Whether you’ve written an ebook, are selling iPhone accessories or your talents as a photographer, things can get overwhelming. It’s common to make mistakes and drop the ball when it comes to selling your product when your focus is being pulled in different directions. But without sales, there is no point to it all. You’re not in business to go out of business.
There are certain things when it comes to selling your products or services you just cannot ignore. We all make mistakes but some mistakes hurt more than others. Mistakes in these areas, can cost you more than just a few sales, it can cost you your business.
So here they are, in order of bad to worst:
Coming in at number 5…
#5 Not Providing Enough Info
We can only form an opinion about a product or service based on what information is provided to us. If you don’t provide all the info your potential customers need to make a decision, they will simply go with someone who does. As they say, you can never over communicate. Don’t assume that your audience knows what you know. They don’t. You are in the trenches and eat and breath your products all day, everyday. They are just learning about it for the first time when they visit your website.
Provide ample images and videos of your product in action. Make sure you include a rich FAQ section to help answer common questions. See your sales page as a verbal and visual conversation between you and a single customer.
Alright. Let’s move on to number 4…
#4 Not Tiering Your Prices
We all like a few choices when we shop. Maybe I’m the kind of person that wants the package that has everything. Maybe I’m a middle of the road kinda guy. The point is, if I am offered one choice, the question becomes “Should I buy or not?” But when I have two or three choices, the question now becomes “Which one should I buy?”
By not offering a few different tiers you are simply not offering enough value to your customers. Also, when you have a lower price option you allow customers to try your product at a lower price point. Make sure you offer the option to upgrade at anytime. Chances are if they like what you got, they’ll want the option to get more value from you with a minimal additional cost.
Moving right along. Rolling in at number 3 is…
#3 Not Addressing Risk Aversion
We all have a voice inside our heads before purchasing anything that whispers “What if you buy this thing and end up regretting it? What if this is not what it seems?” You need to answer these questions for your customers.
Offer a money back guarantee of some sort. But most of all, let them know about it. Make sure it’s clear before and during the checkout process that if your product is not a good fit for them, they can easily get a refund. There is no risk of making the “wrong choice” if the choice is reversible.
Making its way to number 2 is…
#2 Not Providing Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
“Why you?” are the two most important words in sales. What makes you or your product the stand out choice in your market? The answer to this question needs to ring loud and clear on your sales page. Is it your service? Your convenience? Does your product offer valuable features not available elsewhere?
DO NOT make the mistake of making your USP your prices. Competing on price is a disastrous route to take, there will always be someone who is willing to undercut you. Just ask Bradlees, Caldor and McCrory’s. Never heard of them? That’s because you’re probably under 30 and Walmart undercut the heck out of them and ran them out of business before you were given your first allowance.
Your USP is the reason people love doing business with you. Apple’s USP is their products just work. Tesla’s USP is a powerful, luxury car that is 100% pollution free. What’s yours?
And now…for the BIG MAMA of all mistakes. The number 1 goof-up you can make when selling your next product or service is…
#1 Not Focusing on The Pains and Issues You Are Solving
Every product is a problem solver. People buy a Playstation 4 because they are bored and want to get lost in a great gaming experience. I recently bought bought a mini watermelon for the first time because I wanted a whole watermelon but didn’t want to throw out half of it because the regular ones are so huge. You may want to start doing webinars but haven’t because the tech is too convoluted with all the moving parts. You might then join Webinar Ninja to have an all-inclusive and headache-free solution- shameless plug. Hey, it’s my blog 🙂
Identify the problem your product solves and showcase it on your site beautifully. This should be the theme of your whole sales page. Illustrate what pain or problem your audience is experiencing and how your product solves this for them. Need a clear reference? Think pharmaceuticals. Sleepless nights? Take Nytol! We’ll help you get your Zzz’s.
The features, options and bonuses are worth mentioning but they should support your solution and add more reasons to why the customer should buy. They are not the main reason why people buy, they just push them over the line.
Final Words
Well there you have them. Make sure to bookmark this page and keep it handy when you sell your next product. It might just surprise you how much avoiding these mistakes can improve your sales.
Extra Resources
You may want to check out these free resources on this topic right here on our site.
Why Build a Product Based Business?: http://100mba.net/mba09/
What is a Minimal Viable Product Anyway?: http://100mba.net/mba64/
Guest Teacher: Brennan Dunn- How to Price Your Services: http://100mba.net/mba65/
Q&A Weekends: Working on a informational product. Where does education fall short?: http://100mba.net/mba169/
What to Consider When Selling Physical Products: http://100mba.net/mba214/
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