In the final part (Part 1 + Part 2) of figuring out whether your course is going to fly off the shelves or wallow in the depths of self-pity, it's time to take a deeper look at the features your SALES PAGE must include.
COURSE/PROGRAM HEADLINE
Keep this short + sweet. 3-5 words max and it should be inspirational + aspirational. It should immediately convey the purpose of the course - e.g., "lose weight now", "master your copy", "win back time" - and NOT "a miracle you", "enlightenment & enchantment" - that's fucking vague shit and means nothing.
Straight off the bat we want to allow our potential clients to see what this is about.
STRAPLINE - aka THE BIG PROMISE
The strapline (sometimes called tagline) is where you're going to demonstrate the END POINT - or transformation of taking your course.
What EXACTLY are your clients going to get out of it?
How will their lives be better at the end? And... it should have some emotional pull and be something they WANT - not necessarily need!
For example - if the (boring) course title is "Lose weight fast" - then your strapline (i.e., the transformation!) is "and get back into your favourite jeans in 30 days".
That's the difference between want and need. Nobody NEEDS to fit back into their favourite jeans - but we sure as hell want to!
INTRODUCE YOURSELF
Empathise with your potential clients and let them know you know what it feels like.
You've been there and it sucked.
But you're through the other side and you no longer have the problem.
AGITATE THE PROBLEM (nicely!)
I'm not a fan of making my clients feel like shit. What value is there in that aside elevating my own self-worth? Pretty shitty way to go about life - but, it's perfectly possible to describe an "less than perfect" situation and paint that picture of how things aren't great.
The purpose of this section is NOT to have your client in tears despairing at their life - but instead have them align with the situation you describe and internally saying "yes, yes, yes" - because we want them to recognise that they have that problem - and also that their sub-conscious is leading them to say YES (buy!).
THE SOLUTION - BENEFITS
Nobody gives a flying fuck really about the structure of your course, how many PDFs you're dishing out, how many video tutorials or blah blah blah.
We're all made up of selfish molecules and the bottom line is - we want to know how this MAKES OUR LIVES BETTER!
What's in it for us?
The outcome must be crystal clear and tangible. "Feeling better about yourself" is too vague - hit 'em up with "And work that supermarket aisle like a runway model" is at least clear - if not a little bonkers! 😉
Buyers are selfish. "What's in it for them is ALL they want to know?". Keep it simple & give them what they want.
PAYMENT GATEWAYS
Be ready to accept the cash - I mean seriously, you wouldn't believe the number of people I've helped who've had all systems in place EXCEPT THE DAMNED MOOLAH! I wonder if it's a mental block about actually asking for and accepting cash for something they're so good at, yet perhaps don't recognise because the knowledge comes so easily. 🤷♀️
Be ready to accept cash - my preference is Stripe which just seems to work flawlessly. Buyer pays + 2 days later the cash is in my account.
Have a think about payment plans - I operate a little differently to most because I use ETHICAL PAYMENT PLANS - that is, if someone can't afford to pay in one whack, then I accept weekly payments with zero interest. Yep, you read that right. I ain't no loan shark 🦈 - and I'm not out to take advantage of anyone who might already be struggling.
MINI ABOUT ME SECTION
Go a bit deeper about you here and why you're supremely qualified to lend your expertise. It should be a knocked-down version of your long About Me page - and because your sales page shouldn't have the regular website header or footer-links (so people don't get distracted and click away!) - it shows you're a real person and that you're the right person for the job.
FAQ
I'd be surprised if people DIDN'T have questions before handing over cash online.
Within your FAQ section you can answer questions which might frequently come up - and, this is also a space where you can further REPEL the WRONG clients!
MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE
Totally your call - but life's too short - and it's unrealistic to chase people over geographical borders unless your pockets are very deep. Refund, bless + move on.
TESTIMONIALS
Include these if you have them - but if you don't have them - you living as the EMBODIMENT of what you're offering and showing up regularly where your potential clients can see you is enough.
Testimonials could perhaps be faked (G-d knows why anyone would bother) - but you being you, day-in, day-out is worth so much more than Betty from Baltimore lending her opinion.
BONUSES + TIME INCENTIVES
I'm a bit "meh" about bonuses - because you've been "in the game" a while, you know they're simply part of the process and what we've come to expect - however, I'm re-looking at this myself because the ethics don't quite sit right with me.
Instead these could become part of the time incentive.
Why would your customer buy TODAY rather than next month or next year or whenever the heck they get around to it?
Well... that's where the Bonus actually makes sense. E.g., "buy before 23:59 PST Friday and get an extra 5 days Voxer access to me" or something like that.
It's just a little incentive to encourage them over the "Buy Now" line.
I hope this 3-part series of articles to help you nail your offer and get it flying off the digital shelves has helped and I'd love to hear your thoughts, so please comment below if you've anything to add.
