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Can You Sell Just As Much Without Deadlines And Bonuses

by jamawebinc
12 replies
I am intrigued by people who sell things online without using deadlines and bonuses.

In learning about copywriting and crafting an offer, at least where I learned, you are taught to pile on bonuses to increase the value, and to give people a reason to buy now...using deadlines or scarcity of some type.

However, a few marketers do not do any of this..

For example:

Ken Evoy at sitesell.com
Bill Harris at centerpointe
Jakob Nielsen in selling his reports
John Reed in selling his books

I was wondering if anyone has done their own tests and seen if it hurts sales to do it like these people do.

These people never do product launches, never run out of a product, and never have a date you must purchase buy before something like a price increase or sellout occurs.

And they do not pile on bonuses.

They Also Do Not use Squeeze Pages. And they rarely send followup emails.
#bonuses #deadlines #sell
  • Profile picture of the author Midas3 Consulting
    Originally Posted by jamawebinc View Post

    I am intrigued by people who sell things online without using deadlines and bonuses.

    In learning about copywriting and crafting an offer, at least where I learned, you are taught to pile on bonuses to increase the value, and to give people a reason to buy now...using deadlines or scarcity of some type.

    However, a few marketers do not do any of this..

    For example:

    Ken Evoy at sitesell.com
    Bill Harris at centerpointe
    Jakob Nielsen in selling his reports
    John Reed in selling his books

    I was wondering if anyone has done their own tests and seen if it hurts sales to do it like these people do.

    These people never do product launches, never run out of a product, and never have a date you must purchase buy before something like a price increase or sellout occurs.

    And they do not pile on bonuses.

    They Also Do Not use Squeeze Pages. And they rarely send followup emails.
    Ken Envoy doesnt' use bonuses? I guess things have changed, he used to throw in the kitchen sink at one point.

    Generally speaking, scarcity, deadlines etc are all about product launches, , they don't tend to apply to long term marketing of a product, so it's really not a case of can you sell as much without.

    It's more a case of the right technique at the right time.

    Bonuses are a slightly different matter, I've always found they help conversions.
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    • Profile picture of the author jamawebinc
      Originally Posted by SimonHarrison View Post

      Ken Envoy doesnt' use bonuses? I guess things have changed, he used to throw in the kitchen sink at one point.

      Generally speaking, scarcity, deadlines etc are all about product launches, , they don't tend to apply to long term marketing of a product, so it's really not a case of can you sell as much without.

      It's more a case of the right technique at the right time.

      Bonuses are a slightly different matter, I've always found they help conversions.
      I have to disagree as to deadlines and scarcity being only used for launches.

      Corey Rudl used to always use deadlines - of course the deadline was a date where the price would go up, but it never did.

      His company with Derek Gehl in charge still uses deadlines.

      Armand Morin uses deadlines for his generator products and they have been around forever.

      Marlon Sanders uses deadlines and bonuses to sell. Even his amazing formula still has a "if you order by midnight I'll throw in these 10 bonuses"
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      • Profile picture of the author Midas3 Consulting
        Originally Posted by jamawebinc View Post

        I have to disagree as to deadlines and scarcity being only used for launches.
        I didn't state they are ONLY used for launches, simply that they tend to be. There's always exceptions,but scarcity and deadlines not used in launches have lost a lot of their effectiveness.
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        • Profile picture of the author jamawebinc
          Originally Posted by SimonHarrison View Post

          I didn't state they are ONLY used for launches, simply that they tend to be. There's always exceptions,but scarcity and deadlines not used in launches have lost a lot of their effectiveness.
          I understand what you're saying, but I named 3 pretty big names in the "make money online" field who still use deadlines and bonuses.

          I'm hard pressed to find anyone who uses a salesletter who doesn't use bonuses and deadlines.

          Actually if I go over it, out of the original 4 names I mentioned in the first post...they do not use a traditional salesletter.

          Ken evoy uses pages and pages of content, no 1 page salesletter. No squeeze page.

          Bill Harris uses more of a salesletter, but no deadline or bonus. No squeeze page and he is a very advanced internet marketer who really doesn't sell to the "how to make money online" crowd

          Jakob Nielsen doesn't use a salesletter at all to sell his products which are rather high priced for the length of the reports. No bonus, no squeeze page, no deadlines.

          John Reed sells books from a very "ugly" website with no deadlines, bonuses, squeeze page at all. and no salesletter.
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          • Profile picture of the author Midas3 Consulting
            Originally Posted by jamawebinc View Post

            I understand what you're saying, but I named 3 pretty big names in the "make money online" field who still use deadlines and bonuses.
            .
            Well sure of course people still use them, we were at one point discussing the timing of their usage.

            I said deadlines and scarcity tend to be used in launches, even if there are exceptions, bonuses are used irrelevent of launches I didn't state otherwise.
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  • Profile picture of the author GoGetta
    Personally I don't think bonuses matter too much as people are buying for the main product not the bonuses.

    But I believe deadlines are good especially if its a monetary deadline and if they are sticked too!

    I see to many times, claims of deadlines and then I go back a month later and again the deadline is there! I can see why but if you are product launching you need to stick to them in my opinion!

    GoGetta
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    • Profile picture of the author Midas3 Consulting
      Originally Posted by GoGetta View Post

      Personally I don't think bonuses matter too much as people are buying for the main product not the bonuses.

      GoGetta
      I think that's true in many markets, but you'll be surprised how bonuses if packaged correctly massively increase percieved value and therefore conversions.
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      • Profile picture of the author GoGetta
        Originally Posted by SimonHarrison View Post

        I think that's true in many markets, but you'll be surprised how bonuses if packaged correctly massively increase percieved value and therefore conversions.

        For sure Simon I do agree. I think it does depend on the bonus but half the time the bonuses are thrown together and don't make the slightest bit of difference!

        I agree though that some markets would be more receptive!

        GoGetta
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        • Profile picture of the author jamawebinc
          I think my last post in this thread - where I mention 4 other successful people that sell things online and how they don't follow the style most gurus teach (squeeze pages, salesletters, etc.) would be good as its own thread so I will start a new thread to not intermix the 2 ideas.

          In this thread I am just wondering if anyone has actual numbers to back up their thoughts about bonuses and deadlines
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  • Profile picture of the author BrainDance
    When buying a product or considering one, I ignore the "oh my gosh the site will blow up in 10 minutes and you cant have this" type of approach. Especially when I go back and its still 10 minutes!

    Im sure there is a Psychological value for the impulse buyers,My take on this is different than the usual marketing end. being a designer, I have to limit the offers I make so I can actually provide them, so I'm all for deadlines and limits!
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  • Profile picture of the author Ted Kopelli
    When bonuses outvalue the product, sales will improve, but belittle the original product if it was something you poured your heart into. Then again, piling on a bunch of old crap that has been around for months is not, in my opinion, a bonus.

    Deadlines create fear of loss and that sparks prospects to buy "before it is too late". Very few sites follow through with this threat, so anyone that has been around the keyboard will pick up on that in a heartbeat.

    Create a decent product, craft a good sales page with "what it can do for me" and loaded with features AND benefits and the product will sell well without bonuses or deadlines.

    Ted
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    • Profile picture of the author jamawebinc
      Originally Posted by Ted Kopelli View Post

      When bonuses outvalue the product, sales will improve, but belittle the original product if it was something you poured your heart into. Then again, piling on a bunch of old crap that has been around for months is not, in my opinion, a bonus.

      Deadlines create fear of loss and that sparks prospects to buy "before it is too late". Very few sites follow through with this threat, so anyone that has been around the keyboard will pick up on that in a heartbeat.

      Create a decent product, craft a good sales page with "what it can do for me" and loaded with features AND benefits and the product will sell well without bonuses or deadlines.

      Ted
      Any numbers to back that up?

      I'm not saying I disagree, but I would love to see some numbers, like "I took away any type of a deadline and conversions dropped by 50%" rather than a hypothesis.
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