What is the one thing you must split test if you can one split test one thing?

The answer is easy when you think about it, but only a fraction of people I ask this get it right.

What is your guess?

1. An eye-catching, curiosity building headline that pulls your prospects right in
2. A compelling, interesting story that gets your prospects to say, “that’s me!”
3. Making your prospects ABSOLUTELY SURE your product works quickly and easily with truckloads of glowing testimonials
4. Having so many benefit bullets that they’d feel foolish if they didn’t do what you asked
5. Including a rock-solid, almost unbelievable guarantee
6. Having an offer they “can’t refuse”
7. Nailing the P.S. so they must go back and look at see what you say
8. None of the Above

Got your answer?

If you’re not sure look at each one and say to yourself “if everything else was bad but this was spectacular then I’d want to do what they ask (buy the product, etc.)

This is so powerful that it makes people buy things they don’t even know they want!

While obvious after thought it may not be what you think.

Got your answer ready?

Theone thing, the most important thing in a sales letter to get people to take action is:

F. The Offer

Yes, the offer.

While all of the choices (except H!) are very important, the offer is most important.

Interestingly, the most popular answer from people is the headline.

They justify this by saying “if you have a bad headline people might not read your sales copy and see your “killer” offer.”

While that may be true, nobody takes action because of the headline.

That isn’t even the purpose of the headline and if you try to “sell” in the headline you’re going to fail.

Why is the Offer So Important?

This answer is simple also.

It is what the prospect actually gets, what provides the benefits, and that is the bottom line.

Wouldn’t you rather have a stinky old salesmen, in a bad, slept in suit, who rambles on forever but can’t hardly even explain what he’s got but who hands you the keys to a $250,000 Porsche over a fine looking, fine smelling, Armani suit wearing, Harvard Ph.D. who has a golden tongue who hands you a toy car worth $1.29.

Sure you would, because, while the second guy might be more pleasant to deal with, what you end up with in the end is worth the stinky old guy.

And that, my friends, is the essence of the offer and why the great copywriters known that if there is one thing you can’t afford to get wrong it is the offer.

If you’re having trouble turning prospects into customers the first place to look is at your offer.

Now, you might say, “the offer is great” and it might be, but it isn’t great to your prospects; so either fix the offer or get new prospects.

An exaggerated example is, if you open a Tiffany’s with the absolute finest in jewelry and you are selling it for half what anyone else in the world is selling it for but you are located in the poorest region of Bangladesh then you aren’t going to get a lot of buyers (a lot of thieves, yes, but not a lot of buyers!)

How to Make a “To Die For” Offer?

Easy answer, exceed expectations.

No, that’s not even right, extravagantly exceed expectations.

To do that you need to understand the general expectations of your prospects otherwise how can your exceed them.

To do that you need to, as Dan Kennedy says, “Get ‘Into’ the Offer”.

Whatever cliché you want to use: “walk a mile in his shoes” or “climb into his head” or whatever, you need to understand the motivations and expectations from the prospects point of view.

That probably means using the product or service yourself, and it certainly means talking to true prospects.

It may even mean going to the places they go to, eating the things they eat, entertaining yourself at the places and in the ways they do, depending upon the situation and the action desired.

Then you take those expectations and give at least 10 times more although 100 times is better.

A quick way I like to do this it to make a little chart like this one:

In the first column, I write what the general expectations are of the prospects. That is, what they usually will receive (maybe from competitors) in the situation.

In the second column, I then add what would be considered to be things that people wouldn’t normally expect.

In the third column, I write what would be so unexpected that people look at the offer in a completely different way.

This works for everyone in every industry and niche and helps you to craft a truly extraordinary offer.

An Example of a Great Offer

To show you what I mean, let me use an offer I created in the last couple of weeks as part of a promotion for Mike Filsaime’s The 7 Figure Code; he is giving away his $1,297 premier home study course and some bonuses for just a shipping and handling fee.

Given the nature of what Mike is providing particularly to affiliates, general expectations are that people will promote with an affiliate link and, in fact, that is what most people did.

It might even be within current expectations that affiliates would provide a little something extra, maybe one or two of their products, something like that (although very few are doing that in this situation).

To exceed expectations, you might add some things like paying the $15.99 shipping cost for the prospects and/or adding those products, maybe throwing in a tele-seminar about how to best get value from Mike product.

I wanted to do more so I decided to pay the $15.99 shipping so the product was really free.

I decided to add some products that were specifically chosen to provide more depth in the areas critical for being successful using The 7 Figure Code.

I decided to provide more than just 1or 2 products because there are more than 1 or 2 critical areas.

I then decided to provide various rights to the products so people could actually earn more money by selling them (this would be particularly important to people who are newer and don’t have a lot of products and services they sell).

I then said to myself, “times are tough and people might need some extra money, if only to pay for some of the cost of having an online business and many people did not get the invite to be part of the promotion and maybe they’d have liked the opportunity.”

Yeah, I talk a lot to myself

So I thought about what I could do and I came up with a way to provide people with just those things.

I let people sign up with me (like a sort of affiliate) and promote the products themselves.

I provide them with a special, personalized link which they can use and for everyone they send through there link and who get Mike’s course and bonuses will get $5.

So the offer wildly exceeding anything anyone would expect; you can check it out here.

They get:

1. Mike Filsaime’s $1,297 home study course, The 7 Figure Code
2. Mike’s 2 bonuses
3. A refund of $15.99 to cover the shipping and handling fee
4. A number of additional product that strongly complement and support The 7 Figure Code giving them additional value by helping them succeed more quickly and easily
5. Rights to the product so they can sell them and get more money (hopefully using the things they learning in The 7 Figure Code!)
6. A way to earn additional money by promoting for product for themselves

A lot more than your expectations, right? Certainly a lot more than anyone else is doing!

Conclusion

The most important thing about getting more sales is the offer.

Everything else is important but the one thing that makes people actually act is they offer.

Have everything else wrong but have a fantastic offer and you will make sales, maybe a lot of sales.

Having a bad offer but great sales copy will get you few sales.

To craft a powerful, compelling offer you need to do more than exceed expectations, you need to create an offer that so far exceeds expectations that even people who aren’t that interested perk up.

Provide value 10 or 100 times what is expected and you’ll land the hook and you’ll sleep very well at night because you are doing the opposite of taking advantage of people you are giving them so much their lives are enhanced in the process.

Check out my offer for The 7 Figure Code for a good example of this.

What’s the best offer you’ve seen?

What’s the best offer you’ve done?

How could you change your offers to be extraordinary?

Leave a comment and let me know.

Talk soon,

The Shameless (Ethical) Marketer
http://www.Twitter.com/DavidHusnian
http://GetYourBonusesNow.com
http://www.8-8-8Sale.com
http://www.MusicForInternetMarketers.com
http://www.SecretsOfGoogleAdWords.com
http://www.MadMondaySale.com
http://www.2ForTuesdaySale.com

O.Y. Don’t forget to retweet this! Use the button on the page or Tweet this:
The Ultimate Way to Get People to Buy Things They Don’t Even Know They Want http://bit.ly/7YJVEK (via @DavidHusnian)

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This post from: Street Guide to Copywriting. To read more post like this, head over to Street Guide to Copywriting

The Ultimate Way to Get People to Buy Things They Don’t Even Know They Want

Below I have listed each question again along with the correct answer and a reason for that answer, if one was given.

I have also given my answer and my analysis of the answer.

Answers

Here are the answers and the winners…

1. A) Push Button shave cream
B) Moisturized Shave Cream

Answer: A.
Reason: It converted better than 2 to 1 because it focused on instant gratification.

My answer: A.
My analysis: It is almost always better to focus on quick benefits than more ambiguous ones that many won’t really care about. Who doesn’t want a quick solution but “moisturizing” means different things to different and some won’t even want it at all so it is weaker.

Answer: A.
Reason: It gave a specific promise of benefit.

My answer: A.
My analysis: Always go for the emotional response in the prospect not the intellectual one.

Answer: B.
Reason: The word that attracted people is “you”.

My answer: B.
My analysis: I was just stupid looking for the “it’s okay many people suffer like you do” but that doesn’t usually trump “solution for YOU”; should have read and thought better.

Answer: A.
Reason: Specificity and clarity attract better than not; this shows the exact price and, by default, savings.

My answer: A.
My analysis: Notice that being specific is used where advantageous and isn’t where it is not. I wouldn’t be surprised if this converted better than saying “Would you buy a $29.99 shirt on sale for $14,99″ – although testing it would be in order. In fact, I’d be interested in seeing how either of those did against a less specific amount that was actually a better deal.

Answer: A.
Reason: None given.

My answer: A.
My analysis: There is implied scarcity as well as the suggestion of it being a designer jacket, even if you don’t know Manana. Being “handmade” implies quality to some but too many, particularly those interested in designer labels it is a negative. Also, in the U.S. the “made in Mexico” is, rightly or wrongly, thought of as being of cheap or poor quality.

Answer: B.
Reason: It converted 20% better because it spoke to a specific audience.

My answer: B.
My analysis: Whenever you can throw in a phrase that is more specific to a targeted person it will, somewhat subconsciously, attract them. Think of how many times you’ve found that a new thing you learned or liked seemed to be all around you AFTER it became important to you. That isn’t coincidence, it was probably there all the time but was filtered out by your brain because it wasn’t important enough to you.

Answer: B.
Reason: It caused a 27% increase in requests because of added promise of benefit

My answer: B.
My analysis: Always go for a solution, never forget the importance of the emotional connection.

Answer: A.
Reason: None given but this pulled 3 times better.

My answer: A.
My analysis: Potential scarcity and social proof win out over the “leather” and the specific price. Even though the second one added the “sold out in 48 hours”, it wasn’t greater than the implied faster sell out by using the word “cancel”

A) If the headline is above the picture?
B) If the headline is below the picture?

Answer: B.
Reason: Pictures are usually better eye-catchers than words

My answer: B.
My analysis: There is a good possibility of losing the headline if it is above a dominant picture. This wouldn’t be true with a small picture, like of yourself.

Answer: B.
Reason: None given

My answer: B.
My analysis: The second one again hit deep into the emotional subconscious by invoking thoughts of a big, fancy, expensive hotel in Paris, further utilizing additional triggers; it wouldn’t have done so well if it has said “We first saw these in the Carillon Hotel on the Place de la Concorde in Cleveland.”

Answer: B.
Reason: It has both curiosity (“would you”) and benefit (big savings”in one headline.

My answer: B.
My analysis: The words “below wholesale” has some positive impact but it loses completely to the specific savings by having the exact prices, since the price difference is great (it would have had the impact of “Would you buy a woman’s $25 sweater for $19.99″, there the “below wholesale” probably would have won). Also, having a question in a headline makes people stop and read and, if only subconsciously, answer the question.

Answer: B.
Reason: None given

My answer: B.
My analysis: B seems Boring (with a capital B). But don’t lose sight of the little triggers like implied lots of sales and invoking questions like “how many did you sell?” and “who is Milton Gordon?” A has few triggers, the best they can hope for is the implication that they go all out for their customers.

Answer: A.
Reason: This converted 2 times better, because message B has been repeated so often the audience was bored and few read it.

My answer: B.
My analysis: This one just fooled me completely. If it wasn’t from someone like Gary Halbert I’d doubt it and even then I’d like to test it (hmm, maybe I still need to work on my humble

Answer: B.
Reason: The reason the headline made sense because it tied with the fact that most volvos are driven for 11 years in Sweden and by then it’s paid for.

My answer: B.
My analysis: My thought was that people looking for a Volvo are concerned with quality and, particularly, safety so they added the words “we didn’t forget you’d be sitting in it for 11 years”. I would have tested “we didn’t forget who’d be sitting in it for 11 years” also because they are very popular with families and the “protect my child” impulse is usually stronger than the “protect myself” one.

Answer: A.
Reason: A converted twice as well.

My answer: A.
My analysis: This one is simple. A has benefits, B has features. Always go for benefits the more to the customers emotional core the better.

Answer: A.
Reason: This converted 50% better because of the offer of free information.

My answer: B.
My analysis: This one surprised me completely. I would have thought the benefits of relieving pain would have beat the question and the implied free info.

Answer: A.
Reason: None given

My answer: A.
My analysis: Answer A is really a fear question with the implication of removing that fear while B is just and intellectual question. Fear pretty much smashes curiosity every time.

Answer: B.
Reason: This headline was the result of asking buyers of the product WHY they bought the product, and they replied, “it feels good when my eyes are tired.”

My answer: B.
My analysis: How-to’s are always good, plus there is a “quick” solution to a problem.

1. How to talk to a horse
2. Free way to start horsing around
3. How to adopt a horse
4. Free gift if you love horses
5. Free lessons in horse training

Answer: 5-4-3-2-1.
Reason: Research revealed the word “free” used its customary magic as well as the words “how to”

My answer: 4-5-3-1-2.
My analysis: Expected to free to be better than how-to. Thought 4 was better than 5 but that was because I didn’t completely read the question and look at who the target audience is. Still don’t understand why #2 wasn’t the worst one though

Answer: Sort of a trick question since the both converted the same, at least you couldn’t get it wrong!
Reason: None given

My answer: B.
My analysis: I am surprised, I would have thought the pull of being “like a champions” would have helped.

How Did You Score?

In summary, the answers were: 1 – A; 2 – A; 3 – B; 4 – A; 5 – A; 6 – B; 7 – B; 8 – A; 9 – B; 10 – B; 11 – B; 12 – B; 13 – A; 14 – B; 15 – A; 16 – A; 17 – A; 18 – B; 19 – 5,4,3,2,1; 20 – Both

I, not Gary Halbert, have come up with a rating system so you can see how well you did; note this is slightly playful tongue-in-cheek.

20 Correct, A+. You are a Copywriting god and should quick your day job and start charging $50,000 to write a sales letter.

18-19 Correct, A. You definitely know what you are doing and should “turn pro” if you aren’t already.

16-17 Correct, B. Not bad at all, you have some talent, keep it up and who knows some day you might make it out of the minor league s and make it to the “Show”

14-15 Correct, C. Some skill and knowledge, keep working on it but consider hiring out your copywriting work!

12-13 Correct, D. Don’t give up your day job.

10-11 Correct, F. Definitely don’t give up your day job.

Under 10 Correct, what is below F. Give it up (or buy all my copywriting products

Seriously though, remember that no matter how experienced or good you are you can always learn more and you should always remember, no feel, the emotions of your target audience and then test, Test and TEST again.

So Who Won?

Unfortunately, and disappointingly, only two people took the quiz.

I thank you for that and will be giving you both gifts.

I decided to take the best score from each person, here is the scoring:

Gladys Choo – Gut: 13/20, Copywriter: 14/20
WY – Gut: 10/20, Copywriter: 14/20

So here are the winners:

Gladys and WY tied. If I would have thought about it I would have had a tiebreaker using the second score but, since I didn’t, I declare you both winners.

Congratulations.

Now the Prizes

You will each get a 1 free year membership to my new membership site coming soon (I can’t divulge the value of that but I think you’ll be happy, I can say you’re saving more than $100).

You will also each get a coupon for a free copy of the Copywriting e-book I will releasing soon (this way you’ll get all the bonuses also).

Finally, you each will get a coupon for the free 8-8-8 Sale product of your choice.

I hope you found this as fun and instructive as I did!

Talk soon,

David

O.Y. If you want to really increase your conversions and sales, and want to learn more about being a great copywriter then check out the soon to be released book, Be a Copywriting Pro.

O.O.Y. By the way, I got this quiz from Jason Fladien’s blog, it has some good copywriting info also.

This post from: Street Guide to Copywriting. To read more post like this, head over to Street Guide to Copywriting

Grades are in, did you pass?

I did okay, I got 16 out of 20 — a B back in my school days, but not as well as I had hoped (or, truthfully, expected). It was an interesting and humbling experience (made me remember that I don’t know as much as I thought and I really wanted to share the quiz with you so you could benefit from it also.

One thing I suggest is taking the test twice, once without thought and analysis, just your immediate gut reaction, and the second time use the rules of copywriting you know.

Compare the differences in results and find out where you are strong and where you are weak. Also, it will help you understand how well you can trust your instincts.

Some people are good representatives of their prospects and some aren’t and you need to know which you are, this is very important; you’ll be losing sales if you use the wrong viewpoint, that is, use instinct when you should use analysis and vice versa.

For example, my partner took the test both ways and got 40% more right when she analyzed. This suggests that she is atypical of the general public and things that attract them probably don’t attract her.

Post your answers to the blog and, who knows, there may be something nice for the person who scores the highest.

Beware, make sure you actually read each headline/question, I missed a few by thinking I knew it without properly reading it.

Here’s the quiz…

Which Headline Pulled the Best?

Headline 1

A) Push Button shave cream
B) Moisturized Shave Cream

Headline 2

A) How to get rid of an “inferiority complex”
B) The writings in these immortal books are as strong as the mightiest deeds of history

Headline 3

A) Thousands suffer from sick nerves and don’t know it
B) Have you these symptoms of nervous exhaustion?

Headline 4

A) Would you buy a $30 shirt on sale for $14.99
B) Half price sale on shirts!

Headline 5

A) The name of this jacket is Manana. But at $30 you better buy it today
B) It’s from Mexico. It’s handmade. And it’s only $30.

Headline 6

A)Save one gallon of gas in every ten
B) Car owners! Save one gallon of gas in every ten

Headline 7

A) Hay fever!
B) Dry up hay fever!

Headline 8

A) This is the ad we had to cancel three months ago because we sold them so fast
B) All leather handbags for only $28 (The last time we ran this ad we sold out in 48 hours!)

Headline 9

Which ad will be better read?

A) If the headline is above the picture?
B) If the headline is below the picture?

Headline 10

A) men’s thick terry robes, $65
B) We first saw these in the Carillon Hotel on the Place de la Concorde in Paris

Headline 11

A) Women’s sweater sale at below wholesale price $19.99
B) Would you buy a woman’s $65 sweater for $19.99

Headline 12

A) we go to Helsinki and back for our customers
B) “In our 38 years in business, we never sold so much of one item in so short a time – Milton Gordon

Headline 13

A)“My insurance company? New England life of course. Why?
B) The far sighted man from new England life can show you how you could get 30 years of life insurance – and then get back all the money you put in.

Headline 14

A) If you really want to impress someone with your car, tell him it’s paid for
B) “When we built the Volvo to last 11 years, we didn’t forget you’d be sitting in it for 11 years”

Headline 15

A) Here are two easy ways to build your sales of cooling system parts
B) New Gates charge announces tune-ups: $12 flat rte on cooling system

Headline 16

A) What is buffered aspirin?
B) how to stop a headache without upsetting your stomach

Headline 17

A) I never bought stocks before – how do I go about it?
B) What do I own when I own a share of stock?

Headline 18

A) use these eyedrops for bloodshot eyes
B) How to give quick rest to tired eyes

Headline 19

Rate these headlines in order of which converted the best and which was the worst for these advertisements in a trade magazine.

A) How to talk to a horse
B) Free way to start horsing around
C) How to adopt a horse
D) Free gift if you love horses
E) Free lessons in horse training

Headline 20

A) Now try this vitamin.
B) Now try the vitamin of champions.

Take the quiz and post your answers in a reply to this blog and we’ll see how well you tomorrow!

David
The “Shameless” (but “Ethical”) Marketer

This post from: Street Guide to Copywriting. To read more post like this, head over to Street Guide to Copywriting

How Good Are You Really? Take Gary Halbert’s Quiz to Find Out…