7 Steps to Creating an Offer that Sells

This post addresses the characteristics of the specific thing you are selling and the way you package and present that information to your prospects, aka your offer. It is what your content marketing and sales process is leading people towards purchasing. A good way to think about what your offer is would be to think about what would appear on the order form for your product or service? If somebody purchased your product or service, what exactly are they buying?

 
Before you craft your offer you need to be really clear on your ideal client (WHO) for this offer and what is your purpose/goal for your life and your business and this product (WHY), so you can make sure the offer is really in line with that. So, presuming you have your WHO and your WHY handled, the offer is another vital part of the equation, it’s your WHAT. 

In spite of this being said seemingly everywhere, I continue to see small-business owners struggle to make sales. And, if you’re not clear about what you are selling, how can you expect your customer to be clear about what they are buying? The simplest way to get sales flowing in is:

1. Have ONE offer that sells. You don’t need to sell a lot of different things. You just need ONE great offer to start with. Having just ONE product or service that SELLS means that you have the makings of a strong, predictable stream of cash flow.
2. Know the current way to craft an offer. When you have an offer that makes the most of your time and energy, you feel confident that your business is going to work long term. Sadly, only certain types of offers have that special combination that will cause a person to buy. Only certain types of offers make it EASY for people to say YES to you. You could be doing ALMOST everything right but without using ALL the ingredients required to create an offer that sells, your sales could still fall flat and it can be difficult to see what’s missing. On the surface, your offer might look like it’s ticking all the boxes that another person's is; however THEY ALWAYS seem to get the sale and YOU still struggle. Because people don’t buy your product--they buy your offer. And it's not the same thing.

The clearer you are about what you’re offering, the better your sales results will be. Following are seven components you need to be thinking about when crafting your offer:

1. Cost 

How are you pricing your offer? Are there price tiers? Do you offer an “Early Bird” price? 

2. Inclusions 

What’s included in your offer? Outline what people are actually receiving when they buy from you.

3. Naming 

What are you going to name this offer? Giving your offer a specific name helps to make it distinct. 

4. Branding 

Are you going to create a unique brand for this offer? This can work well if you are running a special promotion and you want all the marketing that relates to this offer to have a specific look + feel and stand out from your other communications and to stand out in the market place. 

5. Risk Reversal 

What are you doing to minimize your customer’s risk when they accept this offer? This can include guarantees and warranties (things we often forget to tell people to reassure them). 

6. Bonuses 

I recommend you include at least one bonus in your offer. These are the things people get as an unexpected extra when they purchase. 

7. Scarcity 

How can you bake some type of scarcity in your offer? Perhaps it is based on time limit-- expires on a set date. Or it could be based on quantity (e.g. “only 100 available”). But something needs to happen  the end of that period or when those 100 are sold that is seen as a negative consequence (e.g. the price increases, the bonuses are withdrawn, the extended warranty period expires).