An unpleasant surprise can kill a sale. But a pleasant surprise in your direct response letter or ad can help close a sale. For example, adding an unexpected bonus immediately before your prospect takes the last action to complete a sale will eliminate any last minute hesitation.
Be sure to include a bonus with your product. Choose one which will complement the product or make it even more useful.
You’ll want to test the effect that a bonus offer has on your closing ratio. Compare offering a ‘time bonus’ such as consulting or phone access against a ‘thing bonus’ such as a complimentary DVD.
And of course a ‘money bonus’ is always popular. Let’s say you have an offer that’s priced at 49.95 pounds. Tell customers if they buy now they can get another at half price. Infomercials often state that if you call within the next 10 minutes, they will remove one of your payments.
The more bonuses you can offer the more effective your ad or sales letter will be. Why do you think all those infomercials say things like, “But wait, there’s more…”? Because it works, that’s why!
How To Write It
Your copy is no different than a salesperson giving a presentation. The copy should be written as if you were talking to the prospective buyer face to face. Don’t get hung up in getting technical and wordy. State the benefits and features in short, concise paragraphs and illustrate the benefits along the way, and then ask for the sale.
Write From the Heart
If you don’t believe what you’re saying, the reader probably won’t either.
- Try and convey your belief in simple words, as if you were talking face to face
- Make the copy conversational
- Make your copy easy to read by using open, specific, and concise style
- Use short, colourful words
- Talk to people like you would talk to them in person
- Help the prospect see pictures through your words
- Use a story-telling style like a well-done children’s book
- Use broken sentences that are separated by dots…to create a rhythm to your copy
- Asking questions can be more effective than making statements
The offer should include power words such as free, limited, exclusive, etc. If the price is the essence of your offer it may read: “Was 200 pounds, now 150 pounds” or “Save 50 pounds” or “Save 25%”. Use numbers. Quantify savings as much as possible.
Strike While the Iron is Hot… and the consumer is, too!
Strategies like that can explode your small business quickly, that’s why I’d suggest you go right now to http://www.freemarketingbook.org and request a copy of Jonathan Jay’s new book “Marketing Secrets of a Multi-Millionaire Entrepreneur”
Copyright SuccessTrack 2009
