Module 6 – The Words that Sell Upsells What You'll Learn in this Module... This is a big module, and it's KEY. Everything we teach you in this module can literally make or break your upsell process! Written words, words in sales letters words in videos… they all matter when you're upselling! Use the wrong words, and you'll scare your customers away. Use the right words, and watch your conversions go through the roof! The word FREE, for example, is one of the most powerful words used in selling. Everybody loves “free”" - and in this module you'll find out why there’s a lot more to “free” than just four little letters. We'll even show you how to position “free” offers - even in a product customers are paying for! And even though your mother taught you to say “thank you,” you’ll learn when saying “thank you” too soon can cost you mega bucks in lost revenue (you don't want to close the sales loop too early). We'll also go in depth on why “customization” is the golden rule of upsells - and why the old “one- time-offer” is dead and gone. And then there's taking your customer by the hand and guiding him through sales process using “timelines.” This is critical to help your customer stay focused and go all the way through your sales process, so they can see and respond to every single one of your upsells. Oh, and what about those buttons on your website… Did you know the words on your order buttons can make or break a sale? We'll tell you which words work, which words don’t work and which words will KILL a sale dead. You’ll even learn the colors that should and shouldn’t be used. Plus we'll go into “1-click upsells,” how they can DOUBLE your sales… along with warnings about how NOT to use them. Finally, we'll give you the FINAL word on the length of sales letters, sales videos and the language that should be used in both. Let's get started… and get ready for some eye-opening stuff!
Transcript
Module 6 – The Words that Sell Upsells
What You'll Learn in this Module...This is a big module, and it's KEY. Everything we teach you in this module can literally make or break your upsell process!
Written words, words in sales letters words in videos… they all matter when you're upselling! Use the wrong words, and you'll scare your customers away. Use the right words, and watch your conversions go through the roof!
The word FREE, for example, is one of the most powerful words used in selling. Everybody loves “free”" - and in this module you'll find out why there’s a lot more to “free” than just four little letters. We'll even show you how to position “free” offers - even in a product customers are paying for!
And even though your mother taught you to say “thank you,” you’ll learn when saying “thank you” too soon can cost you mega bucks in lost revenue (you don't want to close the sales loop too early).
We'll also go in depth on why “customization” is the golden rule of upsells - and why the old “one-time-offer” is dead and gone.
And then there's taking your customer by the hand and guiding him through sales process using “timelines.” This is critical to help your customer stay focused and go all the way through your sales process, so they can see and respond to every single one of your upsells.
Oh, and what about those buttons on your website… Did you know the words on your order buttons can make or break a sale? We'll tell you which words work, which words don’t work and which words will KILL a sale dead. You’ll even learn the colors that should and shouldn’t be used.
Plus we'll go into “1-click upsells,” how they can DOUBLE your sales… along with warnings about how NOT to use them.
Finally, we'll give you the FINAL word on the length of sales letters, sales videos and the language that should be used in both.
Let's get started… and get ready for some eye-opening stuff!
Module 6 – The Words That Sell Upsells
A. Upsell VooDoo #1: The Power of "Free"
We are at the most important module in this course, so pay attention.
You’re about to learn how to make simple, yet effective adjustments to your “tree” pages, The same adjustments that made Russell an extra $350,000 in 90 days!A simple change in wording has increased conversions on pages from 8 percent to 26 percent — that means a 325 percent jump in sales!
We're going to bust a lot of myths in this chapter (including the "one time offer"). Even if you're skeptical, try what we say at least once. Trust us, it works!
The word "free" is the most important word you can use in the sales process. Some of the power of "free" comes from history.
"Free" is derived from an Old English word that means "not in bondage; noble; joyful." Not only that, but a lady named Freo was the wife of a powerful old Norse god named Odin. So way back in ancient times, "free" also meant "beloved, a friend, to love."
That may mean that when you use the word "free"
• You make your customer feel like they "escaped" from a prison or a trap. Accept this for free — get out of jail (or school)!
• You make your customers feel noble , uplifted, joyful, happy and carefree...
• By giving them something free, you become their friend you endear yourself to them heck, they love you!
You've already seen how subconscious psychological factors play a big part in the Launch Tree. So these "hidden meanings" in the word "free" are no surprise.
The word free alone can easily DOUBLE your conversions
FREE can DOUBLE your Conversions It’s amazing that all it takes to double your conversions is to simply re-word some parts of your page to integrate the word "free."
Why does "free" work so well?
Get Them Saying "Yes!" — A Lesson From Costco Imagine that your product is on a shelf in a supermarket competing with hundreds of other products on the same shelf. How are you going to get shoppers to notice your product?
Easy. Just look at what Costco does. Hire someone to pass out free samples! You let customers "taste" your product. If they like it, they’re far more likely to pick your product from among the hundreds of others on the shelf.
How does this apply to your upsells? You can use "free" to get customers to start saying "yes" immediately.
The benefits of the word free start before the customer even buys. You give them an incentive to join your newsletter, a “free report.”
Right from the beginning, you’re starting to condition them to say “Yes.”
Assuming they have bought your product, they just said yes again — and this time with their credit card.
The next challenge (to make an extra 456 percent is to assure that they also say yes to your “tree offers.” It is incredibly important that you position your FIRST offer well. The more they say “Yes” to your first offer — the more likely they will say yes to the following offers.
This is exactly why we teach you how to use a “Bump” offer on your order
page. The bump offer is typically a free month of something. We have seen as high as 76 percent of customers say "yes" to a bump offer.
This means that your customer is now starting the upsell process with a “yes” — all thanks to the word Free!
Module 6 – The Words That Sell Upsells
B. The Psychology of Free
Three more psychological laws of human nature kick in when you offer something "free…" and get them to accept…
Law #1 - Reciprocity
As soon as people accept something for free, many feel that they "owe you." The "law of reciprocity" kicks in. You helped them, now they will help you.
Later we'll talk about how to use this to your advantage — getting people to accept an "ethical bribe" which gets them into the "say yes" cycle.
Law #2 - Commitment and Consistency This law states that people tend to stick to their initial commitments, no matter what that commitment was. Being steady and consistent is highly valued in society; we get praised for it all the time.
So if you get someone to say "yes" to "free," something inside them wants to "stick with it" and keep saying yes. They have a strong desire to be consistent with their initial commitment.
Law #3 - Removal of Risk In the book “Predictably Irrational” by Dan Ariely, there's an interesting experiment on “free” offers. People were offered two kinds of chocolates — high end Lindt Truffles and low end Hershey's Kisses. They could see the two types of chocolate and their prices.
When the price of a Lindt Truffle was set at 15 cents and the Hershey's Kiss at one cent, customers acted "rationally." 73 percent of them chose the truffle and 27 percent chose a Kiss.
But can you guess what happened when they lowered the price of the Lindt truffle and made the Hershey's Kiss "free?"
69 percent chose the "free" Kiss! They gave up the opportunity to get the high end Lindt truffle for a very good price. Instead, they grabbed the "free" Kiss.
Moral of the story? People will always gravitate toward the free item.
Why ?
Because there's no risk if they don't like the free item . There's zero risk in accepting "something for nothing."
Prospects will jump at the opportunity to take you up on offers if you take away the risk element. The easiest way to do that is to make it free for them.
So remember these three laws…
1. Reciprocity
2. Commitment/Consistency
3. Removal of Risk
… because we'll refer to them again.
Module 6 – The Words That Sell Upsells
C. Positioning Around the Word "Free
How to position any offer around the word "free"
The best part of using the word FREE is that you don’t have to change your actual upsell or downsell much — just how you position it.
Positioning is a key concept which we've mentioned before. But it's especially important that you understand that "positioning" is not just a theoretical concept -- it dictates the EXACT words you will use when to present an offer to your customers.
Video Class with Anik - Positioning Around the Word FREEWatch as Anik shows you why FREE is the most powerful word you can use when you position ANY offer - whether it's your main offer, the bump, an upsell, or a downsell! Click the play button in the image below, and the video will play right inside this screen:
Object 1
Want to download this video and watch it on your computer? Right click the link below, and choose "Save as" or "Save Target as."
Download Anik's video lesson
Here are a few examples of how to position around the word FREE…
Example 1: Buy 1, Get X FreeYou can do this with any upsell or dowsell that includes multiple items.
Simply tell the customer that if they buy one item, you will give them the remaining items free.
Example: You're selling a package of 10 videos for $97 and each individual video has a realistic value of $97. In reality, you are selling the package at a 90 percent discount.
Don’t get me wrong, "90 percent off" does sound impressive. However, here is a better way seriously increase your conversions.
Rather than offering a 90 percent discount — say this:
“Buy 1 Video, Get 9 Free!”
Think about it. You still charged the same price.
The customer still got the same videos.
You simply re-positioned the way you present the price so you can include the word free.Let’s assume you are selling
a VIP coaching group as one of your upsells.
The coaching group costs $400/month, but you want to offer an $800 upsell. How can you position this as a “Free offer” and still charge $800?
Which one would work best?
A) Buy two months, get the third freeB) Buy two months, get our newsletter free for one yearC) Buy two months, get any of our other products free
But after testing, we found that (A) worked the best! Why?
It's because you lock the customer in for three months instead of two. Yes, in all cases they still have to pay you $800 right up front.
But remember the law of Commitment and Consistency? If you keep them in the program for three months, you have a better chance of keeping them past three months!
Example 3: Just Add Free Bonuses
The easiest way to use the word "free" is to add free bonuses to your offer.
If you cannot change the positioning of your main offer, add many valuable bonuses for free. The key is to make sure the word Free is found all over your page — and preferably even in the headline!
Here's an example of a "free look," at our VIP program. We used a "stamp" that said "free" on every bonus. (Calling the bonuses "gifts" is a nice touch, too!)
Here's an example of the way we summarized the bonuses at the end of the sales letter.
We also used a "Yes box," which we'll talk about shortly.
Example 4: Free "Priority Access Club"
This is for the truly lazy. The easiest “Free” element to add (while carrying high value) is a “Priority Club.” Imagine having a Silver level, Gold level, Platinum level group (the way the airlines do).
You basically tell customers that with this upsell they get GOLD level status for free. With this status,
they will be first to be notified and receive special treatment throughout the year.
Again, you don’t have to do anything instantly to deliver on this. It’s easy to add to your page. And now you have customers who are eagerly waiting for you to send the FIRST notice (even when it's about the launch of a new product).
Module 6 – The Words That Sell Upsells
D. Upsell VooDoo #2: Why To Never Say "Thank You for Your Order"
Most businesses on the internet make a big mistake here. When the customer has entered her credit card information and clicked the "yes" button, they display this message:
"Thank you for your purchase. Your credit card will now be charged $97."Big mistake!
Learn From American ExpressAnik Singal tells the story
We recently applied for a new merchant account with American Express. A few days later I got a call from a representative there to thank and welcome me. We had a brief chat where he gave me some information I needed.
At the end of that call he could have easily said, Thank you Mr. Singal, have a nice day.
But, American Express knows better!
His exact words were: Mr. Singal, I have good news for you, you’ve been pre-approved for the Gold American Express business card to help your business grow
He was upselling me!
And he was upselling me brilliantly. Notice how he started, Mr. Singal, I have good news. We all want to hear good news, so it captures our attention!
The point is, when you say Thank you for your purchase,
you’re missing out!
"Thank you for your purchase" implies that the customer is finished — no more to come. The customer is mentally done, and is far more likely to refuse any additional offers.
When you say "thank you for your order," your customer is going to assume that the order process is finished. Psychologically the message is:
"Thanks — all done!"
Don't Close the Buying Loop Too Soon!Here's a quick quiz for you. Imagine you're buying a new car. You mention to the salesman that you'd like a pin stripe.
When should the salesman sell that option to you? Should it be:
• During the process of writing up the order — when he can mention the total cost for the pin stripe is $1200, and will only add $4 a month to your payments?
• After he's added up all the numbers, calculated the tax, given you the monthly payment amount, and you signed the contract?
If you answered #1, you're right. While you're in the rhythm of buying, you're more inclined to say "yes." It feels like a very small overall amount (just like the $60 shirt and tie seems like so little after you buy a $500 suit). The buying loop is still open.But in #2, the "sales ritual" is already complete. Once you’ve accepted the monthly payment, psychologically you feel the deal is done. The buying loop is closed.What you should say instead…
Here are words that keep the psychological buying loop open:
• Order Customization - Step 1 of 2 (or 2 of 3, etc.)
• Order Processing
• Order Confirmation
• You Are Not Done! Please Finish The Final Steps
• Almost Complete — Please Complete The Final Steps
With the statements above, the customer is being told “Your main order is not done. I need your attention, so don’t go anywhere!”
The customer keeps their attention on the ordering process. They will give whatever upsell messaging that comes next a fair chance.
Here's an example of how you can keep the buying loop open…
Here we're telling the customer that another step is coming. They're more likely to read this upsell because psychologically, the buying loop is still open — they're still shopping.
Now here's the next step…
Module 6 – The Words That Sell Upsells
E. Upsell VooDoo #3: Prime Real Estate – The Page Behind The Order Page
The following is a story from Anik’s experience: September 2006: Anik watches Mike on stage at the TIME event (a live seminar).
Anik’s been thinking about adding additional products and more value through upsells, but hasn’t been convinced yet…
Mike had just finished testing the first leg of the Launch Tree, back then known as the "one-time offer" (a term that you should never use again — you’ll see why). And he had some shocking results.Mike made an extra $749,820 by adding one page to a product he sold for $97. He went from selling a $97 product to an $897 product.
After hearing this, Anik was convinced — he had to try it.Anik had a launch coming up in less than a month, the perfect time to test Mike’s strategy. He immediately called his team and decided on what would be the most valuable addition to their main product.
After arriving at the perfect product, they prepared one page to add to their sales process. They were set — here it goes!
On launch day, Anik was shocked and even upset to see an immediate 42 percent INCREASE in income — without a single customer complaint!
Why upset? Because he couldn’t help but think about all the money he had left on the table in his last two years in business.
Remember the shelf space in our supermarket example? On your website you have "prime shelf space."
The page that comes right after your customer places their order is worth at least a 42 percent raise for you right now.
Do not waste that real estate. Make sure you have placed at least one offer in your Launch Tree on this page. You cannot go wrong even if you just use half of the tips you have learned so far.
Because this is prime real estate, most marketers are accustomed to calling this page a "One-Time Offer." But on the next screen we'll explain why you should NEVER do that again.
Module 6 – The Words That Sell Upsells
F. Upsell VooDoo #4: Say Goodbye to the One-Time Offer
Okay, we admit it… at one time we shoved the "one-time offer" (OTO) page in our customer's faces, too. And lots of marketers, especially beginners, still do it.
They stick a "Wait! Stop! You'll only see this offer once!" on the page that displays immediately after the order is complete.
And don't get us wrong. It's good that those marketers are presenting an upsell. But the bad part is that an OTO is a blatant sales pitch. Have you ever been to a store and had the salesperson yell "Wait! Stop! You'll only be able to buy this NOW?"
Video Class with Anik - Wait, Stop... NEVER Do an OTO Again!Anik shows you how to get away from the whole "one time offer" hype and replace it with much more effective sales vocabulary. You'll not only make your sales process nicer for your customer, your conversions will increase! Click the play button in the image below, and the video will play right inside this screen:
Object 2
Want to download this video and watch it on your computer? Right click the link below, and choose "Save as" or "Save Target as."
Download Anik's video lesson
Remember, people hate to be sold. So ditch the hard sell OTOs and use a better approach.
Choose, Upgrade, Customize!Today's customers are accustomed to a professional, friendly, tactful, helpful approach when they buy online.
The big retailers don't shove an OTO in their face. Instead, they allow customers to retain control. They help customers say "yes." They give customers freedom.
In the Launch Tree approach, you should do the same…
When you change the vocabulary of upselling, you change everything. Now the customer can make their own DECISION. When you allow them to "customize" their order, your conversions go up. Period.
People are accustomed to this type of sales process, where you help them make their own decisions about what they will and won't purchase.
So ditch those in-your-face OTO pages, and do it the Launch Tree way. You'll see your conversions go up.
Remember, the page is really the same. It’s still one upsell they see after the order is processed.
However, it’s a simple change in words that completely changes the positioning of the offer in the customer’s mind.
Now let's look at another essential factor: progress indicators.
Module 6 – The Words That Sell Upsells
G. Upsell VooDoo #5: Order Progress Bars and Timelines
If you have more than one upsell and downsell, things can get visually and mentally confusing for your customer. Confused customers tend to bail out before they complete their order!
So provide visual cues that tell the customer where they are in the checkout process. That way your customer will anticipate that there are additional steps coming.
That anticipation alone increases your chances of conversion. And it drastically reduces any chance the customer will get frustrated.
Some of our favorite ways to add a timeline:
• ALWAYS tell the customer where they are in the process. This way they subconsciously register what's coming next. We've found that people don't mind a longer sales process as long as they can anticipate the endpoint.
• The best way is to use both a visual cue like a progress bar, and appropriate language, like "Customize Your Order: Step 1 of 3."
• The most common pieces of an order are Customize >> Cart >> Checkout >> Receipt. You want to be sure to include all of these.
• Another way is to "Confirm" the order. We’ll show you an example in a moment.
• You can also display an “Order Details” list in a sidebar or next to items in the cart. This grays out the sections the customer has yet to finish, but allows them to click back and make changes.
Here's some examples from the PPC Classroom 2.0 launch. Note the vocabulary that "Confirms" the order, and the "Step 1 of 2" indicators:
NOTE: You really need to include that email capture. We'll talk about that more later on.
Now here's the next step. Once again, we're telling the customer where they are in the process:
And these are the pages we showed earlier — see how we add the language of customization to the progress indicators?
All these timeline techniques allow the customer to feel in control. They feel like things are going in a nice, logical, sequential order — and that they get to CHOOSE.
Module 6 – The Words That Sell Upsells
H. Upsell VooDoo #6: Order Buttons…What They Should (and Shouldn't) Say
We'll get into the color of the buttons a little later. Right now let's look at what the buttons say — the actual words you put on the button.
What Your Button on the Main Sales Page Should Say…Currently order buttons on main sales pages usually say “Buy Now.”
We've found that to be a big mistake. It all comes back to not closing the buying loop.
When you say “Buy Now,” your customer’s mind is getting ready to end the buying cycle. A simple change in words can immediately change their mindset:
"Add To Cart"Psychologically, "add to cart" tells a customer that there are other offers coming up — without saying "Look out, I'm going to sell you more stuff!"
This keeps the buying loop open.
What Your Button on the Upsell Sales Page Should Say…We see the same problem on most upsell pages: “Buy now!”
1. At this point this can be a threatening statement — the word “buy” makes them think a little more.
2. You’re also closing the buying loop again. If you have more offers coming, you do not want to close that buying loop!
Here is the easiest way to solve both problems A and B.
"Upgrade Now" (and other variations)On all your upsell pages, the order button should say "Upgrade Now" or a more specific message tailored to your offer, such as "Yes, I want xx for Free Now!"
IMPORTANT: Either as part of the button, or next to it, be VERY clear about the amount they are going to add to the price. We prefer to do it in the button itself, as shown above.
This is critical if you want to keep the process clean, ethical and friendly. If you don’t, you’re just going to get angry, confused customers who want refunds — or who even do chargebacks.
And yes, instead of the discount, we could have positioned this using "free," like this:
"Pay for Less than 3 Days of Hand Holding… and Get 35 Days Free" (The only problem with this is the wording gets awkward!)
"Pay for 2 Weeks of Video Boot Camp — Get Two Weeks Free!" (That's a little better, might be worth testing!)
Module 6 – The Words That Sell Upsells
I. Upsell VooDoo #7: Importance of 1-Click Upsells - Doubling Your Conversions!
Now that we've covered buttons, we need to talk about 1-Click technology. This is a massive conversion booster — it can increase conversions by 50-100% on your upsells and downsells.
1-click technology lets your customer buy an upsell or downsell with just one mouse click. They enter their credit card information just once. The system remembers their credit card, so all they have to do is just click a button to buy the next item.
Here's an example of what Amazon's 1-Click looks like. Once you sign in, you just click that button and you've bought the item!
See how Amazon ALSO gives you the option to "Add to Shopping Cart?" They know it's important to give customers a choice! If 1-click was the ONLY option, customers would complain.
Now look at what happens immediately after you click the 1-click button - more upsells!
How to Do 1-ClickWe'll get into this in more depth in Module 8, but basically, you need a 1-Click script that works with your merchant account or payment processor.
Some scripts store the customer's credit card number, expiration date, etc. for just that session. Others (like Amazon) store it permanently. Some charge the card separately for each item; others wait until the process is complete and then charge one lump sum.
But No Matter What, Implementing a 1-Click Script is a Massive Conversion Booster!
We highly recommend 1-Click technology for your Launch Tree. It's not required (the Launch Tree will still work without it). But it's the easiest way by far to double conversions; so we really feel it's worth it!
We'll get into 1-Click technology in more depth later — how it works and how to implement it. For now, we're going to focus on what kind of vocabulary you should (and shouldn't) use for your 1-Click sales process
Be Sure They Understand! 1-Click makes it really easy — some might say too easy — for customers to say "yes."
So you must be 100 percent up front with
the customer about what happens when they click that "Customize My Order" button.
We strongly suggest that you add an actual phrase that they have to click on. Here's some suggested wording:
"Yes, I understand I am about to be billed an extra $300..."
"Yes, I understand that an extra $300 will be charged to my card"
"Yes, I understand I will be charged an additional $300"
The above language might reduce conversions a bit, but that's okay. You'll have fewer angry customers, refunds and chargebacks. You don't want people to buy who don't "get it." Transparency is always best!
1-Click ButtonsIn addition to the above language, 1-Click buttons should:
• Use the vocabulary of customization - always! Good words are:
Choose
Select
Customize My Order (for an upsell or downsell)
Add to Cart
Upgrade (if it's an upsell)
• They can also say what the customer is buying and for how much. We like using explicit "yes" statements + the price; for example:
Module 6 – The Words That Sell Upsells
J. Upsell VooDoo #8: What Your "No Thanks" Buttons Should Say
Never take away the customer's right to say "no." Never hide this button. Don’t coerce someone into saying "yes."
No matter what, you should always include a "No Thanks" button on every upsell or downsell page.
Remember, MOST of your customers will say "no" to most offers. Our goal is to get 60% to say "yes" to at least one of them.
And since the reality is that most will say no… you can’t “kill” the tree process by giving them an easy-to-see option to say No.
The best and most visible place for the “No Thanks” button is right underneath the "Upgrade Now" button.
Never hide this button!The button can be:
• Different color (like gray)
• Smaller font (but still easy to read)
• Smaller button size overall
It's good to use the same type of link for both the "yes" and "no" buttons.
• If “Upgrade Now” is a button, then the “No Thanks” should be a button too.
• If the “Upgrade Now” is just a text link, then a text for the No is fine as well.
However, buttons are definitely preferable. We'll show you some examples in a minute, but first let's look at why buttons are better
Why You Should Use a Button Rather Than Text
We tried this once during a launch. We
had a great big green button for the “Upgrade Now” statement and a small gray text link below it to say “No.”
Within minute of launch, we saw a stream of support tickets from upset customers.
• Asking for a refund
• Upset that there was never a way to say No
• Worried that they hadn’t finished their order!
Not only was this killing our conversions for the rest of the tree, it was hurting our relationship with our customers.
What The “No Thanks” Button Should SayOf course you've seen those buttons that say "No Thanks, I'll Have To Say Goodbye To This Offer Forever" on one-time offer pages. Everyone uses them, but do they really work?
Before we answer, stop and think about the Launch Tree process.
At each step, your customer needs to retain control, right? At each step you're allowing them to choose, customize, or upgrade. And at every step, they'll either vote yes or no.
Now what if the customer is on the fence?
They're a little uncertain, wavering between a yes or a no. Can you influence them before they vote?
Sure.
Insert a powerful — but carefully worded — final message into the “No thanks” button or at least besides it...Here's an example of a great "no thanks message." You can customize it for your niche market and offer:
___ “No thanks Mike, I already know everything I need to know about [enter your topic here]. I know others will use this information to improve their life and receive an excellent return on their investment, but I am willing to take my chances, and pay more later if I change my mind.”
Bold this “No Thanks” text and make sure it is a dark gray color.
Then design your page so the only way to get out is to click either the “No Thanks” button, the “Add to Cart" button, the "Checkout button, or the “Upgrade” button.
Here's some examples:
Now that's a short and sweet message that makes the customer THINK about what they're passing up. Here's a couple more…
Even though the buttons are gray, the "No Thanks" is nice and big, and you can still read them easily. Once we started using buttons like these, we had zero complaints!
Why "No Thanks" Messages Should Be Powerful Up until now, we've recommended using very gentle and suggestive language (like "choose" and "upgrade"). But with this "no thanks" message, you want to be somewhat "in their face" about it.
Don't just say "No Thanks, I'll Have to Say Goodbye to This Offer Forever." Read Mike's example carefully. See how he is emphasizing what the person misses out on when they say "no?"
So say something like "No Thanks, I don't need any extra help, I'd rather just figure this out on my own. Even though these videos will cut my learning curve by 75 percent, I'd still rather do it the hard way."
Basically, you want to give that person a hard realization of what the consequences are of saying "no!"
Module 6 – The Words That Sell Upsells
K. Upsell VooDoo #9: The Importance of the "Yes" Check Box
Remember how we talked about the law of commitment and consistency? Using a "yes" check box is a great way to trigger that in your customer.
If you can get someone to click a "yes" box, you just got them to vote "yes," haven't you? Now they've committed to accepting something from you. They're going to feel an urge to remain consistent with that "yes."
So even before you start them on the path of upsells, get them to click a "yes" box on the main offer page.
When people see the word "yes," and if they commit to it with even a small initial purchase, you set that powerful psychological law in motion — triggering a series of "yes, yes, yes."
Video Class with Anik - The Magical Checkbox that Boosts ConversionsAnik shares something Mike taught him about the almost magical power that a simple checkbox has over your customers. If you use them right, checkboxes are a way to get your customer to say yes. Click the play button in the image below, and the video will play right inside this screen:
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Want to download this video and watch it on your computer? Right click the link below, and choose "Save as" or "Save Target as."
Download Anik's video lesson
How to Use "Yes" Check BoxesInsert a “Yes, I want” box. The box reads something like this: “Yes, I’m ready to get started now! Please sign me up.” This works very well, not only above an "Upgrade" button, but when sprinkled throughout your main sales page.
Here's an example of a powerful "yes" statement:
And another:
Place "Terms and Conditions" checkboxes strategically. As customers get to the final checkout, they have to enter their credit card information. This is a critical point! At least some people will pause, think twice, and consider backing out. So here's a great way to get them to say yes again.
Place the “Terms and Conditions” check box right before the credit card entry fields. This way they see the Terms and Conditions immediately, and are prompted to check it. Make sure the text reads, "YES, I have read and understand the terms and conditions." Be sure to use the word "yes!"
This works well because people are conditioned to click on the Terms and Conditions box. They know there are always Terms or Conditions, and that they have to check the box, so they will. And when they do, you've gotten them to say "yes" at that very critical moment!
Note: The Terms and Conditions box should not be automatically checked. It should be unchecked by default. Make your customer check the box. This will save you the trouble of having to deal with customers who become upset because they didn't pay attention to what they were signing up for.
Module 6 – The Words That Sell Upsells
L. Upsell VooDoo #10: Which Colors Work Best
The impact that color can have on your conversion rate can be phenomenal. Something as simple as changing the color of a button can make a huge difference.
We have found these colors for buttons convert best:
• Blue - Universal color of hyperlinks, always a safe choice.
• Green - A calm color that's associated with money and prosperity. It’s also great for YES buttons because it means GO!
• Yellow - A "happy" color that stands out nicely (Amazon uses this).
• Black and White - Neutral, easy to read.
Now here's an interesting exercise for you. Go to your favorite online retailers and look at the colors of their order buttons. You'll see that they almost all use blue, green, yellow, or plain black and white!
Avoid red. This color is the universal color for "stop" or "warning." The use of red can sometimes trigger exactly the opposite reaction you want, making conversions drop.
You can also use a flashing button, or a flashing arrow. Peoples' eyes are naturally drawn toward movement, which makes this is a great way to emphasize an especially good value.
After lots of experimentation, we've discovered that certain button designs, guarantee seal graphics, and other images increase conversions. So as part of this course, we've provided you with a Launch Tree Graphics Package. It includes a set of properly-worded website graphics in all the colors listed above.
Go ahead and use the graphics we have provided just the way they are. And even though the package includes the source files, don't customize the colors or wording until you have tested and optimized your sales process. Even tiny changes
can have a major impact on conversions. Stick with our proven winners first!
We've also created an interesting tip sheet on color psychology. You'll want to refer to this when you create a new niche site. Certain colors seem to fit certain niches naturally, and the tip sheet will give you some of the most common psychological responses to various colors. You can download the Color Psychology Tip Sheet here.
We get asked often about whether a sales letter should be long or short, and whether you should use sales video, etc. So we want to end this module by giving you our final word on sales letters.
Your Customer Needs the Sales Letter! Your sales page is your one and only chance to state your case.
So How Long Does Your Sales Letter Need to Be? Try this interesting "thought experiment."
What if you were in a life or death situation and your only chance to save your life depended on selling your product to the very next visitor?
Wouldn’t you put all of your emotion and heart into this sales letter? Wouldn't you craft every word thoughtfully and masterfully?
You'd be sure to think about how every single phrase was going to affect the person reading it. Everything you put into that sales letter would be designed to get that person to say "yes!"
And you sure wouldn't use any hype. You wouldn't dare risk turning that customer off with a lot of empty promises, shouting, and exclamation points.
Well, maybe it's not a life or death situation. But your income sure depends on your sales letter!
To write a really compelling sales letter, you have to stop thinking about how good or cool your product is, or how hard you worked to create it.
Instead, you should think of it as more of a proposal — a compelling case for your product.
It's All About the OFFER We're going to repeat this, because it's THAT important. Remember the components of an offer?
• What is the customer going to get?
• How are they going to get it?
• What are they going to pay, and...
• How are they going to pay it?
Well your sales letter should address ALL of these points!
Sure, some sales letters don't explain the offer immediately. Some start with a story or testimonial, and that's fine. Just remember that every customer really needs to know certain things before they're willing to say "yes." And those things are the offer points above!
Our Top Five Sales Letter Writing Tips We live by these rules when drafting sales letters — and so do all the top copywriters:
For your main sales page copy: 1 - Justify the price in the reader's mind.To do that, you must list all the VALUE you're offering -- every single bit. Also be sure to justify reductions or increases in price.
2 - ALWAYS bring up — and then remove — any objections.Anticipate and address them right there!
For upsell copy (in addition to #1 and #2 above):
3 - Show the reader that they are getting new, improved, or more content— MORE VALUE.If that means you need a whole new sales letter to present the upsell properly, go ahead. Remember, because they already said yes, you can assume they are interested in what you have to say so say it!
For downsell copy (in addition to 1 and 2 above):
4 - Reassure the reader about the lower cost.Justify it. For example, explain that digital downloads don't cost you as much as a big box DVDs + shipping.
5 - Reassure them that they are getting almost as good a deal...and that nothing essential is left out.
BONUS TIP: Use compelling language in your sales letter! Instead of filling the letter with hype -- which we already learned doesn't work -- use vivid language that triggers a positive emotional response.
We've created two tip sheets to help you write better sales letters. One is a Power Words Cheat Sheet and the other is a Copywriting Tip Sheet. Keep them handy while you write your sales letter.
Download the color Power Words Cheat SheetDownload the black and white Power Words Cheat SheetDownload the color Copywriting Tip SheetDownload the black and white Copywriting Tip Sheet
The Sales Letter vs. the Sales Video Recently some marketers have been using a video instead of a sales letter. And we can definitely see the attraction of skipping the writing, and just posting a sales video.
Video is tempting because it can be done quickly instantly in fact. And a good sales letter can take weeks or even months to write, refine, and polish up.
However, we STRONGLY urge you NOT to skip the sales letter! That's because a sales letter has massive advantages.
• Some people won't sit through a video, but they WILL skim a sales page. A busy person can still get to the point of your sales message.
• You can use bold and highlighted words to attract someone’s attention to a certain section.
• It's easy for the reader to go back and reread a section of a sales letter— VERY important. Different people are attracted to different features of the product, so you have to give people a chance to check out their favorite parts, especially testimonials.
• Your sales letter can be as long as you need to make your case. You can put everything in it — every feature, every bonus, every testimonial, etc. Some people get antsy after just 23 minutes of video!
• The sales letter gives the reader much more control over how and when they absorb your message. Psychologically that's a much better way to treat the customer. The more control you keep in the customer's hands, the better.
Let's look at some of the disadvantages of video:
• With a video, people can't skip forward to parts that interest them without missing a key phrase, thought or point.
• Videos are most effective when they are short. The longer the video, the more likely the viewer will "bail out" before you can make your entire case.
• If someone doesn't watch the entire video, they feel incomplete — like they missed something. They may like the offer. But lf they have to stop the video while it’s playing, they feel cheated. Once again, they lose control over the sales process.
• If their attention is distracted from the video for a moment, they tend to miss things. That makes it very easy for them to get into a “no" mindset. They think, "I'm not sure what this is all about therefore I am not interested."
Obviously you are going to bump up against all these limitations with a "video only" approach!
But really, the biggest downside of ONLY using video is that a customer feels a loss of control.
The whole Launch Tree approach is customer-centric. You want to empower your customers. ANYTHING that undercuts your customer's sense of control works against you.
Our Verdict on Video Are we saying "Don't use video in your sales process?" Not at all!
Video can really add to your sales message. We've had huge success offering free videos on a "launch notification" squeeze page.
These types of videos don't just sell — they offer lots of good content. That makes them great viral marketing tools.
What we are saying is, video should not be the ONLY way you present your sales message.
Module 6 – The Words That Sell Upsells
N. Action Steps(1)____ Write down at least three ways you can get your customer to say “yes” before they buy. (Hint: Could you offer a newsletter or a free report?)
1 - ___________________________________
2 - ___________________________________
3 - ___________________________________
(2)____ Do you understand and remember these three key psychological principles: Reciprocity, Commitment/Consistency and Removal of Risk. Write down three things you can change in your own sales process right now to put these psychological principles to work for you.
1 - ___________________________________
2 - ___________________________________
3 - ___________________________________
(3)____ Look at the Launch Tree that you drew in Module 5, and find at least three places where you could position a “free” offer based on the information provided in Module 7-C.
1 - ___________________________________
2 - ___________________________________
3 - ___________________________________
(4)____ Look at your own current site and sales process, and look for any place where you may be saying “thank you” too soon. Write those places down here. (Hint: Be sure to check your opt-in process!)
1 - ___________________________________
2 - ___________________________________
3 - ___________________________________
4 - ___________________________________
5 - ___________________________________
(5)____ Go though your current sales process, and write down all the places where you need to change your "Buy Now" language to the vocabulary of "choose," “upgrade” or “customize."
1 - ___________________________________
2 - ___________________________________
3 - ___________________________________
4 - ___________________________________
5 - ___________________________________
6 - ___________________________________
7 - ___________________________________
8 - ___________________________________
(6)____ If you're using any "one-time offer" language in your sales process, remove it and change it!
(7)____ Write down two ways that you could use a progress bar or a timeline in your sales
process.
1 - ___________________________________
2 - ___________________________________
(8)____ Make a list of the words and phrases that you need to change on your order buttons. Don't re-design your buttons; use the ones in the bonus graphics pack we've developed for you.
(9)___ Write down where some compelling language for your “no thanks” buttons that will really get your customers to think twice about passing up your upsells and downsells.
(10)____ Look at your own sales process and write down places where you can insert “yes” check-boxes.
1 - ___________________________________
2 - ___________________________________
3 - ___________________________________
4 - ___________________________________
5 - ___________________________________
(11)____ Is there anywhere in the Launch Tree you drew in Module 5 where you can insert some strategic YES check boxes? Write those down, along with some "yes" language to use in the box:
1 - ___________________________________
Yes, __________________________________
2 - ___________________________________
Yes, __________________________________
3 - ___________________________________
Yes, __________________________________
(13)___ Download the psychology of colors tip sheet, and check your site to make sure you're not using any colors that can work against you.
(14)___ Write or rewrite your sales letter, being sure to follow the tips in Module 7-M. Don't forget to download the Power Words Cheat Sheet for compelling language that triggers an emotional response.
(15)___ Try shooting a sales video using the tips in Module 7-M. If this is your first attempt at video, you'll find some great video production tips in the Product Development Crash Course.
QUIZ
True or False: Either as part of the button, or next to it, be VERY clear about the amount they are going to add to the price.
• True• False
Correct Ans: True
Choose one true statement:• A one-time offer is better than order customization• None of these answers is correct• Order customization is better than a one-time offer
Correct Ans: Order customization is better than a one-time offer
Choose one: Good words for customization are...• Choose, Select, Customize• Buy Now, Act Now, Buy Later• None of these answers is correct
Correct Ans: Choose, Select, Customize
True or False: The best way is to add a timeline to an order is to use both a visual cue like a progress bar, and appropriate language, like "Customize Your Order: Step 1 of 3."
• True• False
Correct Ans: True
Choose one: The following colors work best for buttons• Yellow, purple and orange• None of these answers is correct• Blue, green and yellow• Red, white and blue
Correct Ans: Blue, green and yellow
Choose one: Imagine you're buying a new car. You mention to the salesman that you'd like a pin stripe.When should the salesman sell that option to you?
• After he's added up all the numbers, calculated the tax, given you the monthly payment amount, and you signed the contract?
• During the process of writing up the order when he can mention the total cost for the pin stripe is $1,200, and will only add $4 a month to your payments?
Correct Ans: During the process of writing up the order when he can mention the total cost for the pin stripe is $1,200, and will only add $4 a month to your payments?
True or False: The terms and conditions box should be automatically checked.• True• False
Correct Ans: False
Choose one: The best and most visible place for the “No Thanks” button is... • At the bottom of the page in VERY small font - invisible to the eye• None of these answers is correct• Below the checkout button - Also a button• Below the checkout button - but a text link
Correct Ans: Below the checkout button - Also a button
True or False: "FREE" can DOUBLE your Conversions.• False• True
Correct Ans: True
True or False: On all your upsell pages, the order button should say "Upgrade Now" or a more specific message tailored to your offer.
