Hi there Another Great Article By Alexandria Brown
It has been a really busy week for me this week. After receiving my Mass Control pack last week I have been consumed with learning and taking action prior to me going to Frank Kern's event in San Deigo in April. Yes I am one of the lucky 500 who is going and I am so excited!
For those who did not purchase Frank's course you really missed out big time. I know they sold out quickly but it was money well spent. He has a CD called the 4 Day Cash Machine where he gives you the complete blueprint of how to write a 4 day email campaign that sells like crazy.
In fact all you have to do is change your product details and create a landing page (if you do not already have one) and send it out. Too easy!
I am testing it out in the next couple of weeks with one of my clients so I will let you know how it goes.
But what I have found lately is that every time I start focussing on something that I need in my business or start looking for tools that I need to help me, they just seem to appear out of nowhere. For example, I am having to write a sales letter for the landing page of the 4 Day Cash Machine client and it is not something I find easy to do.
This morning I wake up and low and behold what is sitting in my inbox but an email from one of my mentors Ali Brown with tips on exactly how to write a great 'slippery slide' sales letter.
Now I know that most of you who do not have a copywriter may be struggling with creating your own sales letter so I decided to share Ali's brilliant tips with you this week.
Off to the beach now with Hunter before the 5 yo sleepover tonight...wish me luck.
Have a great week.
To Your success
Pammieb
http://www.pammieb.com
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"13 Steps to a 'Slippery Slope' Online Sales Letter"
by Ali Brown
Many of the solo professionals whom I coach are people who offer services. They're coaches, consultants, creatives. 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, 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 $%#@& 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?
© 2003-2009 Alexandria Brown International Inc.
Online entrepreneur Ali Brown publishes the award-winning 'Highlights on Marketing & Success' weekly e-zine with 36,000+ subscribers. If you're ready to jump-start your marketing, make more money, and have more fun in your small business, get your FREE tips now at www.AliBrown.com
Friday, March 20, 2009
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A few more tips to remember when writing a sales letter, which I hope will prove to be useful to your readers. Some of these points you have already covered to an extent, but repitition for emphasis never did anyone any harm.
ReplyDeleteWhilst it is true that the beginning and the end of the sales letter are the most important parts of any sales copy, but that does not mean that the rest of the sales letter is any less important.
The first part of your sales letter, generally speaking is not the headline, it is the preheader.
The purpose of the preheader is purely to get the reader, to read the headline.
The purpose of the headline, as well as getting one’s attention, is to have this person/s read the first sentence.
The purpose of the first very short sentence, is to get people to read the second sentence and so on and so forth (a slippery sales funnel).
The introduction to the sales letter is all about setting the tone of the sales copy, otherwise referred to in the trade as creating the buyers or buying environment.
You can do this by getting the potential buyer to say YES! - as much as possible in their subconscious mind.
You might ask questions which also empathize with the target audience feelings of frustration and pain.
Realize that most people do not buy for rational reasons, they buy to satisfy their emotions.
It is your job with any sales letter to move the prospect from a feeling of frustration or pain to the emotion of pleasure. If you do this well, you will get the sale.
The main offer you should make as irresistible as possible, giving the prospect every reason to want to buy from you and you alone over your competitor’s in the same niche market.
Do not underestimate the use of scarcity, testimonials and bullet points to draw attention to your benefits.
There is a vast difference between benefits and features, another good point to bear in mind.
Keep your language simple, do not use overly complicated long words. They might help you to think that you look intelligent but in salesmanship in print, they are always best avoided.
Offer a darn good guarantee, usually longer is better. 365 days sounds a lot better than 1 year.
Never underestimate the power of the PS points, these should once again draw attention to your main benefits.
Bonuses, make sure they are related to your product or service and use no more than 3 of them. If you pay too much attention to the bonus items and not the offer itself, your main offer will lose it’s credibility.
Finally - On the point of the guarantee.
If anyone is selling an informational product, for example an eBook or information system and you write a sales letter for that, in order to get more sales….don’t be afraid to offer a longer guarantee over a shorter guarantee.
What you’ll find is that a longer guarantee your offer will have more credibility in the mind of the reader if you employ this tactic.
So, rather than offering a 30 day guarantee, extend that guarantee period up to 365 days instead.
In doing so you take away any urgency to get a refund if any reader is not perfectly happy with the information ordered and received.
They’ll put it off, asking for the refund, telling themselves, ‘Hey! I’ve got all year to ask for this refund’. And they will never get around to it in the vast majority of cases.
It works a treat this strategy. It makes your offer look more valuable and you retain more money in your pocket as a direct result of employing this strategy on your sales letters.
In a nutshell if you can offer a longer guarantee over a shorter guarantee, do so!
Here is to everyone’s continued success, writing their sales letters!
Best regards.
Mark Andrews
IMCopywriting