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It goes against human intuition but if you stop trying to sell to people they will be more likely to buy from you. Yes, this article will annoy a few of my fellow internet marketers but let the truth be heard. Have you ever had a person not listen to what you are saying because they have a sales script they want to follow? They are trying to sell you something, you tell them you aren’t interested, yet they keep on going. Pretty annoying isn’t it? I bet you never realized that you can have that same affect on people by the way in you present your sales materials. But it’s true. You can turn off potential customers and clients with your sales letters and emails. Internet marketers especially fall prey to the “annoying over selling syndrome”. If you are going to setup a website and build a list in hopes of eventually selling thousands of dollars worth of products then you might as well do it right. This is the wrong way: You find a niche or business angle. Setup a website and autoresponder. You find something to give away so that people will be enticed to subscribe. *BAM* You have their email address so you send them sales letter after sales letter..... Hi Friend, Let me tell you about this new product that my friend Jane Doe has just announced. The problem is that when people first subscribe to your list, chances are they don't know you. They don't know what you are about and they probably just subscribed to get some information- information sans a price tag. Instead of jetting out the gate with a sales pitch, set your first few autoresponders to send targeted and useful information. Once you have gotten those few trust-building emails out of them then you can begin to offer sales specials...but not on a daily basis. Provide value first and then you'll see results. You have to give before you can receive. | |||||||
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5.00 (Excellent) Vote:
October 2007 I think it all comes down to intent and value.
If the pitch is furthering my need to consume whatever it is I am of the mind to consume in a way that brings value to my endeavor, I will appreciate the calls to action and the additional information. If the pitch has nothing to do with what it was I am intending to consume, I will shun the offer no matter how great be it passive or active. With good calls to action, so long as they are valuable and intent targeted, regardless of passive or active voice, will help a marketer and a consumer to more likely carry out successful transactions.  Reply
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5.00 (Excellent) Vote:
October 2007 to simplify this further I can give an example on Gooruze...
if someone (Member A) publishes an article which is blatantly selling his/her services, and then Member B writes an article on the same topic and looks like the expert without doing such a blatant sales job, I know who I would contact. Member B by the way, if you were wondering  Reply
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5.00 (Excellent) Vote:
October 2007 But member B didn't have any clear contact details, and when you went to his blog you discovered it was just running with a Kubrick theme and no mention of whether he provides any services.
Member A on the other hand has a very clear sales process on his site, and even gives you price estimates for typical services. You don't have to have ram a sales pitch down someone's throat to include a call to action. Reply
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4.50 (Excellent) Vote:
October 2007 I didn't say "don't sell". I said don't sell in the very first email when you promised something else.
You are right though, it is based on opinion. My opinion and opinions from a survey I did about 3 years ago. It wasn't detailed though...it was just about preferences in content and average subscription length. Some people can sell out the gate and it works...but they didn't necessarily start off that way. If you are newbie entering the game you can't try to be Joel Comm, Michael Fortin, or John Reese. You need to prove yourself first and then maybe your audience will trust your recommendations. Sorry, I'm not talking about highly successful companies with a tried and true system in place. I am talking about Joe Jones, the average guy who decides to try out that "internet marketing" thing. Reply
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5.00 (Excellent) Vote:
October 2007 I think understand what you are saying. If you are not branded, you first need to establish a relationship with the potential customer. Once the customer trusts you and what you are selling, they are more likely to buy from you.
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5.00 (Excellent) Vote:
October 2007 There is a happy medium
Providing what you promised is obviously essential, that might be a free ebook for example. However the free ebook in itself can be part of a sales process, and contain a call to action or affiliate links. There is nothing wrong with mentioning the services you provide at the end of an informational newsletter. Lots of money is made by people giving out valuable free resources with a tempting upsell. As an example every time I receive an email from Allan Gardyne there is a sales pitch in there, and that has always been the case for the last 2 years, but there has always been some incredibly useful information as well. If you look at Early To Rise in many ways it is extremely similar, some useful information with every email, but there is also the opportunity to buy something. This is also one of the essential elements about "product launch formula" promotions. The information provided during the launch process is normally of exceptional value, so whilst you are being given a sales pitch, there is still value in being "pitched" Reply
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4.23 (Good) Vote:
October 2007 This seems like an article based on personal opinion rather than analysis using a complex upsell, downsell, cross sell process to determine what someone is actually looking for.
There is a reason why some highly successful companies make on average $300 per subscriber per year, and others that many look on as being successful make less than $1 per month. If your sales process doesn't have some way to determine who are your hot prospects, you may be leaving the bulk of your profit on the table. Reply
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4.50 (Excellent) Vote:
October 2007 Well that would honestly depend on the niche. I see this happening in a lot of areas- not just with the "make millions online" crowd. It extends into crafting, and book selling, and weight loss, dating.... but the point remains the same and that is to deliver a bit of what you promised without selling anything.
If you promised on your sales page to help me get the best publicity for my book...then give me a tip and an example in the first mailing; don't tell me that if I buy your friends ebook I can find out how to. If you promised to tell me how to increase my adsense earnings; then give me a hint on what doesn't work, share a tip on what does work, give me some information without trying to sell. Then in turn when the time comes to announce this great product you've come across, I'm more likely to be receptive because you've given me something of value. Reply
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