I should really call this post 'Three Secrets About Selling That The Pros Can't Expose'. I say 'Can't Expose' as there's a certain realisation that these aspects would hurt their business if they were much more widely known than they are now.
The fact is, I've spent the past few months working on my ability to write sales copy. It's a very important skill for an Internet Marketer, and it's amazing that, in a business so focused around making sales, so few people have an ability to write decent sales copy.
With that said, I want to release to you, three things I've found out whilst going through the learning process myself, which should help you if you want to make sales of your own products yourself.
Here we go…
Sales Secret #1 – The Sale Is Made Before They Read Your Page!
Very little copy converts straight off the bat.
Most of what you hear said from copywriters, that their copy converts at 11.5% (or whatever) just isn't the case.
It's almost impossible for someone to end up on your sales page unless they already have a vested interest in the product, or a reason for being there. Quite simply, the best conversions come from prospects who are already presold on an opportunity before they reach the sales page.
Nowaways, the most common way of doing this is in an email which encourages people to click through to a sales page and sells the advantages of the product on offer before they reach the page. Some people do that using a webinar and also have great success.
Always make sure that any traffic reaching your sales page is warmed up, and you will have much more success than when totally random traffic reaches it.
Sales Secret #2 – Don't Skirt Around The Details
Anyone considering buying from you always wants to know what is in the package that they're thinking about buying.
Don't skirt around this.
There's no need to be tricky, or to overhype the opportunity that''s an offer.
If you have to hide the system, it's probably not a good offer, and it won't do you any good in the longer term to be associated with products with that.
One quick way is to simply list what's in the product. For instance, if it's a set of videos, just say what's in each of them. Even if it's a special report, you can talk about what's in every chapter.
You don't need to go as far as to give a Table Of Contents (it's worthwhile leaving a bit of a reason to purchase), but so long as you're offering much more detail in the 'paid for' product than you are in the copy, you should be able to make sales.
Sales Secret #3 – Your Copy Is Best
If you're selling to Internet Marketers, you're selling to people already in the trade.
You can make the odd sale to newcomers, who don't know what's going on, but generally you're selling to people who – at the very least – have an appreciation of the whole sales process.
If they do, they probably understand the value of spending money occasionally for something that will save them time, money and effort, and you can use that to your advantage.
In your case, make sure that you are offering them something that is worthwhile. Personally, I would never devalue my reputation my offering any kind of product that wasn't worth much more than the price asked to any savvy marketer ready to take advantage of an opportunity.
And, you are the only person who knows what buttons to push your list.
That means, you should write your own copy wherever possible, and you should certainly be in the driving seat when outsourcing, if it's a skill that you don't have yourself.
Even if all you are doing is taking a package with Private Label Rights, make sure that you totally rework the copy into the voice that works best for you. Not only does that add the all-important aspect of originality to your PLR, it also makes sure that your own personality comes through.
If you are creating your own product from scratch, a strategy that will pay dividends in the longer term, then your copy will add consistency across all your products. This should lead to repeat buyers.
What About Your Sales?
I hope you found these three secrets useful.
Now, think about your own sales. What's working for you?
If one of these secret strategies will help you, then please let us know by commenting below. Or, if you have your own system, then please share it with us.
9 replies on “Three Secrets About Selling That The Pros Won’t Expose”
This is great, Thom. I like the first in particular as I have already made my mind up to buy or not to buy when I get to a sales page, and to be honest I never read them, just flick to the price. Very good post.
Enjoy the journey.
Mandy
I agree people are coming to a site because they are interested in what you are offering and its best to be straightforward and not mess around with things.
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Your article makes sense.
One more thing is the Super Affiliate before they sell anything , they will try it out first and they promote only the best product but today Internet Marketer promote almost anything including products that sucks.
This is great! I like the first one. I like attending webinars that can help me know more about the product. It's more convenient and very helpful. Thanks!
So what you're saying is that if you have no or a very small list you can't make any sales on-line?
That's a bit sad. Seems to me that most of internet marketers who are doing extremely well got started by being lucky.
They did something which worked even though they had no real idea of what they were doing. Once you have something which is making money you then have a base to work from and grow.
Until then you don't even have anything to test. What do you change? You know it's not working but you don't know if it's the type of traffic, the keywords, the copy or the offer.
Good post though Thom.
Mr. Bearly, thanks for that comment. I don't subscribe to the 'a small list is worthless' philosophy at all. I would much rather have a small list made up of people who are interested in receiving messages from me, than a large list with a poor open or conversion rate.
Of course, a lot of marketing does come to luck, which is a good argument for diversifying – and why creating a single product is never likely to be a successful strategy in the longer term.
There are many ways to sell, other than through a mailing list. For instance, you could use article marketing, or direct traffic through pay-for-click. In the 'what works for me' category, the mailing list is the most valuable, but I'm talking a slow burn strategy over a period of months, or perhaps even years. I know people who have had great success through paid traffic for short periods, but then had their accounts closed down, or a competitor outbid them.
Of course, the most important thing is to do take action and do something! Even if it's the wrong thing, it's a valuable learning experience. No one will ever make a single sale solely by thinking about it.
Thom
I like Sales Secret #2. It's very important to just point out what is essential to the product. It will make consumers aware what the product is and it will be more interesting.
You make some great points Thom, and #1 is definitely true. People don't usually land on your sales page "accidentally."
Writing my own sales copy from scratch is a bit daunting to me, but working from a premade sales letter and using it as a sort of "template" is something that I've often done.
One thing you said that really resonates with me is this one:
"make sure that you totally rework the copy into the voice that works best for you. Not only does that add the all-important aspect of originality to your PLR, it also makes sure that your own personality comes through."
I think that is SO important and so many people don't do this.
Great post!