right from the start<\/a>, before going any further.<\/p>\nSay you\u2019ve done all of the above. Now, the only remaining step is to get the sale. Sounds obvious, but all the preliminary work means nothing if you don\u2019t close. You need to tell people to buy, rather than just crossing your fingers and hoping that they might.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not just writing\u2026<\/h2>\n
There\u2019s a certain finesse required with this. You don\u2019t sell in the same voice in which you entice, cajole, or inform. Lots of bloggers have trouble making the transition. If you\u2019re going to put yourself out there as a seller of \u201cyou-branded\u201d content, you don\u2019t have the luxury of stumbling through and hoping that your sales pitch falls on receptive ears.<\/p>\n
At this point, considering how much you\u2019ve put in, selling yourself is mandatory, not optional. You have to use language forcefully, more forcefully than you do in your blog posts. Burrow into your prospect\u2019s head, and by extension, your prospect\u2019s wallet.<\/p>\n
Focusing on the benefits<\/h2>\n
There\u2019s a timeless axiom in the advertising business: People don\u2019t want a bar of soap, they want clean hands.<\/p>\n
The benefit of the product is far more important than the product itself. When you instead start focusing on the product\u2014which, granted, you expended considerable effort to create\u2014you\u2019re not exactly empathizing with your clientele. It\u2019s supposed to be about them, not you. No one cares how many hours you spent interviewing people for the DVD series you\u2019re selling. Nor could anyone be less interested in how many pages your ebook is. (Beyond a certain point, of course. If you\u2019re going to charge $329 for a three-page ebook, it had better contain the GPS coordinates for the Ark of the Covenant.)<\/p>\n
No, cost-conscious buyers\u2014any discerning buyers, really\u2014want to know the answer to the universal question:<\/p>\n
What\u2019s in it for me?<\/h2>\n
How are you going to make your readers\u2019 lives easier\/simpler\/richer? State how you\u2019re going to do it. Yes, it\u2019s great that you poured your heart and soul into your work, but that doesn\u2019t necessarily make it sellable.<\/p>\n
The human tendency is to concentrate on oneself, rather than other people. Which makes perfect sense\u2014of course you\u2019ll brush your own teeth and wash your own windows before doing the same for your neighbor. But if you want other people\u2019s money, you have to force yourself to think about them first, as unnatural as that might sound.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s an example of what not to write to get people to buy your products. The example is technically fictional, but it\u2019s a composite of other bloggers\u2019 calls-to-action:<\/p>\n
\u201cStarting today, I\u2019m running a discount on my latest project. You can get my 36-page, 8,459-word ebook for just $11.99. This ebook, Car Noises And How To Diagnose Them, is the result of many months of research, and is now being made available to you for a special introductory price.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nWow. Thanks for doing me the favor of offering to take my money. This is like the employee who walks into the boss\u2019s office requesting a raise, and the first point he cites is how many hours of uncompensated overtime he puts in. Or that he has a baby on the way. You need to give your employer, or anyone else in the position of enriching you, a reason for doing so. Again, concentrate on the end users here. Without them, you and your product are nothing.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s an alternative sales script, one that focuses on the buyer. It\u2019s longer, but it also (hopefully) appeals to the buyer\u2019s senses:<\/p>\n
\u201cYour car makes an unfamiliar noise. So naturally, your first reaction is to drive to the nearest mechanic, and waste maybe half an hour in the waiting room, putting yourself at the mercy of a professional whose livelihood rests on finding as many things wrong with people\u2019s cars as possible. <\/em><\/p>\nFor the love of God, don\u2019t. Stop throwing your money away. That knock you hear doesn\u2019t mean you need a new $1400 transmission assembly. It means you need to spend a couple more dollars on higher-octane fuel. That ear-splitting undercarriage rattle can be quieted in seconds, with the appropriate ratchet and a quarter-turn of your wrist.<\/em><\/p>\nMy new ebook, Car Noises And How To Diagnose Them, breaks down the most common, least pleasant sounds that can emanate from your car. It tells you where they originate, what they mean, and how to prevent them. Some will require a look from a technician, but you\u2019ll be amazed how many won\u2019t. Fix them yourself instead, and you\u2019ll save untold time, money and aggravation.<\/em><\/p>\nCar Noises And How To Diagnose Them includes sound files of dozens of the most common noises, along with complete directions on how to locate and assess them. Download it here for just $12, and I\u2019ll include a mobile link for iOS and Android (because very few car noises occur when you\u2019re sitting in front of your computer at home).\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nObviously that sales treatment isn\u2019t going to be suitable for your blog and its products, but you get the idea. People are more budget-conscious these days than they\u2019ve been in some time. They will part with their money, but you need to give them a compelling reason to.<\/p>\n
Drawing the line<\/h2>\n
This doesn\u2019t mean you should be penning advertising copy with dubious assertions. (\u201cScientifically proven to regrow hair!\u201d) Quite the contrary. If there\u2019s ever a time to be honest, it\u2019s when you\u2019re explaining to your readers what your products can do for them. Your readers will respect you for it, and if you give them value, they\u2019ll spread the word.<\/p>\n
For an established blogger, creating products that extend that blog can be a rewarding way to engage your readers and foster an ever-growing audience. For an up-and-coming blogger, selling a worthwhile product can cement your reputation as an authority in your field all the more quickly. Creating blog products takes plenty of time and effort, and while selling them in a rough economy can be a challenge, it\u2019s such challenges that separate the average bloggers from the remarkable ones.<\/p>\n
Say what your product\u2019s benefit is (not what your product is, what its benefit is.), and sell<\/em>.<\/p>\nKey points<\/h2>\n
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