But Wait, There's More!
Direct Response TV Secrets
That Will Explode Your Business
By Fran Harris
You keep clicking until you stumble upon a split screen of a woman at 235 pounds and on the right side of the screen, the same woman at 127 pounds. Amazing! You're hooked. Even though you have no idea who this woman is, you find yourself listening to her heart-wrenching story.
C'mon, admit it, you've watched an entire infomercial before, right? Of course you have. And that's precisely how I know that you too can use late night direct response commercial tactics to grow your enterprise - no matter what business you're in.
If you're honest and if you're like me you probably have a fitness or cookware cemetery. An area in your house, basement or garage where you keep all of the equipment you bought between 1 and 4 a.m. over the past few years. It's okay, you don't have to admit it, it can be our little secret.
But here's what's so powerful about your fitness or cookware museum. It proves that infomercials work. And if those companies could entice a savvy consumer like you to pull out your credit card in the middle of the night to buy a product that you probably didn't need -- and have probably only used a few times -- there's a chance that your marketing can have the same impact on your target audience.
Let me come completely clean.
I love infomercials. I am a direct response superfreak. In fact, I study the business like I'm going to be tested on it next week. At one time I even DVR-ed every direct response commercial across 4-5 networks for one full week. That's how fascinated I was (am) with the business. This year I also pitched a product to one of the top 3 direct response players in the world. What a blast!
If you want to significantly increase your business in the next 30 days, here are six of the same power tips that have helped build a $700 billion dollar industry known as infomercials.
Tip #1: Come out of the gates strong
Your marketing messages are competing with so many other products or services. What can you say or do to break through the clutter immediately? Use sound, color and visuals to get your customer's attention. You have about 1.5 seconds to grab me by the throat and persuade me to do business with you. If you fail to hook me in the first few seconds, your chances of converting me drop significantly. So, don't waste time.
Tip #2: Use emotional triggers that signal gain or loss
We humans care about two things: what's in it for us if we take action and what's going to happen to us if we DON'T take action. In other words, you must appeal very strongly to our addiction to pleasure or pain. Why do you think weight loss infomercials are so successful? Because they promise an incredible payoff: a beautiful body. The ultimate pleasure. Some consumers are wired to avoid pain, others are wired to run toward pleasure. And since you don't have the luxury of being in your prospect's heads, you have to incorporate a little bit of pain and pleasure into your marketing copy.
Tip #3: Make me an offer I'd be silly to refuse
It's not enough to make me an offer I "can't" refuse. You want me to feel absolutely silly for not taking you up on your ridiculous offer. That's why infomercials say, "But wait, there's more!" Then comes the free shipping, the extra products, the no payments for 30 days, the unbelievable guarantees and so forth and so on. How ridiculous can you make your consumers feel for not buying your product? That's the goal.
Tip #4: Address the objections in your copy or ad
It's one thing to know why your customers buy, but it's even more powerful to know why they object to buying. Most marketers are so focused on the age old 'features tell, benefits sell' adage, that they forget to address why their offer "repels". If you're selling something to executive women and you don't take into account the realities of their demanding schedules (and address those realities) in your marketing materials, you will never dominate this market.
Tip #5: People buy based on emotions, not logic
At a recent seminar an attendee came over to tell me that she disagreed with my statement that "people buy on emotions". I listened and laughed. Here was her rationale. "I attended this seminar because I was seeking specific benefits." And what were those benefits? I asked her. "To learn how to grow my business." Why would you want to grow your business? I asked. "So I can help more people." Why would you want to help more people? I asked. "Because it feels good to make a difference." Thank you. You JUST proved my point.
Listen, peeps, do not get it twisted. Emotions are at the core of everything we do. We're looking for a specific feeling or experience. Don't fight me on this! (I sound like my mother now). If you don't believe me, keep attempting to appeal to people logically and you'll be blue in the face before the day's over. I've sold millions of dollars in products and services and I've done so by never forgetting one key point: people buy on emotions.
Now, this doesn't mean that it's not ALSO logical for them to make a buying decision. Sometimes it is. As a marketer you need to get laser focused on the emotions that drive your audience to take action.
Tip #6: Get me to take action NOW!
We don't do anything if we're not required to do it right now, in this moment. So, why is it that most of your marketing materials score high on the fancy-schmancy scale but low on the "get them to take action now" scale? Because most entrepreneurs are lousy at what I call "now marketing". Does your business card compel people to do something immediately? Probably not. But I bet it's pretty. And I bet it gives people 3 or more ways to reach you, doesn't it. Guess what? Nobody's going to call you unless you compel them to do so urgently. Does your website practically force your visitors to call you, give you their email address or buy something? Probably not.
Here's the thing. If the principles behind direct response television didn't work, you'd never see another infomercial. Period. But they do work and that's why you can't turn on the television without bumping into a George Foreman grill show.
So, let me give you 3 quick hitters that will instantly make a difference in your business.
Business Card
Pull yours out. Are you giving away something free or at a discount on your card? Then you may as well not have a card. Try this. On the front or back of your business card, give away a free CD or a 20% discount on their next purchase IF it's made in the next 3 days. Make doing business with you an urgent necessity and your response rate will soar.
Website
I bet you have a box that reads, "Join my newsletter", don't you? Nobody wants to join your newsletter. I don't know anyone who's saying, "I need more newsletters. Ya know, I just can't get enough newsletters." So, bust out of the newsletter pack with something different. How about giving away a free book to the next 25 folks who sign up for your video coaching series or the next 10 folks who call your toll free number?
Get Creative
Pick a day of the week when you can do a live coaching call. Broadcast it live on ustream.tv where people can log onto the Internet and interact with you live. During this call you can do all kinds of fun stuff like giveaways and prizes. And you can even do a live infomercial where viewers can get special pricing on your products if they buy before the end of the broadcast!
You've gotta make doing business with you a must. And one sure way to see a surge in your business is by implementing these battle-tested tactics from an industry that understands one thing: how to turn suspects into prospects and prospects into action-taking customers.
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