Why does everyone hate selling? I guess we have the sleazy, manipulative sales people stereotype (picture an old white guy with greasy hair and a cheap black suit) to thank for that. But contrary to what you may believe, most of us are selling our services and products every day without even thinking about it.

When a person emails you with a question and you send a thoughtful reply that could be considered selling. Or when a friend introduces you to someone at a networking party and they ask for your opinion on your industry, which you share. That too is selling. In both these examples, you’re sharing your expertise, your approach and processes, and highlighting who you work with, all without even trying.

Believe it or not, that’s all you need to do to sell your products and services. You don’t need to try and be clever or funny. Manipulative or secretive. You just need to be yourself. So when you sit down to write your sales page, instead of freaking out and putting on your ‘I’m a professional voice’, write as if you were talking to a friend or a friend at a Sunday BBQ or a colleague who just poked their head around your office door and asked if you could answer their quick question.

If you follow my simple formula for writing a sales page I promise you, you’ll see a difference in your sales page conversions.

Here are my nine steps to writing a sales page that actually sells

1. State where your clients are at right now in their lives

This is your chance to show your clients that you understand the problem that’s keeping them up at night. Use statements that show the difference between where they are now and where they want to be. Knowing what your clients are struggling should be the easiest part of writing your sales page because you’ve (hopefully) created your product or service based on your clients’ needs. Now’s the time to be really specific.

For example: “Struggling to write a sales page that converts?” Or “Wish you were booked out months in advance?”

2. Get super clear on how you can solve your clients’ problem

When describing your services, focus on benefits (value) over features (facts). Your clients will get super excited about your products and services when they understand how their situation will be improved. Be specific about ROI (Return on Investment), revenue generation, cost reduction or any other measurable elements your clients typically achieve when they buy one of your services or products.

For example, if you’re a fitness coach, you don’t sell “training”, you sell fitting into your dream wedding dress.

3. What steps do your clients need to take? And what do they get?

List every step you want your client to take, in order, and spell it out in clear and concise language. People are more likely to want to work with you when they know what they have to do and what they’ll get in return. It’s more complicated than “you give me money and I’ll give you X.”

For example, do you want them to email you to set up a time to chat? Or fill out an online form? Do they get a 30-page Action Plan after your coaching session or a one-day onsite communications training with you and their team?

4. Outline every process involved with your service or product

Go one step further and outline all your backend processes, documents and worksheets, payment options, and timelines (now’s the time to get them all prepared and ready to go). With so many systems, apps and options these days, it helps to talk about them upfront, especially if they are crucial to you being able to deliver your product or service. Your clients will be more likely to come on board if they know how they are going to be working with you.

For example, if you’re using Google Documents to capture client information, say so. If you expect your client to spend 20 hours a week completing your online course, then let them know.

5. Use appropriate testimonials

Street cred and social proof are crucial, if you want to have a successful sales page. Don’t forget to use pictures with your testimonials too, as this makes it easier for clients to identify with them. If you’re launching a new service and don’t have any testimonials yet, use more general ones that talk about what it’s like to work with you and provide feedback on your processes.

For example, “I chose to work with X because X, X, X. They helped me to X and as a result I was able to X. I’d work with X again because X and X.”

6. Don’t forget your call-to-action

Spell out multiple times what you’d like your potential client to do next and what they’ll get when they take this action (think back to your benefit and problem statements). Make sure your CTA stands out by using bold and bright colours (Colours like pale yellow and dirt brown are a no-no). Also, don’t put any links on this page other than to your PayPal account or contact form. You don’t want your reader to get distracted and click away from your page.

For example, “Call me today on X to get your free 30-minute communications consultation”. Or “Buy now to secure your place at the Copywriting Conference.”

7. Add a guarantee and overcome objections

Overcoming common objections is another crucial element on every successful sales page. Some of the most common objections are: “But I can do this myself,” “It costs too much” and “Will it work for me?” An easy way to reassure potential clients that you can do what you say you will, is to have a Question and Answer section that addresses any concerns by restating the value your product or service provides and highlighting your best testimonials. It also helps to have a satisfaction or money back guarantee. This way if the client isn’t happy with the results or process they have an “out.”

For example, “If after 30 days, you STILL don’t think you’ll walk away a better copywriter, let me know and I’ll refund all of your money.”

8. Be transparent with your prices

There’s nothing worse than getting to the end of a sales page and instead of a price you’re told to ‘email to get a quote.’ If you’re creating your own product or service you know how much it’s going to cost you to produce so why hide your fees? If you’ve written a great sales page then money won’t be a barrier because your client will see the value in your work. Adding a price also allows clients who aren’t right for your service or aren’t ready for your product to self-select out, reducing the amount of leads you have to sort through.

“For example, “You get X and X for only $$$. Nowhere else can you get this kind of value.”

9. Revise and rewrite your sales page

Update your service offering and processes based on feedback from clients (If you’re not sending out an end-of-project-feedback form you should be!). Many business owners spend ages coming up with clever acronyms and product names but this can actually be bad for business because most people search for ‘copywriter’ not ‘word genius.’ So don’t try and be clever. Clear and concise is a much better approach.

For example, “The Rainbow of Sales” or “Fabulous Blog Bundle.”

Still freaking out about writing your sales page? I can help. Send me an email and I’ll have your sales copy back to you within a week. It’s that easy.

 

Featured image from Pexels.