13 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
13 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

I'm a pretty good face to face salesman but...

by Mitchymoo
11 replies
... how would I translate that into good sales copy?

My normal method of selling successfully is to use "sales through service".

What I mean by this is that I am good at questioning people and getting people to speak to me face to face or on the phone about their needs, then selling them a product based on their needs.

I usually have a really good conversion rate using this method, but how can I translate this into successful web copy?

Is creating good web copy a completely different beast to selling face to face?
#copywriting advice #face #good #pretty #salesman
  • Profile picture of the author Hugh Thyer
    The big difference is you don't get feedback with a sales letter. You have to do your research to know what your prospect is looking for and what objections to the sale they might have.

    Signature

    Ever wondered how copywriters work with their clients? I've answered that very question in detail-> www.salescomefirst.com
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1766621].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author mktgpro21202
    Hugh is right that obviously the prospect cannot give you feedback and you need to anticipate objections and rebut them in your letter.

    I think the biggest difference though is that on the internet, the visitor can leave. Think about the 4 biggest ways to sell something...

    In person gives the highest closing ratio. Telephone gives a decent closing ratio but it is not as high as face to face. With mail, the closing ratio goes down by alot. And online, it's the same thing.

    When you are selling someone face to face, you can basically block the door (in theory) and throw everything you have at them. Obviously i'm not saying to actually barricade the door, but there are techniques to make them stay and listen to you for as long as you want or until all your tactics have run dry.

    Online and in the mail, they can just either leave the site or throw away the letter. On the phone, they can hang up.

    I had a big problem with the transition from face to face to online sales. After a few months I just had to accept the fact that I won't be seeing 20% conversions on the internet.

    Edit - just remember that the basic selling principals still (and always will) apply. Sell the benefits and solve the problem that they are looking to solve and you will do just fine.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1768314].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author J. Barry Mandel
    It's a different animal IMO.

    Learning copywriting can definitely improve your sales game, but you need to intuit different strategies since people generally are reading your salespage.

    You might want to experiment with putting together a video script and sell via video salesletter instead of written letter since you might be more succesfull via that route thanks to your previous experience.

    Best of luck!
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1769277].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author J. Barry Mandel
    [DELETED]
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1769279].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author DonFinch
      Maybe there is not too much of a delta here!

      The fact that you want to create copy means that you have a product or one in the pipeline, so there is your start. Writing copy is like having a conversation with your prospect where by you speak for them.
      I would recommend that write as you talk and then during the 'conversation' imagine where a person would interject and answer any question that you think they may have. So although you are not actually talking face to face, as the prospect reads your copy and a thought enters their mind... you have already answered the question in the next paragraph! As you say you are good at addressing peoples needs, this could be covered in your copy, cover all their needs then close the sale in the final third of the copy!

      This is only a quick response but try turning what you see as negatives and turn them into some really good positives, do that and I believe you are on to a winner!

      Just my thoughts...
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1769328].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Bill Jeffels
        What you're describing is John Carlton's classic two guys sitting in the bar shooting the sh*t story.

        Write your copy just like your sitting there with your prospect. Tell them all the benefits bring up all of their possible objections, answer them, state their problem and offer a solution.

        Just like you do face to face but put it on paper or on the screen.

        hope that helps.

        Best,

        -Bill
        Signature
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1769681].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author DonFinch
          Originally Posted by Bill Jeffels View Post

          What you're describing is John Carlton's classic two guys sitting in the bar shooting the sh*t story.
          Now there is a marketing god, John Carlton - The Marketing Rebel (If I remember rightly)

          I have a licence for one of his interviews somewhere, I might stick it on WF as a freebe, anyone interested, lol?

          'Apologies for the OFF TOPIC' The post just reminded me of it!

          Regards

          Don
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1771273].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Mitchymoo
            Originally Posted by DonFinch View Post

            Now there is a marketing god, John Carlton - The Marketing Rebel (If I remember rightly)

            I have a licence for one of his interviews somewhere, I might stick it on WF as a freebe, anyone interested, lol?

            'Apologies for the OFF TOPIC' The post just reminded me of it!

            Regards

            Don
            Yes definitely!
            Signature

            Need help building your reputation as a single person, business owner? I can help by teaching consistency in simplicity for building your better business reputation.

            Join my free business mindset group on facebook

            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1771326].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author DonFinch
              Originally Posted by Mitchymoo View Post

              Yes definitely!
              Hey Mitch

              I was kinda joking but hey, if you want it I will dig it out and you can have a copy, no problem!

              Maybe I should start a new thread, see if there are enough people who want it, I will then put it up as a WSO Freebee,

              Any thoughts anyone?

              Regards

              Don.
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1771409].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author John_S
                What I mean by this is that I am good at questioning people and getting people to speak to me face to face or on the phone about their needs, then selling them a product based on their needs.
                Called consultative selling, there are different approaches and books on this subject.

                how can I translate this into successful web copy?
                Why not try a hybrid approach of getting a "consultation," face to face. Although you will have some writing challenges, it'll be a half step which keeps you from having to do a whole letter without the interaction you're used to.

                With web copy, you might do better taking a look at current customers, segmenting them, then presenting the solution to each segment's problems at the end of a page or mini-site.
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1771758].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Sam Mlambo
    Writing copy is similar to face to face selling. You write as if you're speaking with your prospect. The only difference is that you must anticipate and overcome all objections. Leaving unanswered questions can hurt your conversions.

    What you can do is have people read your copy and see what objections they have when reading it. That can give you an idea of what you should include in your copy.

    Hope that helps

    - Sam
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1770336].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author AlanCarr
    I also made that transition and yes, obviously, you need to foresee objections.

    The biggest challenge for me was not to much the lack of feedback from the prospect in words, but the other stuff. How do they dress? How do they speak? You can pick up huge amounts of useful stuff within seconds of speaking to them, which you can then partially mirror or play against.

    In text you have none of that, so the general rule is quite simple - dumb it right down.

    Presume the person reading is a bit of an idiot. The smart readers won't mind a nice clear explanation - and the idiots will understand it too

    Never forget half the America population is below average intelligence...





    AC
    Signature

    This man is living his dream. Are you...?
    www.copywriter-ac.com

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1770653].message }}

Trending Topics