Selling high priced products and services online isn’t necessarily harder than selling inexpensive stuff.
But I’ve found there is a different formula you have to follow if you want to sell a lot of higher priced info products, coaching programs or done-for-you services.
It works pretty well.
It’s a formula I’ve used to sell hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of done for you copywriting and consulting packages for my own business… in addition to selling over $25 MM (I think? could be more… hard to keep track) of my client’s products and services.
Most of the products I sell for my clients start at $997… and they go all the way up to $35,000. Every single one of these buying processes starts online — although sometimes new clients are enrolled in an in-person setting.
It’s something really easy you can adapt for your business, no matter what you’re selling.
All you have to do is break your sales process into these three easy steps…
K, L, T + FH + CM = $
You only have three steps to follow to turn a complete stranger into a client.
But if you leave any one of these three steps out, you’re dead in the water.
The cool thing is, there is a LOT of flexibility within each of these steps for you to iterate according to what your business is and what you’re trying to sell.
You have a lot of flexibility within this framework to make your sales process as simple or as complex as it needs to be.
Let’s take a look…
Phase 1: Know, Like and Trust
When I was starting out as a copywriter, I was a bit naive.
I couldn’t understand why people weren’t jumping at the opportunity to send four or five-figure checks to some random guy they never heard of (read: me) that they met through the internet.
It was mind bottling!
If you’re a coach, consultant or service provider… then guess what?
You might be facing the same issue.
People probably don’t know you. And if they don’t know you, they haven’t had a chance to determine if they like you. And if they don’t know you or like you… they definitely don’t trust you.
So… how do you get around this?
Well, there’s a few ways.
When I build cold traffic advertising campaigns for clients, the first thing we focus on is getting people to know, like and trust the person who’s going to be doing the selling.
We do NOT try to sell from the very first contact.
Yes… there ARE some instances where that works. Obviously.
Like if you’re selling a physical product, it’s very easy to just be like:
“Hey, we made this thing! It solves this problem. Here’s what happens when you use it. Let me show you do it works. Here’s a price and a guarantee… go buy it.”
But if you’re selling a course for $1k-$2k… you need to establish this KLT first.
Context is key.
When you’re building a funnel or doing a launch, your first step is to establish KLT.
There are many tools you can use to do this.
Advertisements are one way. Paying for a FB video or Youtube ad or Instagram ad where you introduce yourself and explain who you are, what you do, and show how you can help someone is a good start.
Get them to know who you are, first.
An organic (read: FREE) way to do this is by creating content.
If someone sees a video you did or an article you wrote… that is a nice and easy way for someone to start learning about you and your solutions… without having to commit to anything or put any money down.
Your only goal here is to get people to (1) know that you exist and, (2) understand that you are someone who might possibly have solutions to their problems.
Phase 2: Free Help
Now that your ideal clients know you, like you and are starting to trust that you are a credible person who MIGHT have solutions to their problems… the next step is to demonstrate you can actually help them.
This is the Free Help phase.
Now, when most people think “free help” their initial instinct is to run for the hills.
But I’m not saying you have to go work for free.
Not at all.
Instead, what I’m saying is you need a way to demonstrate your abilities in a way that people don’t have to pay for. So that people can convince THEMSELVES that you are the right option for them.
Here’s some ways I’ve done this for my own business and for my clients:
* Free Trainings (webinars)
* Free Video Series (PLF Funnels)
* Free Launch Plans/Funnel Plans/Strategy Sessions (for service providers)
* Free PDFs
* Free Books
* Free Email Courses (delivered via autoresponder)
* Free Live Online Events
* Free FB Broadcasts
* Free Q&A Sessions
*
The list can go on and on.
At some point, people want some help. And before they make a big purchase, they NEED a demonstration… and they need to chance to future pace what it’d be like to work with you.
All of the methods I listed above do in fact help people for free. And when you offer these options, people start to sell themselves that YOU are the right person for them.
(Please note: I don’t really believe that the whole Law Of Reciprocity effect is why this works. Not at all actually. I think the Law of Reciprocity affects us more in non-buying situations… like if a squeegee man cleans your windshield… you’ll feel compelled to tip him. No one is gonna shell out $2k-$5k for your course or program or service SOLELY because you gave them a free PDF.)
The free help is a demonstration and a necessary part of the overall buying process. It cements the trust that’s developing between you and the client… and it helps people remove the doubts they have about you.
Phase 3: Conversion Mechanism
Now, one important thing to understand…
At some point, it makes sense to ask for money.
Of course, if you build up enough KLT… and have demonstrated your value with enough FH… there are some people who will reach out directly and ask you to sell them something.
This happens a lot in my own business.
I have a lot of clients reach out to me without ever making an offer, because I’ve spent a metric shit tonne of time doing the KLT and FH work.
And I’ve also had other copywriters reach out to me, asking me to coach them. I don’t advertise one-on-one coaching, but month after month people continue to reach out.
If I was smart… I’d add some kind of conversion mechanism to my funnel and really ratchet up sales. In fact, I am in the process of doing that… just have been very busy!
(This is where a lot of my work with my copy clients lies. So much so that I’ve kind of neglected my own conversion mechanisms for my own business because I’ve been so booked up, building these CM’s for them.)
A conversion mechanism can be a:
* Sales letter
* Sales video
* Direct mail latter
* PLF launch sequence
* Webinar
* Direct outreach
* Email broadcast with an offer in it
* Application
* A phone call
This list is not entirely exhaustive.
But at some point… you need to make an offer to people and ask for money. If you’ve established KLT and done some FH, this part is a natural next step.
“So, I’ve helped you do ___. Wanna do that again? Or do more? Or get some other result bigger, better, faster, quicker?”
This is obviously an oversimplification of a good sales message. But I think you get the point.
Let’s Talk About The Overlap
So you’ll notice I mentioned webinars and PLF sequences under the FH and CM phases.
Was this a mistake?
Not at all.
You see, some Conversion Processes (CP’s) accomplish the goal of phase 2 and phase 3 at the same time.
A webinar is valuable because it offers free training/help. And at the end, you give people the option to continue their journey toward solving that problem. So it accomplished both goals.
Same thing for a PLF Funnel.
Does This Work For Lower Priced Products, Too?
It might. Not really too sure, though.
I don’t really sell lower priced stuff. Not for my own business or for my clients.
I am sure there are a lot of expert copywriters who are masters at selling inexpensive products to the masses.
But that’s not me.
I’m really good at selling expensive stuff through the internet. And it’s because I’ve internalized this process and truly understand how to make all of these phases of the buying cycle fit together.
Finally
Whatever you do, to be successful at super selling you must believe that you will succeed no matter what. If you do not believe you cannot and Will not make it.
You must not tarry of trying every thing including the so called impossible to reach your desired goals. Understand that it takes time to reach a milestone and if you feel it needs to happen right this moment then you are too anxious and anxiety does not gel with success.
Source Data Driven Investor