Video 10 - How To Create High-Converting Sales Letters For Your Sub-niche Products Part 1 Once you finish writing and preparing your sub-niche reports to sell online, it’s time to shift your focus to the actual sales process. And that process is going to begin with your “sales letter”. Everyone has their own way of developing a sales page, but the basic components are the same. And it is these basic components that I’m going to teach you in this module. There are 11 of these components. Let's get started on them now. 1) Prehead. The first part of your sales letter is what’s known as the “prehead”. This is a short, introductory statement located at the very top of your sales page that is used to… Engage the reader’s attention. Quickly introduce a key idea or qualification. Set the stage for the thrust of the sales message. There isn’t a set in stone rule for the length of a pre-headline. I’ve seen a pre-head consisting of only one word – and I’ve seen a complete paragraph. Here are some examples – (Mention A Specific Group) ”Attention Frustrated Siamese Cat Owners…” (Mention A Specific Problem With Latest Development) ”New Breakthrough Discovery For Keto Diet Shows...” (Mention A Credible Source) ”As Seen On The Oprah Winfrey Show...” (Mention A Shocking Announcement) ”You’ve Been Lied To About Teaching Qualifications!” (Mention A Statement Of Fact) ”A Panel Of Top Experts Agree, This Is The Easiest Way To...” Another example… “It only takes 2-3 hours to create this cash cow…” That short statement launches into the primary headline. But, before it does, it does a lot of valuable things for me as it conveys my message to the reader. It adequately gets their attention – what is this “cash cow” that can quickly be created? It introduces a key idea that I’ll be expanding on later in the sales letter – “it only takes 2-3 hours”. And, as we’ll find out next, it seamlessly launches into the primary headline. Speaking of which, that’s the second “part” of your sales letter that we want to direct our attention to next... 2) Primary headline. This is your main headline – located at the top center of your sales page immediately below your prehead. It should be in larger, bolder print and may contain certain words highlighted in different colored text for emphasis. This is your biggest weapon of the sales page and should be used to showcase your biggest benefit to the reader. This is your chance to quickly encapsulate your entire sales letter in one, eye catching sentence that is GUARANTEED to be read by the visitor to your site. Fire your biggest gun! Now there are a lot of different models, templates and “kinds” of headlines that have been repeatedly used over the years which have proven to be very effective in producing orders. I can’t possibly cover them all, but what I want to share with you is one of my favorites that has really generated great results for me – and my clients – every time we’ve used it. I call it the “If You Can, Then You Can” model. The idea is to make a simple, reasonable qualification that the reader must meet (that’s the “if you can” part) in order to reap some tremendous result (that’s the “then you can” part) of great interest to them. Here’s an example... “IF YOU CAN WRITE 7-15 PAGE REPORTS, THEN YOU CAN MAKE A LIVING ONLINE WORKING JUST A FEW HOURS EACH WEEK FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME!” As with any type of advertisement or sales copy, there are some simple things you’ll want to make sure you do in creating your headline… Use Particulars. The more specific you can be, the better. Not only does your statement seem more believable with specifics, but in many instances it can see more reachable. It’s not just “write reports”, it’s “write 7-15 page reports”. Use Periods. One of the things most people want is a “time frame”. How long will this take? When can I expect results? It’s not just “make a living online working from home”, it’s “make a living working JUST A FEW HOURS each week…” Use Pictures. Unless they’re a glutton for taking the road less traveled, most people want the easiest route to their destination of choice. Use word pictures to describe the ultimate result most desirable to the reader. It’s not just “working from home”, it’s “working from the comfort of your home”. So, there’s a lot to convey in your headline. It sets the tone for your entire sales message, so spend some time developing it based on the things we’ve talked about here. I suggest you brainstorm at least a half a dozen different headlines. You can even use the additional templates download I've included below the module to help you find the best headline for your needs. Take note that for each of the templates contained in the PDF, I’ve provided two examples. I’m showing you that you can use each of these headlines for the same product. The second example shows you how to use the headline template in different niches. Moving on, the next “part” I want to mention is the... 3) Posthead. This is similar to the “prehead” in that it’s a brief connecting statement. This time, it bridges the gap from the headline to the opening paragraph of your copy. Now, again, there are a lot of different usage ideas here as to what you should do with your posthead. I’m not a John Carlton, Dan Kennedy, Yanik Silver, Michel Fortin or some other world-class copywriter. But I am pretty good at convincing people to buy my courses, so let me tell you how I use a posthead on my own sales pages. There are a couple of things that have proven to be effective that I want to mention - Make A Statement Of Emphasis. In other words, briefly expand upon what you said in the headline – but emphasize something that will make it even EASIER or FASTER or MORE REWARDING than what you’ve already stated. Here’s what I went with in my posthead... ”Play Golf, Spend Time With Your Family Or Just Relax With All Of Your Extra Time While Orders Come In Automatically!” I chose to emphasize the “end result” the reader can be experiencing by following my instructions. I could just as have easily stressed a way things will be made easier such as... ”Heck, I’ll Even Show You How To Get Other People To Write The Reports For You!” Or, I could have chosen to focus on “speeding up” the process by promising... ”Update: My New Bonus Chapter Shows You How To Get Your First Sale By Tomorrow Afternoon!” The point is the same in all regards: the posthead is used to place emphasis on an easier, faster or more rewarding aspect of what I’m about to share in my letter to the reader. Mention A Deadline Or Limit. Another good use of your posthead is to begin creating urgency by stressing some kind of deadline or limit that you are imposing. A few examples include... ”Only 50 Lucky Charter Members Will Be Accepted!” ”80% Off Introductory Price Ends On October 12th at Midnight!” ”There Are Just 24 16 Copies Left Before We’ll Be Sold Out!” Obviously, you’d give extensive details on this deadline or limit later towards the conclusion of your sales letter, but this is a great place to introduce some (legitimate!) deadline or limit that the reader needs to be aware of. Once you have a posthead in place, you’re ready to dive into the main body of your sales letter, beginning with your opening paragraph which includes... 4) The Problem. Virtually every good sales letter begins –in one form or another – with an introduction of a problem. You’re not getting enough traffic to your site. Your list isn’t big enough. You still haven’t dropped that last 10 pounds. Your spouse is wanting a divorce. You can’t seem to manage your time. You’re not as good at tennis as you’d like to be. You’d like the flexibility of working from home. You’re really interested in homeschooling. You could be happier if just one thing changed. Serious or trivial, stated positively or negatively, real or imagined, problems are the universal driving force behind many – if not most - decisions we make. We want to avoid them, correct them, minimize them or make up for them, but make no mistake about it, they have great influence in our lives. We’d be happier without problems, or so we think. We’d at least try to give it a try. And, if we can’t completely eliminate our problems, it sure would be nice to have something really wonderful happening in our lives that would diminish or overshadow them. We all have things that we’d like to improve upon. Things we’d like to see changed to some degree. Things we’d like to make better. So, one of the best ways you can begin your sales letter is to establish the fact that there is a problem that needs to be addressed. Generally, by telling some kind of story that allows you to identify with the reader and the problem they face. Here’s an example opening... You’ve probably figured it out by now: “certain” people seem to be making all the money because of a “buddy system” in place where they all promote each other’s products. Chances are you’re not in their club, right? You’re busy promoting their affiliate program and not the other way around. You’re busy buying their latest offer while they haven’t spent a penny with you. You’re still working a “real job” 40+ hours a week while they’re off playing golf – and they’re spending your hard earned money to pay their green fees! Listen, I know – it’s frustrating on the outside looking in. I hear ya. But, what if I could change all of that for you? See how a problem was presented here? See how I identified, even empathized with the reader? And see how I hinted at the ability to make a positive change for her? Let me give you a template you can use… Have you ever noticed how some people make it look so easy to [get some benefit or result, like lose weight, make money, etc]? Then you try to do the same thing, and you just end up [gettingsome bad result]. It’s frustrating because [list reasons why it’s frustrating]. Seems like you just can’t [get a benefit or result], because [reason why they can’t do it]. Listen, I know what it’s like, because I used to [describe how you used to have the same problem]. And it’s not your fault. It’s just that [reason why it’s not their fault, such as no one ever taught them the right way to do it]. All that changes right now… It’s an easy transition from here to the next “part” of the sales letter. 5) The Product. Now that you’ve established a problem, it’s time to share the solution – namely, what YOU have to offer in your “sub-niche report”! Here's an example... “You know how others ___________, well here’s what I do that’s different…” Without being arrogant or prideful, it’s time to talk about yourself: your experiences, your knowledge, your secret weapon, your special way of doing things. Explain what you have to offer in your sub-niche report that will help the reader to solve the problem they are facing. Tell a story to explain HOW you found out what you’ll be sharing in our special report. Empathize with the reader – you’ve been where they were and look at how things have changed since you made your discovery of “what works”. Point out what makes you different than the rest of those out there who might be offering similar products. Refer to tips, strategies, practices, etc. that you reveal in your special report (without telling them exactly WHAT those items are, of course!) Mention specific results you’ve achieved by using the information included in your special report. Let me give you a template you can use for this section… Introducing [name of report], a [number]-page report that’s jam packed with everything you need to know to [get some good result or benefits]. You know how others [do something the same way]? Well, here’s what I do different: [quick summary of your USP]. You see, it didn’t take me long to realize that those other solutions don’t work all that well because [list common weakness or flaw of other products, but don’t mention specific products]. That’s why I decided to [describe in more detail how your product is different – why it works better]. It worked – and it worked really well. [Describe how it worked for you – share specific results.] That’s no fluke. I then tested this strategy with others, and they got the same results as I did. For example, [share a quick story about someone who got great results with your information].* Listen, this [type of] strategy worked for me, it’s worked for countless others, and it will work for you too so that you can finally [get some great result]. * When you start talking about results, don’t just make claims, PROVE them. Which brings us up to “part” 6, which is your “proof”... 6) The Proof. Anyone can make claims about what they’ve done and what they know, but how many can prove it? And, when they prove it, how much more effective is their claim? People, in general, are naturally skeptical. Especially those who’ve been around the block and have fallen for hype before. If you want to bridge the gap between their wallet and your order button, you’ve got to establish trust. And the surest way to establish trust is to prove what you’re saying is true. There are three simple things you can do to validate your claims by providing a form of evidence that I want to quickly point out… PROVIDE a testimonial. It’s one thing when YOU say the information included in your special report works…it’s another thing entirely for someone else to proclaim that they’ve duplicated or exceeded your results by trying the information themselves. A testimonial from someone who’s read, used and seen results from your special report represents a voice of credibility speaking on your behalf. Two to four testimonials should be sufficient for your special report sales letter. POINT to visual evidence. What diet program appears more legit than the one with a “before and after” photo of someone who’s lost weight? When you can provide screenshots, photographs or other “visual” evidence to substantiate your claims, it can go a long way to tear down the wall of reluctance that rests between you and your potential customer. POSE a challenge. If possible, get the reader of your sales letter to do something themselves to test your validity. For example, say your product is on taming a behaviorally challenged simaese house cat and you know of a very simple trick that can get the cat to stop clawing at the furniture. Have the reader perform the trick and once they see that it works, they'll know you're legit and they'll be much more likely to buy your product. It’s not always possible to do this, but if it is, posing a challenge for the reader to do something to test you is a great option. When you’ve laid out your “proof”, it’s time to get specific about what’s included in your special report... We'll get right into that in Part 2 of this module in the next video. I'll see you there.