Posted on Wednesday, 28th May 2008 by CopywritingCat
One question I’m often asked: How do I know what to buy? There are SO many offers out there.
I face the same challenge and admittedly I’m often too quick to say “yes” to some mouth-watering offer. But I’m learning. Here’s a case study based on a composite of 2 products I just considered myself.
Let’s call this product the Multiplier. Any reference to real products with this name is totally coincidental. And I’m disguising
the product details (including prices) because the real marketers are a lot bigger than I am, both physically and financially.
The Multiplier promises to help you (let’s say) increase your sales with a Multiplier Effect. Sounds good, doesn’t it? One sale for a $10 product gets leveraged to a $500 product…or more.
And this product sells for only (drum roll, please) $17.97
Wow. For the price of a couple of lattes I get 5 CDs and a manual, plus a couple of other goodies, plus a bonus…I’m impressed.
Step 1 of my decision process: I set a no-brainer level. In my case, it’s less than I’d pay for a nice lunch in my neighborhood .
So I enter my credit card and run the order form. As I scroll to the bottom, I see a charge for shipping: $29.
Now I stop. We’re above the no-brainer threshold. Still, this isn’t bad: less than $50 for what seems to be a very nice product.
Step 2: I listen to my intuition.
Something bothers me. Usually I have no idea what it costs to ship anything. But as it happened, I just ordered 3 30-lb. bags of dog food PLUS 2 cases of canned cat food (my senior cat has allergies - don’t ask). They’re shipping from Pennsylvania to Washington State for $79. (If that sounds like a lot, write a comment and I’ll explain why it’s really a bargain, considering I’m a time-pressured urbanite with no car in a third floor apartment.)
So the $17.97 product is probably closer to $37.97. With a discount for volume shipping, I’d be amazed if the shipping costs were more than $10 or so.
It’s not unethical. Shipping and handling covers a lot of activity. But why not just sell the product for $37 and charge a nominal fee for handling? Time for…
Step 3: Test your own inclinations. I already know the benefits (the ad copy is so great I might save it for my swipe file). And I know it’s related to my products and my affiliate products. But what’s involved? Will I be willing and able to use this product?
So
Step 4: I google the Multiplier and some of the terms used in the ad copy.
I hit pay dirt almost immediately. A blog post reviews the Multiplier and explains the basic concept. The idea is to capture names of certain types of buyers and engage in very specific forms of follow-up. For reasons I can’t disclose without giving away the product info, I realize I probably can’t use the Multiplier.
Step 5: If I were interested, I might also check the Warrior Forum and other forums. I would ask if others found the product user-friendly and if they achieved real benefits from using it.
Step 6:Follow your own customized time limits.
If I realized this product was perfect for what I wanted, I might make the purchase immediately. For example as soon as I learned about the ebook Desperate Buyers Only, I raced through Steps 1-3 and made my purchase. I’ve never regretted it and I encourage just about all my clients to buy it.
But depending on the dollar amount and purpose, I would (almost always) wait 24 hours to 72 hours. Ideally, I have set limits: 24 hours for products under $149 dollars, 48 for products $150-497, 72 for products $500 and above. Those aren’t my real limits (they keep changing) but that is the real idea.
Step 7: Make a decision.
I would make the purchase, set a bookmark for later review, or decide to move on. I might also apply for the seller’s affiliate program, as that’s a good way to evaluate the seller’s character and credibility. No affiliate program? I’d be concerned. If I like the product I want to promote it aggressively and get a tangible “thank you” from the seller.
To help you further, I have assembled a list of products and services that I recommend from first-hand experience. If you looked at this page a few months ago, you’d notice some differences. Yes: as I learn more I make changes.
And sure I do get an affiliate commission from just about everyone you’ll see.
But why not? You won’t pay more. You won’t get a cheaper price by clicking through on your own link (almost always). And as an affiliate, I’ve often gotten a good sense of the supplier’s mindset and ethics. And you will save time and money by getting the “right” products the first time.
Then you can get your own affiliate program and sell the products you like.
Comments (0)
Tags: marketing coaching, overwhelm, time management, web site marketing
Posted in Internet Markting for Newbies, mentors
