We’ve heard enough from sales page gurus about bringing up your prospects’ pain and twisting the knife when writing sales copy. There’s nothing wrong with that (I teach that to my clients too), “fear” can be a powerful motivator. However, “fear” can only take you so far in terms of effectively persuading your readers, and you’ll probably feel a bit pushy and manipulative if you’re using “fear” as the main driver of your content.
To be persuasive in your sales letter, you want to address the deeper needs of your audience in addition to covering the basics:
future value – “How is this product or program going to add value to me in the short and long term?” It addresses both “intrinsic value” and “utilitarian value.” Intrinsic value can be related to self-esteem, self-image, and self-esteem. The utilitarian value could be related to a lot of savings, for example, not spending money on fad diets and supplements.
Opportunity cost – “What will it cost me if I don’t take action immediately?” If you can calculate the dollar amount they will end up spending (eg on fad diets), or the dollar amount they may stop creating (eg not having the productivity at work to get a raise) By not taking action with you, you make the cost of not buying your product or services tangible and “justifiable.”
instant gratification – “How long will it take me to experience results?” Even if your focus is about incremental changes to achieve long-term results, highlight some immediate changes your audience can expect; for example, in just 2 weeks, you’ll experience increased energy and focus in all areas of your life.
personal monitoring – if you can empower your audience to take control of their life and make them see that they are in control of the outcome of participating in your show, they are more likely to buy from you.
Social support – some people need more support from others to achieve their goals. Some people need responsibility. Include some type of support in your program to address this need, for example a Facebook group that adds the community element (and increases the value of your program).
“Broadband” – most people are too committed and already feel overwhelmed. You want to let them know that your product or program is easy to implement and doesn’t take them any extra time (in fact, it will save them time). Add checklists, templates, shopping lists and recipes as bonuses and highlight benefits that will save them time and headache. You are knowledgeable and you want to tell your audience how much they will learn from your show. However, if you overdo it, your readers will feel overwhelmed and may think they won’t get results because they don’t have time to learn and implement all of them; therefore, they will avoid taking action. When communicating the topics covered in your program, use action-oriented descriptions that communicate how the information is “easy to implement” (for example, instead of “learn 25 stress management strategies,” say “implement 3 minutes a day management strategies that fit right into your busy life”)
resource availability – “Do I need a lot of fancy and expensive equipment to get the results?” You want to assure your audience that they don’t have to spend extra time and effort gathering materials to follow your program and get results. It goes back to “bandwidth” – you want to show your potential customers that your approach is easy to implement and fits right into their busy lives.
Light at the end of the tunnel – assure your readers that by following your program, they will achieve the desired results. Tap into the emotions and feelings associated with achieving those results.