If you hate HYPE and hard-sell, use these soft-selling ideas for a more subtle and friendly approach to promote and sell your products.
Free projects
Offer free projects that require your products. To add convenience and generate sales, facilitate the purchase of the recommended products by displaying product shots linking to an order form.
Williams-Sonoma, a home furnishings supplier, provides recipes on their website. The images of the tools used to prepare the dish are tactfully displayed on the sidebar and linked to individual product information pages containing an order form. (http://www.williams-sonoma.com/)
'Ask the Expert’
Encourage visitors to submit their questions to the ‘Expert’. You can either supply the answers yourself to demonstrate your expertise or invite an outside expert to reduce your workload and provide a valuable recommendation for your products. Weave product information into your answers and advertise related products on the webpage.
The ‘Online Vet’ of Purina ONE®, a pet food manufacturer, answers pet owners’ questions on behaviour, health or nutrition. The ‘Ask a Vet’ feature encourages return visits and increase branding exposure to their products. (http://www.purinaone.com/)
Free assessment
Provide advice and recommendations based on your customer’s individual needs. This personal approach enables you to tailor the offering.
Drugstore.com provides an advisory service called ‘Dr Weil recommends’. Visitors receive a free personal assessment and recommendations from the ‘Vitamin Advisor’ based on their answers to a set of health and lifestyle questions. (http://www.drugstore.com/)
Problem & Solution
Create and document a database of ‘troubleshooting’ solutions to problems that your products can fix. Visitors will welcome the solution to their problem and value your suggestions.
Do It Best, a hardware store, provides advice on home maintenance. Each recommended product is linked to a product information page with an order form. (http://www.doitbest.com/)
Free tips
Supply tips and applications for your products to reveal their versatility and usefulness. Make your product desirable and indispensable.
Kodak,, in their section ‘Doing more with Your Pictures’, provide instructions on how to create online albums, photo cards, screen savers, etc. For greater effect, they appeal to emotions with “you can delight friends with pictures of the pranks you pulled at your family reunion”. (http://www.kodak.com/)
All the above strategies can apply to sales of products or services. They empower visitors so don’t forget to strategically place your calls-to-action. Who needs to hard sell?
Adapted from the book 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website by Henriette Martel-Lawson, website strategist, consultant and professional speaker.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Turn Words Into Cash
EXPOSED, At Last! 19 Of The Most Respected, Most Sought After, And Most Successful Copywriters In The World Today Reveal Their Top Money-Making Secrets! If you ever wanted to write mouth-watering copy that's so tantalizing that it balloons your conversion rate larger than a Good Year blimp and plows more profits into your bank account, then I sincerely urge you to listen up!
What would it be worth to you to seriously increase your conversion rate?
And, do it without having to pay an expensive copywriter to dissect your sales page?
Would you like to crawl into the six inches between the ears of the highest paid copywriters on the planet and discover all their dirtly little secrets and tricks?
The good news is that you can do just that at a fraction of the normal cost.
Does your website suck? Are you getting traffic but no one is buying?
If you feel like you're pouring advertising money down an endless rat hole, your solution is now available.
You need Turn Words Into Cash >>
>http://tinyurl.com/2hj4tj
You can get just that with the "Turn Words Into Cash," published by a copywriting master, Dan Lok.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
How To Master The Art And Science Of Super Salesmanship In 3 ½ Minutes Flat!
Copyright © 2006 Quick Turn Marketing International, Ltd.
Dear Friend,
You #1 weapon in advertising will always be...
Superior Salesmanship.
I am not a born salesman.
If you know my story, I didn’t even have a word of the English language on my lips when I first moved to North America. (Even now, my spoken English is not all that great and it comes with an accent that would put Arnold Schwarzenegger or Jackie Chan to shame.)
No, I wasn't born to sell. I had to learn selling... the HARD way: making embarrassing mistakes, blowing deals right and left, losing clients... and going to outrageous extremes trying to identify the world-class salesmen who would teach me the way to do things right.
Well, it's taken a few years... quite a few years, I'll admit, but now I've identified the "tricks of the trade" of selling.
What Took Me Years Will Be Yours In 3 ½ Minutes Flat!
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Tricks of the Trade #1 - People don’t like to be sold
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
That's right! Although every year, trillions of dollars worth of goods and services are bought and sold -- billions through the mail alone -- people actually don’t like the IDEA of being sold.
What they DO like is the idea of OWNING the product, or taking advantage of the service that is being sold. Look at the people in your own life -- friends, family, or business colleagues. Many of them, no doubt, love to buy things. (My girlfriend has a “black belt” in shopping) But I'll bet that none of them like to be sold.
In fact, with most people, if you try to sell them something, they'll become resistant. It's a natural response to perceived pressure.
In fact, selling may turn-off a prospect who was ready to buy. So if you can't SELL, what you can do is TELL. In order to tell you about my product or service:
* I get your attention...
* I build rapport with you...
* I explain what’s in it for you...
* I tempt you by appealing to your emotions...
* I create a verbal picture that teases your desires...
* I demonstrate how my stuff can easily solve your problems...
* I can prove to you that there’re a lot people just like you who have bought and are very happy with my stuff...
* I make you an absolutely irresistible offer...
* I describe a deal where you risk nothing, and yet stand to gain a great deal...
* I handle every single one of your objections...
This is exactly what you've gotta do when you’re writing a sales letter. Don’t apply pressure and don’t bully your prospect with force. Use a little finesse instead. Don't force it -- romance the hell out of it.
If you TELL you, I don't have to SELL you... you'll sell yourself!
(And that’s killer salesmanship, my friend!)
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Tricks of the Trade #2 - Hit ‘Em Where It Hurts:
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
With each sales pitch you create, you must focus on the need or desire that your product will satisfy.
If we only buy what we NEED, there’ll be No Rolex, No BMW, No Mercedes, No Botox, and definitely NO Starbucks coffee. We certainly don’t NEED any of that stuff, but we WANT them!
Here’s what most people are looking for in one way or another:
* More money
* More free time
* More respect
* Better physical health
* Better mental health
* Less stress
Remember, people buy what they WANT, not what they NEED.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Tricks of the Trade #3 - Even When They're Sold, People Need To Satisfy Their Emotional Decisions With Logic
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Even though people buy for emotional reasons, they need to feel that their decision was backed by solid logical reasons.
Think about TV commercials for cars. They offer a perfect picture of "justification."
Here's how they work:
First, there's a stirring image of the car itself – beautiful, stylish, new. (In your head: Wow! That car looks cool...)
In the background, there’s a mountainous landscape (In your head: Wow! That's rugged... like me!) or a five-star hotel (In your head: Wow! That car would give me status."
And, of course, no car commercial would be complete without a beautiful, sexy woman. (In your head: ...let's not go there!)
Next, you see an interior shot to show how luxurious your life will be with this car. You get to listen to state-of-the-art sound system. (In your head: Hmm... I can listen to my favorite music.)
Then, there’s a shot of the car driving by the ocean. Put it all together and you have an effective
20-second movie that’s designed entirely to appeal to emotion.
But wait, the car commercials don’t stop here.
Oh...no way. At the end, they "get down to business" with numerous bits and pieces of information – the size of the engine, statistics on fuel economy, speed, weight, interior space, rankings in national survey, financing information and customer satisfaction reports, and so on.
It flashes by at lightening speed, usually so quickly that you can't read it.
But Don't Worry: All This Data Isn’t Meant To Sell The Car.
It’s included to make YOU feel good and justify the decision you’ve already made. (I’m gonna buy that baby now or when I got some money because it's the SMART thing to do!)
The lesson: People CAN be convinced, when the facts are explained, when the risk is taken away, and when their deepest, most selfish desires have been tickled and nurtured and seduced.
All right, time’s up! Whew... right on time. 3-½ minutes. (Hey, I don’t just always “hype” the headline to get you to read my stuff, do I?)
Until next time...
Dan Lok
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
A former college dropout, Dan Lok transformed himself from a grocery bagger in a local supermarket to a multi-millionaire. Dan came to North America with little knowledge of the English language and few contacts. Today, Dan is one of the most sought-after business
mentors on the Web, as well as a best-selling author. His reputation includes his title as the World's #1 Website Conversion Expert. To find out what Dan is up to now, visit him at:
www.milliondollarinternetpromotions.com
Dear Friend,
You #1 weapon in advertising will always be...
Superior Salesmanship.
I am not a born salesman.
If you know my story, I didn’t even have a word of the English language on my lips when I first moved to North America. (Even now, my spoken English is not all that great and it comes with an accent that would put Arnold Schwarzenegger or Jackie Chan to shame.)
No, I wasn't born to sell. I had to learn selling... the HARD way: making embarrassing mistakes, blowing deals right and left, losing clients... and going to outrageous extremes trying to identify the world-class salesmen who would teach me the way to do things right.
Well, it's taken a few years... quite a few years, I'll admit, but now I've identified the "tricks of the trade" of selling.
What Took Me Years Will Be Yours In 3 ½ Minutes Flat!
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Tricks of the Trade #1 - People don’t like to be sold
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
That's right! Although every year, trillions of dollars worth of goods and services are bought and sold -- billions through the mail alone -- people actually don’t like the IDEA of being sold.
What they DO like is the idea of OWNING the product, or taking advantage of the service that is being sold. Look at the people in your own life -- friends, family, or business colleagues. Many of them, no doubt, love to buy things. (My girlfriend has a “black belt” in shopping) But I'll bet that none of them like to be sold.
In fact, with most people, if you try to sell them something, they'll become resistant. It's a natural response to perceived pressure.
In fact, selling may turn-off a prospect who was ready to buy. So if you can't SELL, what you can do is TELL. In order to tell you about my product or service:
* I get your attention...
* I build rapport with you...
* I explain what’s in it for you...
* I tempt you by appealing to your emotions...
* I create a verbal picture that teases your desires...
* I demonstrate how my stuff can easily solve your problems...
* I can prove to you that there’re a lot people just like you who have bought and are very happy with my stuff...
* I make you an absolutely irresistible offer...
* I describe a deal where you risk nothing, and yet stand to gain a great deal...
* I handle every single one of your objections...
This is exactly what you've gotta do when you’re writing a sales letter. Don’t apply pressure and don’t bully your prospect with force. Use a little finesse instead. Don't force it -- romance the hell out of it.
If you TELL you, I don't have to SELL you... you'll sell yourself!
(And that’s killer salesmanship, my friend!)
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Tricks of the Trade #2 - Hit ‘Em Where It Hurts:
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
With each sales pitch you create, you must focus on the need or desire that your product will satisfy.
If we only buy what we NEED, there’ll be No Rolex, No BMW, No Mercedes, No Botox, and definitely NO Starbucks coffee. We certainly don’t NEED any of that stuff, but we WANT them!
Here’s what most people are looking for in one way or another:
* More money
* More free time
* More respect
* Better physical health
* Better mental health
* Less stress
Remember, people buy what they WANT, not what they NEED.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Tricks of the Trade #3 - Even When They're Sold, People Need To Satisfy Their Emotional Decisions With Logic
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Even though people buy for emotional reasons, they need to feel that their decision was backed by solid logical reasons.
Think about TV commercials for cars. They offer a perfect picture of "justification."
Here's how they work:
First, there's a stirring image of the car itself – beautiful, stylish, new. (In your head: Wow! That car looks cool...)
In the background, there’s a mountainous landscape (In your head: Wow! That's rugged... like me!) or a five-star hotel (In your head: Wow! That car would give me status."
And, of course, no car commercial would be complete without a beautiful, sexy woman. (In your head: ...let's not go there!)
Next, you see an interior shot to show how luxurious your life will be with this car. You get to listen to state-of-the-art sound system. (In your head: Hmm... I can listen to my favorite music.)
Then, there’s a shot of the car driving by the ocean. Put it all together and you have an effective
20-second movie that’s designed entirely to appeal to emotion.
But wait, the car commercials don’t stop here.
Oh...no way. At the end, they "get down to business" with numerous bits and pieces of information – the size of the engine, statistics on fuel economy, speed, weight, interior space, rankings in national survey, financing information and customer satisfaction reports, and so on.
It flashes by at lightening speed, usually so quickly that you can't read it.
But Don't Worry: All This Data Isn’t Meant To Sell The Car.
It’s included to make YOU feel good and justify the decision you’ve already made. (I’m gonna buy that baby now or when I got some money because it's the SMART thing to do!)
The lesson: People CAN be convinced, when the facts are explained, when the risk is taken away, and when their deepest, most selfish desires have been tickled and nurtured and seduced.
All right, time’s up! Whew... right on time. 3-½ minutes. (Hey, I don’t just always “hype” the headline to get you to read my stuff, do I?)
Until next time...
Dan Lok
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
A former college dropout, Dan Lok transformed himself from a grocery bagger in a local supermarket to a multi-millionaire. Dan came to North America with little knowledge of the English language and few contacts. Today, Dan is one of the most sought-after business
mentors on the Web, as well as a best-selling author. His reputation includes his title as the World's #1 Website Conversion Expert. To find out what Dan is up to now, visit him at:
www.milliondollarinternetpromotions.com
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