing.

In my work with clients over many years, I’ve discovered two effective approaches to overcoming the fear of rejection. They work especially well if you use them in tandem. They are “Talk the Walk,” and “Shift the Story.” Below I will share the essence of these approaches and how you can start to apply them immediately to overcome your fear of rejection.

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