I'm a brand strategist that loves helping people clarify their message so they can stand out in their space. I'm on a mission to help business owners simplify what they do and build connection with their clients.
Kane is our Co-Founder and Art Director who loves the psychology of branding. He's passionate about creating timeless visual systems that anyone can use.
During the course of your day it's likely that you're presented with more offers than you can count.
People are selling to you as you check emails, scroll through social media, listen to a podcast, get petrol, grab a coffee or catch the bus.
We tend to ignore most of these invitations, but when a compelling offer comes along at the right time, we sit up and pay attention.
In our first few years of business, not only was I fearful of asking for the sale, I never gave much thought to how we asked for it either. I put very little effort into creating a compelling invitation to buy. People told us they needed branding and websites, and that’s what we were selling, so I thought it was a no brainer to hire us. But, our sales figures said otherwise.
The gamechanger was learning to write conversion focused copy, in particular and the art and science of crafting an irrefutable offer.
Knowing how to ask for the sale in a way that makes your offer hard to ignore is so important for every business owner to learn, so today I want to share 4 of my favourite tips for crafting irresistible offers that will help you stand out, connect with your customers and get more people saying ‘yes!’
1. Present them with what they really want
Henry Ford is famously said that if he asked his customers what they wanted, they would have said ‘faster horses’.
He wasn't wrong. As customers, often we don’t really know what we want until it’s presented to us. In fact, what we say we want, and what we’ll actually spend our money on are not always the same.
In 1985 Coke found this out the hard way when ‘New Coke’, a reformulated recipe flopped. It's not that they didn't do the research— 200,000 blind taste testers confirmed that they liked the new flavour better. So what went wrong?
They failed to factor in that purchasing decisions aren't always logical and that nostalgia, identity and brand loyalty were a huge driving force in sales of Coke. When they changed the recipe, people were outraged because they no longer felt connected to the product. The complaints rolled in, and eventually they pulled the product from shelves.
The truth is, we tend to buy based on emotion (how we feel about something), and then justify our purchases with logical benefits and features. That's why even though something might logically make sense to buy (and we might even say we would buy it), we don't put our money where our mouth is.
It’s our job as business owners to understand the deeper motivations and desires of our customers. What do they experience when they buy? How do they feel before, during and after they make a purchase? Why are they really buying this product or service? Using this information in your offer can help you speak to your customers' real desires and win over hearts and minds in the process.
2. Give them a new solution
It’s likely that your customers have already attempted to solve their problem before they speak to you. They’ve already tried to increase profits, work more efficiently, change how they eat, build their website, improve their status— and it hasn’t worked. So they will probably approach your offer with a mix of fear and skepticism.
That’s why, instead of giving them something 'better' a great offer sells a new, different solution.
For example, if someone has been struggling to manage their website on WordPress for the past 12 months, and I offer to create a better version of their current WordPress site, they're probably not going to be very excited about my offer. Instead, what if I offered to set them up with a new tool for managing their website that was as simple as using Google docs? Or how about a done-for-you monthly maintenance service? These offers would be much more enticing for that customer.
Think about the last time you were scrolling through facebook or instagram and you saw a product or service that intrigued you— was there something about this offer that was new and different? Maybe it was a different fabric, a new ingredient or features you’ve never seen before?
Offering to improve something forces your customers to admit that the choices they have made previously were wrong, which is not something they’re likely to do easily. Instead, giving your customers a new solution allows them to jump ship without the pain or responsibility of admitting their old way wasn't working.
3. Know what they need to believe to buy
What does someone need to believe in order to buy your product or service? For most of us they need to believe 2 big things—
- That your new offer will help them to attain the thing they desire.
- That they will only be able to get this result if they buy from you.
In order for people to believe these things they need proof! There are two ways to give them this proof.
The first is by sharing your personal story— what led to you to create this offer and how did it transform your life? And the second, is someone else’s story— how has this offer helped them achieve their desires and transform their lives? Both are powerful, because by offering evidence in the form of real stories, you can strengthen people’s belief in your offering.
4. Pre-empt their objections
All of us bring preconceived beliefs to the table when we are considering purchasing something based on our past experiences. For example, consider the person who has had trouble managing their website— she’s probably going to be very intimidated by learning any new software because the previous system she had was difficult.
No matter how good your offer is, people are going to think of reasons not to buy. While for some, it’s not the right fit, others may just be fearful about laying down cash on another ‘thing’ that doesn’t work.
It’s your job to know what your customer’s objections are and counter them. List out as many objections as you can possibly think of, from ‘I can’t afford it’ to ‘I’m worried what my friends will think of me.’ Once you have your objections listed out, use testimonials, guarantees or your own story that address the concerns head on. This will help to reduce the perceived risk for your customers.
So there you go— if you can present your customers with a refreshing new offer that will give them something they really want, that is backed by real customer results and not attainable anywhere else, you'll have a strong, compelling offer that is very hard to ignore.
If you found this article helpful, why not share it with a friend? And don't forget to add a comment to let me know if you'll be tweaking any of your offers based on these tips!
