By Ray L. Edwards
2003
The best way to chase your prospects away is to show them that
you really need them! This may appear strange at first but truth
is sometimes stranger than fiction.
I've seen this repeatedly in cases where my website visitors
would sometimes ask for some clarification on my offers. I
noticed after a while that 99% of those who inquired by email or
phone never made the purchase. Frankly, this was quite puzzling
to me.
First I thought that maybe my heavy Caribbean accent drove them
away. But then again what of my emails? I doubt that you can
hear an accent through the written word.
Then I recalled the saying:
Follow love and it will flee, Flee from love and it will follow
thee.
You see, sometimes you can appear so desperate to make the sale
that you drive the customer away. The prospect senses this in
your voice and `persuasive' emails and they shy away. It's a
strange human phenomenon that people like to buy but they don't
like to be `sold'. The customer frequently wants to feel as
though he is in control of the buying process.
Nobody wants to know that they were pressured into making any
decision and this includes buying. This is where the whole
psychology of offering your products in different colors and
versions comes in - you are giving the customer a choice.
So here is a typical email that I would get from a prospect:
Hi Ray,
I was just at your website and think that I like your ebook.
I've been burnt before by some useless junk that I've bought on
the web. So I have some questions that I hope you don't mind
answering. (Questions about the product follow ...)
You seem to be an honest person but I just want to know if
you'll really refund my money if I didn't like your ebook. If I
don't hear from you then I would just go and purchase another
product. No hard feelings.
Signed,
Prospect.
Now, originally an email like this would get me into high gear
in `defending' my product and listing all the virtues that were
already stated on the sales site. As I mentioned before I often
never heard from these customers anymore and so I had wasted my
time trying to close the sale.
Sometimes I would just ignore these letters as I had labeled
these people as just `doubters' or `freebie seekers' who would
not have made a purchase anyway. This was until I got a really
harsh anonymous email that blatantly accused me of just trying
to trick people out of their money. Me? I take the time to
return shopping carts to their storage area in the parking lot -
you can't get any more honest than that!
Anyway, after recovering from this `e-blow' I replied to the
email suggesting that the sender did NOT make the purchase. In
fact I insisted that he saved his money so he'll not be ripped
off. I was not fully prepared for the reaction. He wrote back
this time giving his name and said that he was only `joking'.
Needless to say he bought the ebook.
Some Copywriters refer to this technique as Intimidation. If
you act as though you do not really care about the sale you're
more likely to make the sale! This is because you immediately
place the prospect on the defensive.
So what do baby chickens have to do with all this? You see I've
learned from handling baby chickens that if you squeeze too
tightly you can suffocate the little feather bundles. Yet at the
same time, if you open your hands fully they will jump out. You
have to master the art of `not too tight but not too loose
either'.
If you parade the fact that you don't need your prospects you're
holding them too loosely. But if you chase them down and keep
pounding at them with emails or phone calls then you can
suffocate the purchasing life out of them. A balance must be
struck and only experience will teach you that balance.
At first I was too aggressive and they ran away. Then I simply
ignored these prospects as just plain losers. Finally I found
the middle ground and it simply said; I want you but I don't
need you.
When you think about it, gaining a new customer isn't too
different from winning the heart of your one true love. If
you're too aggressive and send very expensive gifts for every
occasion your lovebird will likely be scared away. Just skip
some phone calls from your usual schedule and you'll have her
wondering (that's another word for `thinking') about you.
And trust me, it works just as well with your prospects as it
does with your potential life partner. I know . I've been
happily married now for 8 years and counting!
About the author:
Ray Edwards can provide you with a FREE professional critique of
your website and so increase your conversion rate. Your website
is your 'salesman in print' and you'll be shocked to discover
how small changes can make a big difference in your bottom line.
Check it out now: http://yourwebsiteconversion.com?site=ez
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