How to sell without coming across as the salesman? Any Ideas?

Do you truly think those products will genuinely help people with their problem. It is going to help them accomplish their goals? Will these products help them get where they want to go much quicker? Have you used any of those products yourself and from personal experience know that they can help? If so, there is not problem selling, or making recommendations on your blog. I would not advise putting affiliate links, for the sole purpose of trying to make a sale however.

Yes, you are right. If you put affiliate links on every post you will be identified as a seller or product pusher. Don't do that.

Before adding any link at all, you first need to give value to your readers. Make them trust you and follow with a recommendation (affiliate link).

The best way to do this is to build a list, my friend. Share quality information on your website and tell them about a free report/video you are offering that will help them with the problem they want to solve. Have a squeeze page to capture some leads/subscribers and then you have a list to market any product (affiliate link) you want.

Having a list will allow you to build a relationship with your readers/subscribers and you won't just look like a seller or product pusher. You will seem to be a good friend who's trying to help.

It really helps if you have already gone through the problem they're having and managed to solve it or get over it.

Also, make sure you promote a product you *know* will really help them solve their problem.

The key is to make it fit in to the flow of the article. The wording you use and how you lead into it is going to be the key to whether it seems like you're selling instead of offering help.

If you're writing an article about how to properly wash your dog, maybe include something along the lines of "If you hate the time and mess involved in washing your dog, you'll love "X product" that washes and dries your dog for you in less than 1 minute."

I know that example is out there, but you get the point. The reader would feel like you're offering them a solution and not throwing a product in their face telling them to buy it.

Hi pepper,

I'm no expert, so take my advice with a grain of salt (pun intended :p)...

If I was you I would write a really helpful article that did not sell at all. Depending on how long the article was, I would include no more than two links to the sales page; a contextual link using the name of the product, and an image of, or relating to, the product.

I would then include a well written 'resource box' at the end of the article, encouraging click-throughs to your squeeze page (offer a related incentive).

Get them on your list, so that you can establish trust and build a relationship... That will make your job of 'selling' a whole lot easier.

btw... IMHO selling is more of an art than an exact science, so use a bit of trial-and-error, and do what works best for you and your audience!

Thanks very much for the feedback!

Every post or article I write identifies a common problem for example:

Someone who needs help with their social skills and wants to learn how to start a conversation. I try to identify what is causing them to be so apprehensive about starting a conversation and then offer some helpful solutions ans strategies of my own they can use to improve their conversation skills.

The plan is to make every article as detailed as i possibly can and then offer two affiliate links at the bottom of the page under the title of something like 'helpful solutions' if they would like to learn more. The two 'helpful solutions' might be an e-book on "how to start a conversation" and "how to improve your confidence".

I also encourage people to sign up for a weekly newsletter by offering 'weekly tips' and update the blog daily so people have a reason to return more frequently.

Do you think this is a good strategy or should I take another approach? Your thoughts?

One way that's easy to relate with your viewers is to ASK QUESTIONS. Just like what you did in this forum, chances are you are probably not the only one facing this issue. A conversation is started, then it's really up to you how you want to close or get them to sign up to your list, etc.

I think you should focus on building your list. It sounds more like you are trying to sell affiliate products rather than building your list.

Instead of putting affiliate links, I suggest that you put links that lead to your squeeze page saying something like "If you liked this article/post, you will get so much more by subscribing to my newsletter. Sign up now to ______"

And then, you can follow up with a product recommendation or some more tips. And you will have a list that you can market to anytime you want.

Of course, you can have affiliate links on your website too. But don't be pushy. Like NMVTEric said, make them fit in the flow of the article.

Make more of a connection with your clients...They need to be able to trust you and what you are selling...Point out the positives and one negative and highlight the main benefits. A lot of my sales have come from just explaining a product and not so much selling my product.

I'm still new to this, but one thing I have learned is, that the "money" is in the list, BUT only after you established credibility and trust with your readers.

Focus on prescribing rather then selling, once you show that you genuinely are concerned about your customers that will build trust and they will want to buy from you. Ask questions, give free advice, and they will definitely want to know more.

Being a salesman isn't a degrading thing... The problem many people have is they care too much about coming across a certain way, wanting to sell without seemin like you want to sell. Why?

I cold call a lot, and I get a lot of sales. I don't try and change my pitch to make someone more comfortable or pretend to want to be their best buddy in order to make the sale. I get straight to the point because I offer services that offer solutions to my prospects problem.

If you have a product or service that can benefit someone, don't try and pretend you aren't selling it, just sell it. If there is a NEED, that you can FULFILL then why beat around the bush? SELL IT.

Of course, that is my viewpoint in the offline marketing realm where I offer internet marketing services.

In YOUR position, I still think the same applies. Include it... If someone is there to spend money, they will do it. If they don't want to spend money, you have provided them with a wealth of information and establishing yourself as an expert in your field.

you should adhere to the 90/10 rule.

at any level in your marketing, you must think content first then the sales will rolling

and this is where newbies get it wrong because after all ,people buy from people

so after you've posted 3 articles then comes a promotion and it would be seen as

if it was a normal procedure , not another spammer who wouldn't get another visit

On the flip side...If the content you offered was good, people will want to see more stuff from you. They would take anything you recommend as a great thing and would happily buy.

Rather than putting affiliate links at the bottom of every post, this is the place you should be placing your free optin offer. I would think of something better than a weekly newsletter though because they are so old school. Come up with a free report or a free video and offer that at the end of your blog posts.

The REAL money in affiliate marketing is made by selling repeat products to the same buyers. You need to build a list. You have to build a list. You need to develop a relationship with that list and become their trusted advisor on the topic. This way they will listen to any recommendations you make. It also helps if you actually believe in the products you are peddling.

You can also place affiliate links on your blog, but put them in the sidebar. Then there is no way for your visitor to know if they are your own links or just advertisers. You can also link to your affiliate products right from within your blog posts. So you might have a sentence that has the phrase "cure your social anxiety" so you would hyperlink those words to the relevant product. This can work quite well but don't overuse it.

But seriously, the most important change you can make is to stop concentrating on your affiliate links and start concentrating on your optin offer. Building a list is what's going to make you the real money. A blog by itself is not a business... if your rankings change so does your income. By building a list you are creating a real asset for your business that no one else has control over.