a Little Sneaky, But Works Wonders...

[JaniG]

Hey guys its Jani here,

i just wanted to share with you a little tactic for some of you who
are struggling to make sales, or if you just want to make more sales.

Many may know this already , but this is for those who don't, so i hope you like it and use it to your advantage.

Now, weather you are selling an affiliate product, or your own info product, the concept is the same.

Create a FREE Report (Which is Really a Sales Letter In Disguise)


Yep, you may already know that giving away a FREE report can help you make more sales, but many people forget that the report should still be convincing people to buy the actual product, as well as providing value.

But you need to be under the radar about it.

Create a FREE report that gives away some good content, but in the report, make sure you also talk about the problem that the prospect is facing, and then how your product is the solution to their problem, and then get them to take action.

People actually will take more notice of what you say if its in a Report format, rather then a sales letter, because they don't feel like they are being sold to.

I do this and the response rate is good.

So here's a recap:

1 - create a free report on the subject of your product
2 - provide some good content
3 - address the problem the prospect faces
4 - talk about how your product is the solution
5 - link them to the buy now page (call to action)
6 - You make more money

Regards

Jani G
UK

[Barry Unruh]

Of course it works in other markets.

If you create a report on how to take better pictures using your digital camera, and are recommending they need a quality tripod, and then you give links to high quality tripods, you are going to sell more tripods.

Someone interested in the quality of their digital pictures, will jump at the opportunity to have a free report, as long as it is easy to find, easy to download, and gives quality content.

By the way, you did offer to send them your monthly free reports on taking better digital pictures, didn't you?

[alpha249]

Great post. Will give it a try.

[Chris Thompson]

A few questions/comments/ideas:

1) Do you require opt-in for this report?
2) Maybe the report should just be content on your website? PDFs will get indexed also, so I guess you could create the PDF and link to it from your website and create backlinks to it using anchor text that you like.
3) What's your main method of getting traffic to your free reports? Traffic is still the ultimate requirement here.
4) Great idea. I totally agree, provide value, lead prospect to good products, you will make money.

[JaniG]

Originally Posted by kalakutta

Excellent post Jani, but I wonder if this works well with only the IM/MMO niche ot other niches as well? Thanks again!

Hey,

yes this will most definitely work in any niche

I have used it in the dog training niche before

[JaniG]

Originally Posted by Chris Thompson

A few questions/comments/ideas:

1) Do you require opt-in for this report?
2) Maybe the report should just be content on your website? PDFs will get indexed also, so I guess you could create the PDF and link to it from your website and create backlinks to it using anchor text that you like.
3) What's your main method of getting traffic to your free reports? Traffic is still the ultimate requirement here.
4) Great idea. I totally agree, provide value, lead prospect to good products, you will make money.

1) Do you require opt-in for this report?

Well yes it would be better to collect their opt in so you can follow up with them.

2) Maybe the report should just be content on your website? PDFs will get indexed also, so I guess you could create the PDF and link to it from your website and create backlinks to it using anchor text that you like.

a PDF report is usually better because they feel as if they have actually got somthing for free. The perceived value of a ebook / report is more then content on a website., but sure you can try putting your free content on a website, i have just seen better results with a pdf, because it can also go viral.

3) What's your main method of getting traffic to your free reports? Traffic is still the ultimate requirement here.

This can be a whole other discussion in itself and there are many posts in this forum on getting traffic.

However my main methods for traffic are, article marketing, video marketing, and many others...

thanks

[James Schramko]

an add-on to this is to create free memberships....

Works well

[JaniG]

Originally Posted by James Schramko

an add-on to this is to create free memberships....

Works well

Oh yes

that is a great way

thanks

[David Chamberlain]

Hi

This is definitely a great way to increase sales and improve your brand image! (giving free value).

A mentor of mine says give people a finger...show them how to use it, poke scratch and maybe pick their nose! - then tell them you have a 50 hands available.

They will be so impressed with the finger, that they will be ready to snatch those hands from you...for a price obviously!

I think that's a good way to explain it!

Dave

[dave147]

I don't think this is a little sneaky - it's an excellent marketing strategy

[JaniG]

Originally Posted by dave147

I don't think this is a little sneaky - it's an excellent marketing strategy

Yes its not really sneaky...

Just the disguised sales letter part may seem sneaky to some people

Jani

[la dominatrix]

Originally Posted by kalakutta

Excellent post Jani, but I wonder if this works well with only the IM/MMO niche ot other niches as well? Thanks again!

It will probably work better i nother markets
La dominatrix

[JaniG]

Originally Posted by la dominatrix

It will probably work better i nother markets
La dominatrix

yes thats true because other markets won't be familiar with this concept

[warbill]

Thanks Jani,

Being a newbie, this helps me alot.

Bill

[Higgey]

I've been really struggling - this makes me think that I should concentrate on the basics like providing good value in such a report.

Thanks, mate, made me think.

Kind regards,

John.

[mikeyman120]

This post has me wanting to break out the open office and create easy pdfs with my links in them. Thanks for the cool post I hadn't thought of doing reports for a while.

Mike

[midasman09]

In the "Old" days I used an answering machine with a 2 minute outgoing message.

I'd run ads that said, "Free Recorded Message Reveals.......(what your topic is) Call 555-1234 ext: 123 24hrs)

I found that when prospects first hear of something they might be interested in, they are NOT YET Ready To Buy. They want "more info".

By offering "Free Info" whether in a recording or a report or a Video, makes no difference. We want to CAPTURE those who are interested so we can contact them until they buy!

My "Free Recorded Messages" gave information I thought prospects would like to hear. Info that "Built Up Their Desire" to know more about the product or service.

My 2 min message was a Sales message with ONE Goal....to get the to leave their Name & Address so I could mail them my Report.

And my "Free Report" was simply a 4 or 8 page Sales Letter...providing more info AND giving them a REASON to "Take Action" to order or come into my store, etc.

When Voice Mail came out, I used it because if more than 1 prospect called at the same time, they wouldn't get a Busy.

Then...when the internet came out, I sent people to my websites.

Now that Video is so "HOT", use, "FREE Video Reveals.....www.MySalesVideo.com"

Videos SELL like nothing else! Prospects can see YOU expounding on your product or service. They can see that you look like a "Good Guy" who can be "Trusted".

I call this Method of Marketing (Offering FREE Info) "TUGBOAT MARKETING"!

In my youth I'd like to sit on the dock at Navy Pier in Chgo and watch the giant ships come in. I'd see a small tugboat go out and meet these ships. The tug would shoot a Nylon Line up to the ship where a crew member would grab it and pull it up. Tied onto the end of the Nylon Line was a bigger Rope and tied to the end of the Rope was a Chain.

When the Chain got up to the bow of the ship the tug would start pulling the giant ship into it's berth at the dock.

Same way with Marketing or Selling most anything.

1) Introduce yourself
2) Give them something FREE that satisfies their curiosity and Builds DESIRE to have what you're offering...AND...captures their contact info
3) The Freebie then SELLS your product or service

For example; One of my business ventures was sending "Lunch" Faxes to local business offices. These Faxes would have the Daily Specials of 4 local restaurants. Office employees could use the Order Form to have their lunch delivered to them or ready for pick up.

This service was FREE to offices. To get Restaurants to Pay for my "Fax Service" I'd send a large postcard which said; "Free Recorded Message Reveals How To Double Your Lunch Business! Call 555-1234 x 123!"

They'd call my recording where I'd tell them more about what was in my Free Report and if they wanted a copy sent to them, to leave their name & mailing address.

I'd get all the restaurants I needed with this technique.

You can do the same today with a "Free Video Reveals How To Double Your Lunch Business"! Go to "LunchBizVideo.com"

Midas Man

[Jared Alberghini]

Jani,

Great tactic, however I was hoping for a little more 'sneaky' lol...

Sooo... if you want to step this up a notch, here's a sneaky trick to add for viral traffic:

1) Put a sales page together with a PRICE for your "free report", (it must be worthy enough to be charging for it).

2) Next, 'leak' your 'non-free' report to the torrent & warez sites.

3) Watch it go viral in no time.

Make sense?

.jrd

[FriendlyRob]

That's a good point, but I don't think it is sneaky at all. How many products that you have spent money on seems primarily to be just a sales page for another product? I could name a few marketers that we all know who do that, but I won't.

My point is any advantage that we can gain, even from our free stuff, is something that we should put to use.

[FriendlyRob]

Originally Posted by Jared Alberghini

Jani,

Great tactic, however I was hoping for a little more 'sneaky' lol...

Sooo... if you want to step this up a notch, here's a sneaky trick to add for viral traffic:

1) Put a sales page together with a PRICE for your "free report", (it must be worthy enough to be charging for it).

2) Next, 'leak' your 'non-free' report to the torrent & warez sites.

3) Watch it go viral in no time.

Make sense?

.jrd

Now that is what I call sneaky!

[markshields]

Well I just thought I would say hello Jani

Its Mark McCulloch here

[bhackett]

I call it sneaky but it sure is profitable. Used it many times in the past.

[jjjroy]

Originally Posted by Jared Alberghini

Jani,

1) Put a sales page together with a PRICE for your "free report", (it must be worthy enough to be charging for it).

2) Next, 'leak' your 'non-free' report to the torrent & warez sites.

3) Watch it go viral in no time.

Make sense?

.jrd

Now that's sneaky...

I like it!

[Tom Brite]

Great point here Jani,

You could even then go as far as to sumbit it to software directory's and ebook directory's and torrents and whatever else so that you can bring in even more traffic and get some backlinks (often high pr too).

Tom Brite

[quiescen]

I do this all the time. In fact, here's a free report I have at my site. It's titled "Looking for Summer Fun? Play New Age Piano!" Check it out at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/summerfun.pdf

[Ruddy]

Originally Posted by teamfire

Hey guys its Jani here,

i just wanted to share with you a little tactic for some of you who
are struggling to make sales, or if you just want to make more sales.

Many may know this already , but this is for those who don't, so i hope you like it and use it to your advantage.

Now, weather you are selling an affiliate product, or your own info product, the concept is the same.

Create a FREE Report (Which is Really a Sales Letter In Disguise)


Yep, you may already know that giving away a FREE report can help you make more sales, but many people forget that the report should still be convincing people to buy the actual product, as well as providing value.

But you need to be under the radar about it.

Create a FREE report that gives away some good content, but in the report, make sure you also talk about the problem that the prospect is facing, and then how your product is the solution to their problem, and then get them to take action.

People actually will take more notice of what you say if its in a Report format, rather then a sales letter, because they don't feel like they are being sold to.

I do this and the response rate is good.

So here's a recap:

1 - create a free report on the subject of your product
2 - provide some good content
3 - address the problem the prospect faces
4 - talk about how your product is the solution
5 - link them to the buy now page (call to action)
6 - You make more money

Regards

Jani G
UK

Cool stuff although it's basic, Jani. Anyway, you didn't cover traffic generation here. Content is king but the king is impotent without traffic

[TheDebtEliminator]

Hello Jani,

It does not seem sneaky al all to me

Just good business to offer something as a bribe for those that are on the fence to opt-in

Just make the bribe have some perceived value to the potential client and it is a win - win situation

All the Best

[AndrewCavanagh]

This is a very old and proven strategy used for over a century offline and of course used online as well.

Giving away genuine high quality content in your report and leading into your product offer naturally both help.

You can also SELL your front end report at a very low price (or even a high price).

It's important to understand that just because you're giving away your report free doesn't mean people will want it or read it.

You still have to sell the value of the report.

And yes I've used this method or seen it used in pretty much every industry you can imagine. You can sell nearly any product or service this way.

Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh

[kidino]

I love this. I think I've come across a lot of this being used again and again. But sometimes we all need someone like you to point it out to us.

You know what? I am thinking this -- I am so used to pounding my list for sales. I believe this a better method to attract them closer, and get them into the sales process.

Instead of sending out an email saying "I am coming out with..."

Write a report and send out an email saying, "Free PDF report reveals..." or "Video tutorial on ..."

[Bennette]

Thanks Jani for sharing!

I was working out all the details for this now and looking into a 800# but this way wouldn't require one. I'm glad I seen your post.

I'd run ads that said, "Free Recorded Message Reveals.......(what your topic is) Call 555-1234 ext: 123 24hrs)

Do you run ads in a small local paper that's free for readers? What size ad do you recommend?

Then...when the internet came out, I sent people to my websites.

Is this a special one page site or your full site with the report on the 1st page?