{"id":138,"date":"2014-05-06T08:49:29","date_gmt":"2014-05-06T08:49:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/copyexpressold\/?p=138"},"modified":"2021-08-25T03:28:32","modified_gmt":"2021-08-25T03:28:32","slug":"getting-your-prospects-to-beg-for-you-to-sell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.copyexpress.co.nz\/blog\/getting-your-prospects-to-beg-for-you-to-sell\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting your prospects to beg for you to sell"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the mistakes that most people make in advertising is that they assume that their prospect is ready to buy NOW. \u00a0Discounts, specials and limited time offers are all aimed at the prospect who is ready to buy now and just needs to be convinced who to buy from, or who just needs that little bit of extra push to take action. \u00a0But research tells us that only about 20% of the people who will actually buy in the next month or two are ready to make the decision now. \u00a0So you’re amazing offer and incentive to buy now is completely lost on 80% of your potential customers.<\/p>\n

One of the best ways of generating leads is to use \u201ceducation based marketing\u201d to get prospects who will be ready to buy in the near future to put their hands up and ask for information. \u00a0And now you have the opportunity to teach them exactly why they should buy from you, and not from your competitors. \u00a0There is an old marketing saying: \u201cThe one who educates the market, owns the market\u201d. \u00a0This technique has been referred to as \u201cInformation Packets,\u201d \u201cConsumer Awareness Guides,\u201d or more simply \u201cFree Reports.\u201d But it is quite different from \u201cproduct spec sheets\u201d and catalogues (although I have seen many good catalogues incorporate education-based marketing with good results.)<\/p>\n

So here\u2019s the basic framework<\/span><\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Decide on your topic that you\u2019re going to write about<\/li>\n
  2. Create an attention-getting title for the report<\/li>\n
  3. Break the topic down into sections<\/li>\n
  4. Write the content<\/li>\n
  5. Print and Bind the report<\/li>\n
  6. Create a marketing campaign to offer the report<\/li>\n
  7. Follow-up until they buy<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Education-based marketing is also a fantastic option when giving quotes or even in the post-sales process. \u00a0Last year we needed some ant treatment so I called a local pest control company to come over and give me a quote. \u00a0The guy was very knowledgeable but they left me nothing in writing other than a business card (before or after the job) and they missed a fantastic opportunity to solidify repeat business and referrals. \u00a0They didn\u2019t call back 6 months later offering a re-treatment either!<\/p>\n

    In this article I am going to focus on steps 1 through 5. \u00a0I\u2019ll cover the other steps next month.<\/p>\n

    What should it be about?<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Quite simply, it should be about the sort of things that your prospects are interested in BEFORE they are ready to buy or DURING the buying process. \u00a0What you need to do here is to grab the attention of the SUBCONSCIOUS MIND of your prospect. \u00a0Once you have told your mind that you are interested in doing something your subconscious mind continues to work on the issue even when you are not aware of it. \u00a0Let\u2019s say that\u00a0you’ve \u00a0decided that you want to remodel your bathroom next winter. \u00a0You know that\u00a0you’re \u00a0not ready\u00a0to\u00a0start now and you start asking yourself a lot of questions. \u00a0Things like: how do I fit everything I want into my small space? \u00a0How much will it cost? Will I need to get a permit? \u00a0Can I do any of the work myself? How do I prevent mould? \u00a0Your brain now starts trying to answer those questions for you. \u00a0When it sees something that will help it will absorb the data or awaken the conscious mind to take action.<\/p>\n

    The key question to ask yourself when you\u2019re deciding on the subject matter is this: \u201cWould this information be helpful to someone in my target customer who at present couldn’t care less about me and who might not ever buy our product or service?\u201d \u00a0Another useful concept is to try to \u201center the conversation in the prospects mind\u201d – that is, what are they wondering about or asking their spouse, friends, co-workers and how can you \u201cjoin\u201d that conversation with this resource?<\/p>\n

    How should it be titled?<\/span><\/h3>\n

    The title of your report should be designed to grab the prospect\u2019s attention. \u00a0It is akin to the headline in a sales letter, advert or newspaper article. \u00a0Most people will only read past the headline if you have given them good reason to do so.<\/p>\n

    So, if you were a builder trying to target people who want to redo their bathroom in 3-6 months time you could offer an Information Guide addressing issues like:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • The step-by-step guide to planning your bathroom renovation project<\/li>\n
    • 6 low-cost options for your new bathroom<\/li>\n
    • The 4 mistakes most tradies make in the bathroom, and how to avoid them<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Remember – the objective of the title is to get the person to read more. \u00a0Therefore it needs to address a felt need, open question, or something that worries the reader. \u00a0Don\u2019t try to fill it with anything salesy, too much information, or try to appeal to too many people. \u00a0A secondary objective of your title is to EXCLUDE people who are not your target readers. \u00a0That\u2019s right – you actually want some people to ignore this report and not respond! \u00a0The whole point of this technique is to get prospects to give you permission to market to them so that you can target interested buyers much more effectively and for much less money.<\/p>\n

      The title does need to connect with the structure of the content – there is no point in calling the report \u201c7 ways to save money in your telecom spending\u201d and then talk about plumbing (that\u2019s obvious) or have only 3 ways or to have a different structure completely. \u00a0Your title is like a promise that you need to deliver on in your report. \u00a0The better you deliver on that promise the more trust you will build with your prospect.<\/p>\n

      Writing the content<\/span><\/h3>\n

      So having chosen your topic and title you may well have already set your structure. \u00a0If you are writing a step-by-step guide then that is how you should structure it. \u00a0If you are giving seven reasons, then that obviously sets the structure of your core content.<\/p>\n

      Here is a suggested general structure for your report<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Introduce your topic<\/li>\n
      2. Expand on the problem (highlight the pain, frustration, or concerns that the reader will be worried about)<\/li>\n
      3. Introduce your content (especially if you are offering a step-by-step, you would want to explain what this process will achieve)<\/li>\n
      4. Give your main content (the steps, options, mistakes, reasons, etc.) – each one should have a clear heading so that people can follow it well)<\/li>\n
      5. Summarise your content (without selling)<\/li>\n
      6. Introduce your business and why\/how you can help (establish that your business is imminentaly able to assist in solving the problems you have talked about)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        The cover and\/or back page of the report should also contain the following:<\/p>\n