Introduction
You're going to think VERY differently of the phrase “What Else” after you read this article. Hey there, my name is Aaron Hillyer and I'm excited for you. Imagine being able to create jaw-dropping results on demand! As you're reading this article, you'll begin transforming into a powerful moneymaking machine with unlimited potential. This is because you're going to learn and understand how to apply the two words that have been responsible for generating over 18 MILLION (yes that’s million) dollars!
Don't read every word of this article if you don't want to transform into a powerful money making machine.
I'm a marketer always looking to grow and become a smarter and more powerful person that is able to continue to provide tons of value to people. Because of that, I like to attend live events and trainings. And when I do, I always like to immediately apply what I learn. Part of that application involves doing and part of it involves teaching and training.
As I write this article (July 26, 2014), I recently attended an amazing event in Austin, TX (where I currently live). The guest speaker for that event was none other than the venerable Brian Fanale. Brian is a legend in the internet marketing space and absolutely brought it during his presentation. The topic of that talk is the result of this article. He talked about the two words (“what else”) that have been responsible for him generating over 18 million dollars!
Income Disclaimer: Just because Brian is a badass, doesn't mean you'll make any money at all. But there is no doubt that this information is extremely powerful.
In this article, I'll explain how the simple two words “what else” can transform you and give you a slew of specific examples that he used as well as my own. You can them immediately start applying them to your life because you want to start getting results like you've never even dreamed possible.
Before I explain the magic two words (what else), it is crucial for you to understand something first. Just reading what these two words are will do nothing for you if you don't read through this entire article. And just reading through this entire article won't do anything for you either. You need to take this information and immediately apply it.
“What Else”
As I said above, just knowing the two words what else by themselves doesn't do anything. But the more you read and apply what is in this article, the more you'll become aware that you now have the unlimited power to create any result you want.
It’s A Question
These two words should be asked to yourself or a group of people when trying to improve anything. Let’s say, for example, you get a new client and you want to welcome them to your services. You can ask yourself (or your business / partners / team / employees / etc.), “What else can we do to make them feel more assured they made the right decision?” Or another question with the same example would be, “What else can we do to generate more revenue from this client right now?”
By asking the question and really spending the time to answer it, you are FORCING yourself to create something out of thin air that did not previously exist!
When you start applying this to everything you do, you’ll realize that this is incredibly powerful. Let’s dig in further to demonstrate how truly powerful this can be and give you some examples.
Examples To Get A Deeper Understanding
Let’s walk through several examples so you can truly see just how powerful this is and why Brian claimed it really is responsible for generating EIGHT figures.
More Customers
Everyone wants more customers so this is an excellent place to start in order to demonstrate how effective these two words are.
Q. What Else Can I Do To Get More Customers?
A. Buy Bait / Tripwire / Welcome Mat
I can offer them “Buy Bait” or sometimes referred to as a Tripwire. I now prefer the term “Welcome Mat” after reading Ryan Lee's excellent article Death Of Tripwire. Instead of immediately offering prospects a $50, $100, $500, $1000, or more product, offer them an introductory product at a much smaller price point. Say $7, $17, $27 or, hell, even $1. Here is an excellent article you can read on the tripwire (“welcome mat”): How To Turn More Prospects Into Customers. When it comes to Welcome Mats, ask the question “What's the one thing you can tell or show
someone that will make them say ‘WOW!!' If you had two minutes to impress someone, what would you say, show or give them that
would blow their mind?” This is a direct quote from this AWESOME PDF on Tripwires over at Mach 4 Marketing
This does multiple things. First of all, you start developing a buyer’s list. This is very important and is where the real money is in the internet marketing landscape.
Secondly, you condition them to buy something from you. They feel comfortable buying from you (provided that you deliver real value) That's where it relates well to the term “Welcome Mat”.
Third, it creates revenue immediately. Not a lot but some money. A lot of those small amounts can sometimes add up to a hell of a lot, especially if it is a monthly fee.
Analysis
Maybe you haven't even thought about offering a lower end product first but by asking the question “What Else Can I Do To Get More Customers?” you start getting cool ideas.
Now, let's dig deeper since we're talking about a Welcome Mt…
Q. What Else Can I Do With This Welcome Mat To Get Them To Spend More Money?
A. Tie the Welcome Mat to my main product offer and upsell my main product after the Welcome Mat.
Aha. You can save time and further entice the new customer to spend more money by creating a Welcome Mat product that is related to your main product offer. In this way, your main product offer will complement and enhance the Welcome Mat. Then it becomes a natural upgrade that just makes sense for the new customer.
A. Overdeliver.
If you create (or market as an affiliate) a lower end product (or service) as a Welcome Mat, it’s very easy to not deliver a huge amount of value. But since you're asking yourself the question, what else can you do to get them to spend more money, you understand that if you overdeliver, they are going to be a HELL of a lot more likely to buy more from you. Their thought process might go something like this, “If I got a TON of value from a $7 product, I can only IMAGINE what I would get from a $497 product (obviously, insert your own price point here).”
Hell, we could take this even further…
What else could I do to overdeliver in my Welcome Mat?
Q. What Else Can I Do With This Welcome Mat To Develop A Relationship With This Buyer?
A. I could integrate my product into my social media
Maybe you could in your Welcome Mat, include a call to action to reach out to you and you’ll provide XYZ (additional value) for doing so.
Additionally, I can somehow connect what I'm delivering in the product to social media so it’s a natural segue. For example, if you’re talking about generating leads, you could talk about optimizing your social media profile so that when prospects check you out (and they will), you look good in their eyes. Then you could say something along the lines of, “for an example on this, go take a look on my profile at [you would insert YOUR profile]. Notice how I've focused on XYZ and use language surrounding that. Notice how every bit of my profile looks attractive to someone in that space.”
Obviously, generating leads is an easy segue. How about if you're selling fishing tackle. Maybe you could offer a discount coupon to people who like your page on Facebook or send you a private message with “I found you on ___ (insert your Welcome Mat name)”. Get creative.
Want to dig deeper?
What else could I do to integrate my product into my social media?
A. I could deliver my Welcome Mat in video format
Video is much more engaging than any other format (except face to face or live presentations). By delivering video, people will feel much more connected with you.
Want to dig deeper?
What else could I do in my video to develop a relationship with the buyer?
A. Get Referrals From Existing Customers
That seems pretty natural, right? I'll bet everyone reading this could do a better job getting referrals (or for most of you START getting referrals).
Analysis
Even if you have an online only business (and if you do, why not take it offline as well? What else can you do to take it offline? ;), you can ask for referrals from existing customers. Make a form and incentivize people to submit it so that once you've confirmed that they are bona fide referrals (maybe they have to optin as a lead to count?) then give them some kind of reward.
In general though, asking for referrals lends itself much better to the offline world.
Either way, below are some examples of questions you could start asking yourself. If you want even more examples, take a look at 25 Ways To Get Referrals on RainToday.com
Q. What Else Can I Do To Get Referrals From Existing Customers?
A. I Could Incentivize Them
What better way to get referrals from existing customers than to give them some kind of goodie (or maybe a discount off existing service)!
As you start answering how to incentivize them, fire off what should start to become an exciting new habit…
What else can I do to incentivize existing customers to give me more referrals?
A. I Could Provide Them With The Best Damn Service They've Ever Gotten
More than likely, customers won't give you referrals if you haven't wowed. So why not make them super ecstatic and then ask them for referrals? You'd be amazed at how well this works.
Then you can ask yourself…
What else can I do to wow customers?
Free Trial Vs. “Risk” Free Trial
There is a big difference between a free trial and a “risk” free trial. With a free trial, it is a trial period for 7 days or 30 days (or whatever interval). With a risk free trial, you’re usually charged but can send your product back or request a refund if you're not happy for any reason. Of course, any company can interpret those any way they wish and offer any variation of them. I like this definition of Risk Free at eHow.com. In this set of examples, we'll look at how we can beef up these varieties.
Q. What Else Can I Do To Enhance Free Trials?
This is an excellent question to ask since free trials are tricky and few people know how to create them in a way that is conducive both to the “trialee” [ yes I just made up a word 🙂 ] and to them. Imagine a free trial that converts like gangbusters AND makes the trialee convert into a customer almost every time AND they feel so great about your product that they not only start to use it but start talking about it and engaging with you. Because you're asking this question, you CAN figure out a way to make this happen.
Here's a couple quick answers to get the ball rolling but I KNOW you can be even more creative because you are now a master of your own universe…
A. Get People To Convert From A Free Trial To A Paying Customer?
Analysis
Getting people to convert from a free trial to a paying customer is the cornerstone of a free trial. But by asking the question of enhancing free trials and answering convert them (i.e. pointing out the obvious), we are know putting it into the light and thinking through how to make this happen.
Here are a few obvious ways to make this happen.
- Have an awesome product
- Treat them right
- Give them more than they asked for
Now, let’s dig a little deeper…
Q. What Else Can I Do To Get People To Convert From A Free Trial To A Paying Customer?
A. Make it easy (and I mean super easy) for them to convert to a paying customer
Why not have a popup show up for them if you’re trial is a membership letting them know they can upgrade? How about giving them a call when their membership is about to expire and make it easy on them? Send them something in the mail (you know…good old snail mail?) showing them how.
How about a video walkthrough of the process?
What about the actual conversion process? Is the process intuitive?
What else can you do to make it more intuitive?
A. Send Them Reminder Notifications As They Get Closer And Closer
“Hey John, just a friendly reminder, you only have 20 days left before your membership expires. We’ve included step-by-step instructions on how to convert your membership if you love us like we hope you do. Have Question? Call Us Now at 555-555-5555”
What else can you do with these notifications?
- Maybe give them the option to turn them off (you certainly don't want to piss them off, right?
- Change them up. Maybe show some testimonials? Educate them? Have them take a survey?
A. Collect Their Credit Card Up Front
While it’s a free trial (they don't get charged), you could still collect their credit cards up front thereby making it much easier for them to become a paying customer (i.e. they don't cancel) and increasing your conversions from trial memberships to paying customers. That sounds like a win-win for both the customer and you.
But just because it sounds good doesn't mean it is. You want to test everything you do and I'd strongly encourage you to test the results both ways. If you're not sure how to test, hit me up in the about section and I can direct you to some killer training videos I've done on the topic.
Brian Fanale talked about how he tested collecting a credit card upfront versus not collecting a credit card and said he earned a hell of a lot more money by having the credit card. So, the odds are good that will work for you too but you should test.
A lot of companies have understood this concept and know there are a certain % of people that even forget to cancel and build their business around it. I personally believe that building a business around people not cancelling is a bit dirty but to each his own. If it works and you're cool with it then do it.
A. Convert A Free Trial To A Risk Free Trial
Analysis
Both Free Trials and Risk Free Trials have their merits. Free Trials usually get more people trying them out (test, test, test!) than Risk Free Trials because they don’t require a commitment up front from the customers. However, on the flip side, with risk free trials you can collect money upfront and this can really help a business’ cash flow, especially when they are trying to tweak their products, their marketing funnels, and so on. In this case, you can often actually make more money (as opposed to getting more people to try them out). In either case, doing them properly, you can convert like crazy and depending on the offer, one may work better than the other so you always want to test.
Given the money up front, converting a free trial to a risk free trial could be a real viable option when asking the question what else can I do to enhance a free trial.
With that said, here are a few things to consider in converting a free trial to a risk free trial.
- You’ll want to ensure that you don’t impede the signup process now that you're asking for a credit card
- Make sure that you sell the benefits of the trial
- Be sure to spell out clearly that they are not being charged right now
Q. What Else Can I Do To Convert A Free Trial To A Risk Free Trial?
A. Instill just as much confidence (or more) than you had before
Because you're now asking for their card, you should spend more time testing and finding additional benefits (not features) to the trialee.
Taking it further…
What else can I do to highlight benefits? Or
What else can I do to instill more confidence?
A. Make them feel good about giving you their credit card
Things like security seals, trust icons, SSL icons, privacy statements, etc. can go a long way here.
Digging into it…
What else can I do to make them feel good about whipping out their card?
What else can I do to make them have confidence in my security seals, trust icons, etc.? Note that we’re applying the same trust question but one level deeper now.
Q. What Else Can I Do To Get People To Not “Cash In” On Their Risk Free Trial?
Obviously, if you are offering a risk free trial, you don't return rates to be high. No matter what you do, there will be some returns but if you do it right, you can keep that number very low. This should be a major objective when offering a risk free trial and then of course, getting people to convert to full-time paying customers (if appropriate).
Here are some standard ways to keep the refund / return rate low:
- Sounds straightforward but make sure your product / service is as good as you claim
- I don’t agree with this tactic but I’d be remiss if I didn't at least mention this “tactic” (I'm not going to call it a strategy because I don't agree with it personally)…Make it difficult for them to cancel. I believe you should actually do the opposite and make it easy but then you also want to be attentive and give yourself a chance to save them as a customer
A. Call Them Day 1
Analysis
This is an important point that Brian Fanale brought up and suggested calling your customers day 1 and (important) don’t sell them just make them feel welcome and be REAL. I thoroughly believe in this and I’m happy to say that when he polled the room asking how many people do this, I was the only one that does. I’m not bragging here. Just trying to demonstrate that I’m a big fan of reaching out to your customers and making a difference. Few people do it and that’s what makes it so special.
Some thoughts here:
- Ask them why they joined / bought / etc. in the first place
- Ask them what they are looking to get from it
- Ask them what’s missing
Q. What Else Can I Do In My Welcome Call?
I could sit here all day (ok not literally…well maybe) coming up with ways to make this better so let’s just throw a few out there and leave it up to you as an exercise to be more creative.
A. Give them (an) unexpected bonus(es)
This goes hand in hand with the over delivering mentioned previously but it's even more powerful when you can be there to witness it. Then you have an opportunity to course correct (maybe they don't get excited about it) or add on to that. “For example, I'm so glad you like XYZ. We are trying really hard to exceed your expectations. In fact, we'll continue to try to do that for you so we really hope you enjoy your trial membership and become a loyal customer (see next answer for more on this). The most important thing to us is your absolute satisfaction. On that note, how can we make your membership more pleasant today…is there something that hasn't gone perfectly that we can improve on?“ I mean – my goodness – who wouldn’t start to fall in love with a company after a call like that?
Expounding on it…
Q. What Else Can We Do With Unexpected Bonuses On The Welcome Call?
Note: previously we didn’t answer questions at this level to get your mind working but this is a great opportunity to give you more value and throw some ideas that, if executed, can make you a lot more money and create loyal customers so I have to share them with you 🙂
A. Increase Engagement
This is huge. How about telling them there will be more unexpected bonuses if they get on the webinar tonight or if they like our fan page or whatever.
A. Provide MORE
There are TONS of things you could add on as additional bonuses that don't cost much or anything at all. Here is a brief list that Brian talked about that they've used.
- PDFs
- Powerpoints
- Notes
- Transcriptions
- Audio MP3’s
Most of these cost very little to create / produce but offer real value.
Tip 1: Use fiverr.com to get this work done very affordably.
Tip 2: Many of these examples will be repeated and can be used in the same way when we shortly talk about enhancing a marketing funnel
A. Set them up for conversion / upsells
This is another big one. You can actually “sell them” without selling them on upgrading during this call. Hear me out. It would go something like this. “Joe, I wanted to ensure you understand how this process works and what you signed up for, ok? (Of course, they'll agree but in sales you want to get them used to saying yes to you). Great, so, obviously, this is a X day trial. We are going to work real hard to PROVE to you that we DESERVE your business, is that ok with you? Awesome, so the more you use XYZ the more you’re going to realize it solves ABC (we’ll talk about this more in a moment). And when you imagine and dream about the result they'll get you'll realize you must convert into a paying client. At that time, whenever that is…might even be today or maybe at the end of the trial, all you have to do to upgrade is the simple steps to buy or upgrade or whatever. Does that make sense to you Joe?”
IMPORTANT: Alright, the above statement is an entire lesson right there. If you don't listen to everything else here (then, btw, you certainly won't achieve amazing results), then pay attention to this here. This is a master class on its own. The above was fully loaded with some hardcore selling but in a seriously subtle way. What we've done is used some NLP (Neurolinguistics Programming – hardcore stuff) and included some “embedded commands” as well as some “binds” as well as psychological power words.
The terms dream, realize, imagine, and you are psychological power words that reach people deep emotionally. The construct “when you…you'll realize” is a bind. In other words, we’re binding the result they want with them buying your product. It is also an embedded command. We're telling them to convert (albeit very subtly) and letting them know they will even though they don't realize what is happening. The the construct “the more you…the more you” is also a bind. In that case, we’re binding using the product with an understanding of getting what they want.
I won’t dig any further here into NLP but the above is absolute gold. Study it and apply it and you'll be a psychological selling ninja! If you want more of this type of stuff, go read the article over at copyblogger on Persuasive Writing.
On a side note, I've added an embedded command as I started out this important block with “If you don't listen to everything else here (then, btw, you certainly won't achieve amazing results)…” You see, the brain doesn't process don't and won't. What it processes actually is the same sentence MINUS those words. So, it will process “Listen to everything else here (then, btw, you certainly will achieve amazing results).” Is that gangster or what? And you didn't even know that was there.
So with all that said, what else can you do to integrate psychological selling into your process? Haha, you KNOW I had to revisit our core topic here and ask yet another deeper question.
A. Schedule An End Of Trial Call
If you're serious about converting them (and you should be), why not put something on the calendar at the end of the trial to follow up with them. And while you're at it, make sure to mention that it's ok if they upgrade before then, in fact “we encourage it. But if you do upgrade, we'll still meet at the agreed upon time to discuss how can make your experience even better.”
A. Call People At the End Of Their Trial
Analysis
If you want to get them to convert to paying customers (or not cancel or ask for a refund), wouldn't it make sense to reach out to them when it is time to buy?
Some suggestions:
- Thank them for trying out the product
- Ask them how it went
- Ask them if they know how to upgrade
- Ask them what can be improved
Q. What Else Can I Do In My End Of Trial Call?
A. Ask Them If You Delivered On Your Promise
What better way to segment into the sale then asking if you held up to your promise. The odds are good if you've done everything right (you did, didn't you?) that they'll be ecstatic. Then you can do the following….
A. Lead Them To The Sale
If they are satisfied, MAKE THE SALE! Get them to do whatever now (including upgrade). Now is the time to do the selling now that they are happy. And since you've already prearranged this call (if you followed the last answer to the question what else can I do on the welcome call), they'll be happy to hear from you.
A. Referrals Anyone?
Remember our earlier topic of referrals? Now that they are all warm and fuzzy and understand what you offer, there is no better time than now to cash in on some referrals. Even if you encourage it, 9 times out of 10, you won't get the referrals if you don’t ask for them.
Customer Retention
Now that we've used examples for acquiring customers (although we'll talk separately about marketing and actually bringing them in the door), it's natural we talk about keeping them.
So, let’s ask the question…
Q. What Else Can I Do To Retain Customers?
Believe it or not, we've actually already given you a LOT of suggestions on this. How people come IN the door and how the relationship begins often determines their long-term loyalty. Nevertheless, I'll give you more ideas to work with to get the brain going. For starters, have a peek at 9 Customer Retention Strategies For Companies at ClientHearBeat.com.
A. Make Them Feel Special (Exclusivity)
Analysis
One way to certainly make customers special is give them offers, discounts, specials, freebies, etc. that are ONLY for customers as a special thank you. By doing this, you'll certainly stay in the warm spot in their heart and cancelling (or not buying future products) is most likely going to be the last thing on their mind.
Some ideas:
- Provide member / customer only training
- Create a separate customer support line or e-mail address
- When offering new products, offer to customers first
- Have tiered discounts and customers get the biggest discount.
Q. What Else Can I Do To Make Customers Feel Special?
A. Reach Out To Members To Include Their Feedback In Promotions
Why not give customers first access to a new offering and use their feedback to make it better? That’s a win win. You could even randomly select them but gamify it in the form of a contest to enter. Winners to it for free in exchange for feedback. A whole lot you can do here. I'd certainly suggest asking…
What Else Can I Do When Reaching Out To Members…
A. Use Their Testimonials
Here is another win-win. People LOVE recognition. You want testimonials. Makes sense to me to get testimonials from customers that love you, right?
A. Do A Customer Only Weekly / Monthly VALUE Driven Live Event At The Same Time
This one thing can retain customers probably more than anything. Note: I said at the same time. This is something that Brian talked about and even suggested making it pitch-free, which I agree with. This is your “customers fall in love with me” forum. Here is where you drop ridiculous amounts of value. Your customer loyalty goes up like 10 notches when you do this.
A. Call All Cancellations
Analysis
I got this one from Brian completely as (sad to say), I wasn't calling cancellations. There is a HUGE opportunity here.
Brian had some excellent ideas here that he’s implemented that have made a world of difference for him:
- Learn why they are cancelling
- Offer downsells (maybe they were in a $100 membership but you can offer less value for a $50 membership). Brian talked about how this increased their revenue substantially. In one case, he offered like a $10 membership (don't quote me on the price) for members to continue keeping their archived data. Brilliant!
- Give them something to reactivate
These are all awesome suggestions. He wouldn't have arrived at them without asking the questions. So, let’s do it ourselves here and see what we can come up with (in all honesty, virtually everything here I've come up with was done by applying this process as I'm writing it so I really don't know what we're about to discover 🙂
Q. What Else Can I Do When I Call Cancellations?
A. Thank Them!
Boy, why didn't I think of this before! Lol… Just by asking the question, I just created this idea out of thin air. How cool is that, right?
Let's think about the state of your cancelling member. Either they aren't happy or just don't want to pay, right? Usually that's the case. But in either case, they get a call from you (or your employee / partner / team member / etc.) thanking them for giving you a try. If I got that call, my ears would perk up. After I cancelled, you called me and thanked me?
I'll bet that really opens up the door to their hearts to maybe win them over? Maybe offer a downsell like I included above (Brian's suggestion originally), maybe get a referral? Seriously, I HAVE gotten referrals in the past from past (i.e. no longer paying) customers. Not everything is for everyone and you should always keep that in mind.
A. Ensure Them That Whatever Issue They Had Will Get Resolved
Picture this…your customer cancels a membership or wants a refund and you call them and discover what the issue was. Then you take their side and are empathic. But then you tell them that you will see to it personally that the issue gets resolved permanently so that nobody will ever have to go through it again and thank them (see above) for their valuable feedback and apologize. Then you ask them that knowing that we take these things seriously you ask, is there any possible way that you could give us another chance and BAM they say YES. It could happen. Believe it!
Funnel Optimization
As a marketer, funnel optimization is something very dear to my heart. If you don't know what funnel optimization is let me explain. If you do, you can skip right to the Q&A. When you create a “sales process” online via internet marketing, this actual process we call a “funnel”. The reason is that more people usually start out at the beginning of the process (usually viewing an advertisement, blog post, etc.) than at the end (buying).
It usually looks something like this:
Now, the numbers in that diagram I believe are completely arbitrary so don't pay any attention to the real numbers but you, hopefully, get the gist.
Optimizing a funnel is a VERY VERY important part of internet marketing and making money online.
Thus (at least from my perspective), I've saved the best for last 🙂
This is a vast domain and I could write a whole dissertation on funnel optimization (I'm sure, literally). In fact, I've considered getting a doctoral degree [hey, I like the ring of Dr. Hillyer so why not] and this well could be my topic if I ever do. I did some in-depth webinars on funnel optimization (and tracking and analytics) that you can watch here if you want.
Additionally, here is an excellent slideshare from Sean Johnson on the Ultimate Guide to Funnel Optimization. And one of the best time-tested guides on very specific suggestions is offered by Ryan Deiss' company Digital Marketer called 43 Split Tests That (Almost) Always Boost Conversions. That article by Ryan Deiss is one of my favorite articles on split tests / optimization of all time!
With that said, rather than go on all day on this topic, I'm going to touch the surface. That should get the brain rolling and I'm going to leave you on that note so you'll be WELL equipped to come up with you own amazing ideas.
Obviously, there are multiple areas of the funnel (and every funnel will be different) such as:
- Referring source (advertisement, blog post, email, etc.)
- Squeeze Page / Lead Capture Page / Landing Page (the page where you collect their e-mail and potentially additional information)
- Thank You Page / Download Page
- Sandwich Page
- Bridge Page / Video
- Sales Page
- Upsell Page
- Downsell
- Delivery Page
- Shopping Cart
- Checkout
- Etc.
So, let’s ask the question to a few of them and we'll start out with the funnel as a whole…
Q. What Else Can I Do To Optimize My Funnel?
A. Create Congruity / Scent
Analysis
A lot of the internet marketing community uses the term congruity here (as do NLP practitioners) but I kind of like the term “scent” which is what academia and corporate marketers tend to use.
What we're talking about is consistency in messaging, branding, etc. throughout your funnel. In other words, if you have a visitor that sees an ad labeled “Get Amazing XYZ Widgets At A Fraction Of The Cost” and then they click on it and go to the landing page and it reads “Affordable Widgets”, there is some scent but not a lot. I smell widgets and I smell discount but my dog nose is probably a little bit confused as to why you lured me in with a steak but are showing me dog food!
To make this more powerful, you could duplicate the language very clearly on the landing page so when the visitor reads “Amazing XYZ Widgets At A Fraction Of The Cost”, they are reassured and want to continue along the path, following the scent (the trail) towards their destination. You see, this right here is why I prefer scent because it invokes thoughts of “bait” and leading your prospect through the golden gates. If they are indeed looking for XYZ Widgets At A Fraction Of The Cost, then they'll keep following that scent wherever you take them as long as they get closer and closer to solving their problem. This is exactly what your funnel should do and there is a lot you can do to create a perfect scent trail through your funnel. Let’s take a look….
Some obvious things to do to create scent:
- Use the same language throughout. Now, you can use variations, especially if you transition them to it with your copy and/or video but anytime you do this, use caution. This means from start to finish, since they clicked on something to get to the funnel, you'll create more trust and loyalty and increase conversions if you deliver what they originally saw. And, trust me, many times they remember exactly what they saw, especially if they are all hot and bothered needing a solution now!
- Make it obvious. They shouldn't have to look around to know that they are in the right place and getting close and closer to a solution.
- Don't take shortcuts. Yes, it’s more work. But going the extra mile (and making more $$$) TAKES hard work. Don't be a wussy. Make it easy on them.
Let’s dig deeper now and ask the question again, this time applied to scent.
Q. What Else Can We Do To Create Scent?
A. Consistent branding.
One of the worst things you can do to a visitor is make them feel like they are jumping around. If you're using a blue background on your landing page, use a blue background on your next page (I say next because it could be any number of pages depending on your funnel). Use the same fonts, etc. Note: In general, the guidelines aren't as strict from the lead capture page to the next page as they are for the rest of the funnel. However, that doesn't mean you can't make them feel more at home by making them “feel” the same. Sometimes still though, you want to hide certain elements such as a company logo on the lead capture page. That’s ok as long as you have a reason to do so. Why would you do so you ask? Because the best thing you can do to increase your optin rates (someone subscribing to you on a lead capture page – usually entering their e-mail) is to create curiosity.
A. Create A Wizard-Like Funnel
I used the term “wizard-like” to make it easier to understand. The proper term is “breadcrumb” but I think you’ll get the idea if you look at the mockup below…
By showing people how far they are in the process, they often continue through especially as they get closer. This brings up another point that using this can also deter people, especially with a longer funnel. So, be sure to test using it, versus not (you're testing everything anyway…I know you are, right?)
A. Your Turn
You didn't think I was going to not give you exercises did you? Now that we're DEEP into it, you should be well equipped to create unlimited ideas here. Think hard. Do it!
Q. What Else Can I Do To Optimize My Lead Capture Page (Squeeze Page / Landing Page)?
Wow. This is a BIG topic in and of itself. The biggest thing I can say is test, test, test. But for starters, let’s give you some ideas to start with. Take a look at 11 Simple But Critical Tips For Creating Better Landing Pages for some key points and
- Offer A Lead Magnet. What is a Lead Magnet? It's the thing that you give away in exchange for an e-mail address (or whatever info you’re collecting).
- Use language very specific to your target market. Very specific.
- Sell benefits, not features
- Curiosity is the best thing you can do. Oftentimes, the best landing pages are SUPER short (again, test). If someone feels as if they have enough information to make an informed decision, they do. And they'll usually leave because most people are busy and they'll often think “I know that” or “I don’t need that”. On a side note, one of my mentors, Aaron Rashkin always says that the worst phrase in the English language is “I already know that” so hopefully YOU never think that!So let’s dig deeper here and start answering the question what else…
A. Create Insane Value In The Lead Magnet
Don't treat the lead magnet lightly. Provide real value. Your copy will be easier to write as you feel more confident about it and people will develop a real connection with you and feel as if you generally care. This information started as a lead magnet and was converted to a blog post. The information is VERY close between the two. So imagine for a moment that you received this as a lead magnet. How am I doing? Do you feel that this information is worth giving up an e-mail address? THAT is the kind of value I'm talking about. As you can see, I'm putting a LOT of time and energy into this article. But how do you feel right now as you look at this information? The name Aaron Hillyer sounds pretty awesome to your ears after reaching this point, doesn't it? You can have that same effect on people too!
Exercise For You To Do…
Q. What Else Can YOU Do To Create Insane Value In The Lead Magnet?
I'd love to hear you answers. Post a comment below and share.
A. Hire A Professional Copywriter
Excellent copywriters are worth their weight in gold. This is one way you can DEFINITELY have your landing page pop.
A. Hire A Professional Graphic Artist
If you're landing page looks like something that NOBODY has seen before you often are able to convey more curiosity and, hence, get people to optin to your squeeze page at a much higher rate.
A. Create A Sexy Name For Your Lead Magnet
Sexy, catchy, whatever. Make your lead magnet name killer. This lead magnet, “The TWO WORDS Responsible For Over 18 Million Dollars” is sexy as hell! I can say that because I didn’t come up with it. I stole it from Brian Fanale as that was the topic of his talk. Brilliant! Thanks Brian, you rock.
Q. What Else Can I Do To Optimize My Autoresponder Series?
At this point, I want YOU to be thinking. So I'm going to give you some ideas to get the ball rolling and let YOU dive in.
A. Unannounced Bonus In The Welcome Email
A. Provide a means for people to Contact You In All Formats (Social Media, Email, Phone, etc.)
A. Give Them Real Value (Provide value 8 or 9 out of 10 times and sell 1-2)
A. Get GOOD At Copywriting
A. Put A Lot Of Emphasis On Subject Lines And Continue To Optimize Them
A. Ask For Feedback / Questions / Give Surveys
A. Your Turn. What Else?
A. Your Turn. What Else?
Q. What Else Can YOU Do To Optimize Your Thank You Page?
Exercise for you
Q. What Else Can YOU Do To Optimize Your Bridge Page (If You Have One)?
Exercise for you
Q. What Else Can YOU Do To Optimize Your Sales Page?
Exercise for you
Q. What Else Can YOU Do To Optimize Your Sales Video?
Exercise for you
What else…
Synopsis
Phew! I honestly started this out expecting about a 2,500 word article. But I just kept wanting to dig in and dig and deliver more and more value to you. I think we're at over 7,000 words total in this beast!
Isn't this concept really powerful?
Do you see now how these two words have been responsible for over 18 million dollars?
These are an absolute game changer no doubt and I hope you take this information and RUN with it!
Thank You
From the bottom of my heart, I wanted to thank you for spending the time with me here and digging in. I hope you’ve gotten as much value as I've intended and your life has changed as a result.
Special Thanks To Brian Fanale
I just wanted to spend a brief moment and provide a very special thank you to Brian Fanale for whom this entire article as well as many of its ideas would not be possible. Brian, I appreciate you bro and all that you do. Thank you.
You can learn more about Brian on his website at http://BrianFanale.com
Where To Go From Here
This is all just a start. It should hopefully FORCE a paradigm shift on you. Of course, a lot of the tips I shared came from years of education and learning.
A lot of the amazing suggestions I got came from the KILLER training inside of this system you can access by clicking the button below. I would encourage you to study internet marketing and use that knowledge along with these two words to generate unlimited income streams on demand. I want you to stop right now and take some immediate action on this information because you realize that if and only if you do, your life will never be the same.
Picture this…a year from now you're writing a blog post full of RIDICULOUS value like this one has because you decided to take action and click the button below. By now, you realize that education is paramount and that I must know a thing or two and you're curious how I know so much. A lot of that knowledge came from the information you're about to dig into when you click the button below, fill out your e-mail, and make the decision to change your life. I can't promise you the empire but I can say this…If you don’t click the button, I can't help you. So, go ahead and just click that dang button below, put your e-mail in, and make the decision to start an empire of your own (perhaps even 18 million dollars of your own ;))
I do hope you've enjoyed this post and thank you for reading it.
Remember the magic two words “what else”, click the button below, and start seeing unparalleled results.
Aaron Hillyer
Aaron Hillyer focuses on teaching and inspiring others to define and create a lifestyle beyond their wildest dreams. His purpose stems from a recent near death experience that now drives him to show people another way of life. Most of Aaron's free time is spent providing value through educational webinars, hangouts, videos, and blog posts and continues to grow his resource blog at NextGenBusiness.com. He has a product with a TON of value (over 30 hours of step by step instruction) called Zero To Hero Academy which teaches people how to start from scratch and make a killing online.
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Awesome post! Love that question… and Brian too! My favorite question is So what? too… Thanks for all the different ways. Rocks!
Thanks Alecia!
Good stuff here man. Appreciate that time you put into it
Thanks Steve. It was fun 🙂
the “what else” in any funnel is where you get the massive upsells..
great article!
Thanks Lawrence. Agreed 🙂
Bro this is AWESOME
Thank you John. Glad you got value out of it
Very VERY impressed with the details and degree to which you dove into this topic…
Was awesome meeting you last month at the Internet Marketing Party, you clearly know your stuff!
Well written, LOTS of takeaways, gold nuggets everywhere, and I appreciate the kind words my friend.
If you’re around the last weekend of September, come say hi at this event: http://www.livethedreamevent.com <<< I am close friends with a lot of your boys (and gals) over at EN 🙂 Will be LOTS and LOTS of talent running around at this event, and a great weekend to connect.
Keep up the great work my friend. It is very VERY clear that you are a student, and have studied a lot when it comes to funnels, marketing, how the brain works, suggestive / assumptive language, nlp, all sorts of good stuff…
and YES this post was a beast! Right on… keep bringing the value… see you soon!
– B Fanale
Aaron did a bang up job…
I am making plans to go to the LTD event…
Thanks Brian, appreciate you! Probably see you tomorrow night 🙂
great post, thanks for sharing
My pleasure. Thanks for your comment