How many times have you read a hype-filled sales letter that promised too much too fast? Everything was easy, automated and push button. You were really excited to learn more about this secret sauce that absolute no-one had discovered before.
Images of million-dollar mansions and big boats that the sales letter promised started to fill your mind. You knew that you were going to succeed.
Once the dust settled a bit, you read the sales letter again and you started to spot patterns that the marketer was using – just to get you to pull your credit card out of your wallet.
All of a sudden the hype-filled sales letter started to lose its appeal and you were unable to take any action on it. You discovered all the tricks that were pulled on you.
You felt angered because of the empty promises and wasted time. Also, you felt like the marketer was insulting your intelligence with these tactics.
Have you seen these questionable tactics in action?
Too many times it’s the empty promises that leave you out in the cold. Everything looks shiny and great when you first look at the sales letter, but then you start to see the hidden irritations behind the well-mastered copy text.
Even if the easy, one-button click solution wasn’t enough, there are bunch of other questionable tactics that these sales letters are using.
Let’s look at them in detail:
1. Long sales video
Hey marketer – Don’t make me waste my time watching long sales video which is turned on by auto-play.
If I don’t know how long I have to watch your hype-filled sales pitch and you keep postponing telling me what your product is all about, I’m not going to take the bait. Sorry!
2. False scarcity
I understand that for an online training course you need to have a limit of people that can participate in the training.
But what I don’t like is the fake scarcity tricks that are used (offer where the validity expires always on the date when you read the sales letter) and fancy counters showing how many copies are already (allegedly) sold.
Marketer: If you want to use scarcity, use honest ones instead. If you say that the offer expires on a certain date, then truly mean that.
Otherwise, you are just plain lying and I’m losing my interest towards your product. Don’t make us take unnecessary action!
3. Too many bonuses – I smell overwhelm
When I read your sales letter, I’m expecting to get a product that solves my problem. However, if you offer bonuses worth $15,000, it makes me wonder whether your product is so good after all. Why do I need all this extra stuff if it is?
Are you deliberately overwhelming me with a bunch of e-books and other material which don’t necessarily add any value to me? Are you trying to distract me and waste my time?
Sorry, I guess your product is not meant for me after all!
4. It’s a secret sauce or other top secret material that only a select group of people have been exposed to
I don’t believe in secret sauces or other top guarded secrets that only you and bunch of your marketer friends are aware of.
In fact, I believe that there aren’t any secret sauces (at least in internet marketing) – just hard work.
Based on my experience, none of the “secret sauce recipes” I have bought are nothing more than tactics that have been seen countless times before.
So when you say to me: “Hand over your credit card please!” I’ll reply: “Sorry, I won’t!”
5. Radical price drops
Next we have the radical price drop strategy.
Although the product originally costs $997, in the next second the price is lowered to $795, then to $195. Finally, you are telling me that the price is going to be just $47.
Now, having to pay $47 dollars instead of $997 is of course fine, but why not spit out the final price at the beginning? Why play silly price dropping games with us?
Just give me the price right away so that I can start figuring if my budget allows it or not.
6. Testimonials which actually tell us nothing (about the product)
Testimonials are great for improving the credibility of the product. By getting lots of testimonials, a marketer is basically saying: “Look, these people liked my product, so it is definitely worth buying!”
Unfortunately, too many times the testimonials don’t add any value to the package. They are just space fillers which try to make the sales letter look better.
Look marketer, I only care about the results that the buyer got after buying your product, not if the e-book (or other training course for that matter) had a great layout or if it was very interesting to read.
How much did the person actually earn by implementing the lessons you taught? How many hours did customer have to spend before he/she was able to quit his/her day job?
That’s what I’m interested in hearing.
It’s the Money Game
Certain marketers have done their homework well. They know that emotions and images play a big part in a consumer’s mind. Consumers take the bait and take their credit cards out of their wallets without hesitation.
Unfortunately, if the marketer’s only motive is money, that’s what they are focused on – not if the product truly adds real value to the life of a consumer or if it solves any of their problems.
Let’s assume you are still interested…
So what happens if you are still interested in knowing if the product or training course is worth buying – regardless of whether you have seen the warnings signs I just mentioned?
Do some research and stop acting on emotion!
Google, visit some internet marketing forums and look for product reviews.
Head over to well-known marketer’s blogs or well-known review sites which are respected and credible. Gather information from many trusted sources so that you can make a good decision before the purchase.
Even if this research takes some additional time, you may save a considerable amount of money if the product is not for you.
Now take the test
This is the way I further check out the sales letter when everything looks too good to be true (and the six tactics mentioned earlier exist on them):
- 1. Google around. Although using a phrase “product name” review will return many scammy product review sites, I tend to look for well-known blogs and real faces (real people) behind those reviews.
- Check out imreportcard.com for marketer and product reviews. This site consists of reviews made by real people
- Check out if a product is reviewed in a big internet marketing blog. The folks behind these sites are using their own names and faces and are a good source for honest reviews.
- Go to Warrior Forums (Internet Marketing Product Reviews & Ratings) and find out what other marketers are saying about the product.
If you can’t find any encouraging information on any of those places, then that should set off your alarm bells. Maybe it’s better to leave the product alone and save your money for something else.
It’s your turn now: How do you deal with sales letters that promise the moon out of the sky? What makes you hand your credit card information to an internet marketer?
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