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One Time Offers and All About Them

by James Seward
23 replies
Hey Warriors

James here! So my question today is: when should you make your one time offer? Assuming I am using paypal I would say that it works best after payment is done. Still people will have to click the return to whatever button and so they can just close that window and will never get to the one time offer.

BUT I don't think that you should do OTO BEFORE the actual payment? I just think that this way people might think "Oh this guy is just trying to sell me some more stuff" and they go away. So I think it is wiser to have your OTO or upsell AFTER the actual purchase.

And what do you think of including upsells in your auto responder series? How would you do this?

Since we are on the OTO topic, what do you think that makes a good one time offer? Yes I am aware that it should complement the initial offer but in what way? Let's pretend I am selling an ebook, should the OTO be, for example, a audio version of my ebook? Or maybe some more ebooks on the topic? If possible software (depends on the niche)?

And should the OTO have a higher or lower price than the actual offer? I heard both versions already to I would like to hear your take on this...

Thanks for sharing.

All the Best
James
#offers #time
  • Profile picture of the author artwebster
    Since OTOs rarely are, does it matter?

    Certainly I would not be pleased to receive an OTO before I had actually finished buying the product that I already wanted because it would indicate to me that, maybe, it wasn't as good as it claimed to be.

    My own preference would be to receive an OTO a few days after buying and something totally unrelated to what I had bought - again I don't want the supplier sowing doubt in my mind about the wisdom (or completeness) of my purchase.

    Since most marketers are aiming at serial buyers, I guess I don't fit the standard profile.
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    • Profile picture of the author templarjustice
      My thoughts exactly, at least a few days after.

      What happens now adays, is that they give you a OTO, and the email that you see a few days later, is an email that says some crap like this:

      They've Added $10,488! + My $1,000,000 Bonus

      Yes, I swear, I got an email like this today, in regards to the PPCBully launch. After buying one product, and not getting a follow up of how it was working for me, or anything, or giving me assistance in ensuring my success, I get seriously 1 day later, "Now that you bought MY stuff, buy this guys stuff because I'm an affiliate and I get half".
      But the underlying notion is really this, which he won't say:

      "I am only promoting this product becuase it's a high ticket product & I will make at least $500 off each sale. So to note, if you were just starting out & had a $70 product, I wouldn't help you promote it becuase your price is too low & I wouldn't make any money."

      This is the world we live in people......

      Originally Posted by artwebster View Post

      Since OTOs rarely are, does it matter?

      Certainly I would not be pleased to receive an OTO before I had actually finished buying the product that I already wanted because it would indicate to me that, maybe, it wasn't as good as it claimed to be.

      My own preference would be to receive an OTO a few days after buying and something totally unrelated to what I had bought - again I don't want the supplier sowing doubt in my mind about the wisdom (or completeness) of my purchase.

      Since most marketers are aiming at serial buyers, I guess I don't fit the standard profile.
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    • Profile picture of the author James Seward
      Originally Posted by artwebster View Post

      Since OTOs rarely are, does it matter?

      Certainly I would not be pleased to receive an OTO before I had actually finished buying the product that I already wanted because it would indicate to me that, maybe, it wasn't as good as it claimed to be.

      My own preference would be to receive an OTO a few days after buying and something totally unrelated to what I had bought - again I don't want the supplier sowing doubt in my mind about the wisdom (or completeness) of my purchase.

      Since most marketers are aiming at serial buyers, I guess I don't fit the standard profile.
      Hi,

      Thanks for sharing. Well before the actual purchase I won't think that it would work I agree with you on that. And certainly I can use follow up messages on my auto responder with OTO. I guess the offer should be related to the actual sale but better, or maybe something to do with the actual sale, in the same niche. Let's say I was selling an ebook. Maybe a OTO would be the audio version of it. That's is for something related to the actual sale. But if I am selling a SEO guide then I guess a keyword research guide would be a great OTO. It is related to my main product and it complimments it, as SEO and keyword research walk alongside the road.

      Thanks So Much
      James
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  • Profile picture of the author Emily Meeks
    I see most OTOs offered after you've just downloaded a freebie..
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  • Profile picture of the author templarjustice
    In actuality, a OTO should really be done 1 DAY AFTER the initial purchase. It should also be an unbelievable deal that is really personable.

    You can make the argument of having the OTO immediately after a person makes a "choice to buy" or the "actual payment", given that there "Wallets are open" and they are in the "buying mood."
    However, the problem 99% of the time is, the buyer goes into the initial purchase KNOWING how much they are going to spend, & then they get bamboozled w/ the shiny object in the checkout line.

    So the question really becomes, does a OTO really benefit the customer or does is it just a method that solely benefits the seller? Think about it....

    The methods today are just meant to squeeze as much money out of a person as possible, VS. actually building the personal one-on-one style of relationship that is necessary for the person to be successful w/ the product they just purchased.

    Just take for example, the Filsaime way of doing things, there are at least 6 OTO's, downsells & upsells, & they are not one off items, they end up being an Additional monthly membership, or an item so way off priced, or a item that has nothing to do w/ the original product.
    So by the time you actually finished purchasing, you forgot the initial item you bought.
    It's time to get back to basics, and if you offer a product, it should work. Screw a OTO, unless it actually makes sense to the customer or unless it can give you a higher gaurantee of actually benefiting you.
    At the end of the day, just ask, does your OTO actually benefit the CUSTOMER, or does it BENEFIT YOU.
    In my business, I want my OTO's to benefit the customer 100%. Why? Becuase, if they purchase the OTO, I automatically get a benefit. Therefore, I consider the SUCCESS of a OTO, to the factor of which I have gained customer lifetime value.....

    Anyone disagree?
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    • Profile picture of the author James Seward
      Originally Posted by templarjustice View Post

      In actuality, a OTO should really be done 1 DAY AFTER the initial purchase. It should also be an unbelievable deal that is really personable.

      You can make the argument of having the OTO immediately after a person makes a "choice to buy" or the "actual payment", given that there "Wallets are open" and they are in the "buying mood."
      However, the problem 99% of the time is, the buyer goes into the initial purchase KNOWING how much they are going to spend, & then they get bamboozled w/ the shiny object in the checkout line.

      So the question really becomes, does a OTO really benefit the customer or does is it just a method that solely benefits the seller? Think about it....

      The methods today are just meant to squeeze as much money out of a person as possible, VS. actually building the personal one-on-one style of relationship that is necessary for the person to be successful w/ the product they just purchased.

      Just take for example, the Filsaime way of doing things, there are at least 6 OTO's, downsells & upsells, & they are not one off items, they end up being an Additional monthly membership, or an item so way off priced, or a item that has nothing to do w/ the original product.
      So by the time you actually finished purchasing, you forgot the initial item you bought.
      It's time to get back to basics, and if you offer a product, it should work. Screw a OTO, unless it actually makes sense to the customer or unless it can give you a higher gaurantee of actually benefiting you.
      At the end of the day, just ask, does your OTO actually benefit the CUSTOMER, or does it BENEFIT YOU.
      In my business, I want my OTO's to benefit the customer 100%. Why? Becuase, if they purchase the OTO, I automatically get a benefit. Therefore, I consider the SUCCESS of a OTO, to the factor of which I have gained customer lifetime value.....

      Anyone disagree?
      Hey,

      Thanks for sharing. I get your points and agree with most of it. Maybe I will skip the OTO as I am comitted to build a relationship with my list. And if a very good product comes along and I get a chance to review it then I may offer it to my list. As long as I "suggest" them good products I have nothing to worry about. Thanks again, your post gave me a lot to think about, particulary the part with the 6 downsells and upsells. I know I am not Mike Filsaime

      Thanks So Much
      James
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    • Profile picture of the author JP Wilson
      Originally Posted by templarjustice View Post

      In actuality, a OTO should really be done 1 DAY AFTER the initial purchase. It should also be an unbelievable deal that is really personable.

      The methods today are just meant to squeeze as much money out of a person as possible, VS. actually building the personal one-on-one style of relationship that is necessary for the person to be successful w/ the product they just purchased.

      Just take for example, the Filsaime way of doing things, there are at least 6 OTO's, downsells & upsells, & they are not one off items, they end up being an Additional monthly membership, or an item so way off priced, or a item that has nothing to do w/ the original product.
      So by the time you actually finished purchasing, you forgot the initial item you bought.
      I'm sorry Templar, but I must respectfully disagree. The advice that you gave in the above posts, although well intended (I'm sure), is very dangerous. Why? Because it's clearly based solely on opinion and not results, and therefore has no legitimate bearing whatsoever. For the sake of conversation, even if you these statements were based on polling data that you took from your customers regarding their opinions (which I seriously doubt), never forget that what the consumer says and how they actually perform are two different things entirely.

      Immediate OTOs, up-sells, down-sells, & cross-sells are all used for one reason and one reason only: Because they work. Do I particularly enjoy being constantly asked to add fries to my order or buy some sort of exotic new drink that happens to be the new special at McDonalds? No, not particularly. But quite often I'll take them up on their offers and be quite satisfied that I did. Are they trying to extract more money out of me as their customer and therefore increase my value? Of course. But are they also providing me with a quality upsell item in the process and thus giving me legitimate value? Sure they are.

      The bottom line is that if you look at the back-ends of the top marketers in the industry, they almost always have some sort of immediate up-sell/down-sell process in place along with other strategies that include the usage of autoresponders and sometimes even call centers. This is thorough marketing, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. To disparage Mike Filsaime who is clearly one of the most respected and highest earning members of our community by inferring that he's not providing value to his customers with up-sell/down-sell offers is quite simply beyond ridiculous.

      Of course you're backend offers should always relate to items that your niche market is interested in, but to say that the only way to conduct OTOs is through the use of an autoresponder after the sale is dangerously naive... But it only becomes dangerous when passed off as advice that should be taken by others as blanket fact. Newbie marketers should be very careful about buying in to such opinions...

      Cheers.
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  • Profile picture of the author Bruce Wedding
    It looks like not ONE person posting knows the answer to the question. I see a lot of opinions, which are like... well, you know.

    I have an OTO directly under the buy button. It converts at 40-65% depending on traffic. The only correct answer to this question is to test.
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    • Profile picture of the author James Seward
      Originally Posted by Bruce Wedding View Post

      It looks like not ONE person posting knows the answer to the question. I see a lot of opinions, which are like... well, you know.

      I have an OTO directly under the buy button. It converts at 40-65% depending on traffic. The only correct answer to this question is to test.
      Hey,

      Just sharing ideas here really. I am really impressed with those figures, 40-65% with a OTO directly under the buy button. Never though of putting the OTO there so as you say, I will have to test it.

      Thanks
      James
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      • Profile picture of the author Bruce Wedding
        Originally Posted by James Seward View Post

        Hey,

        Just sharing ideas here really. I am really impressed with those figures, 40-65% with a OTO directly under the buy button. Never though of putting the OTO there so as you say, I will have to test it.
        Technically, it's an upsell. But in reality, it is a one-time offer because they choose one or the other. The point is, don't be afraid to try something right after the payment button because in my experience, it can work very well.

        Incidentally, I did this BECAUSE DLGuard wouldn't allow a membership site through Paypal to be done any other way.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mawardee(A)
    I thinks it doesn't matter with which price should be OTO.
    As long as you use it, it will work.

    Just my 2cent.
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  • Profile picture of the author Didier Faucher
    Not about OTO's, but still relevant and an interesting read:

    How to Upsell With Extended Benefits - Michel Fortin

    "Today, marketers are scrambling to find ways to increase cashflow. Some will try to find new products to sell. Others will try to drive more traffic to their existing sales pages.

    However, one area most people tend to overlook is the ability to increase their current sales by upselling their customers the moment they checkout.

    But I'm not referring to one-time offers or additional products offered in the same sales funnel. I'm talking about offering customers the ability to upgrade their purchases.

    (...)"

    http://www.michelfortin.com/upsell-extended-benefits/

    Didier
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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    I never met a OTO that was actually a OTO. I never buy them and find that as soon as you have access to the product you were actually interested in ... there it is again ... yet another opportunity to buy that OTO.
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    • Profile picture of the author DougBarger
      Originally Posted by sbucciarel View Post

      I never met a OTO that was actually a OTO. I never buy them and find that as soon as you have access to the product you were actually interested in ... there it is again ... yet another opportunity to buy that OTO.
      There are people who actually do have one time offers.

      The kind where you will NOT have the opportunity to purchase it again.

      So don't let a few who are not using them correctly cloud your judgment
      on how effective they can be as well as valuable for new subscribers and customers.

      I've made a few sales today of one of my oto's and that's because my subscribers, members and clients know when I say something is one way,
      that's the way it is.

      So don't be discouraged from what you may have seen from others,
      because as long as you stay true to your market and have integrity with your offers, your customers will appreciate it and you'll do just fine.
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      => Stay tuned...

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      • Profile picture of the author James Seward
        Originally Posted by DougBarger View Post

        There are people who actually do have one time offers.

        The kind where you will NOT have the opportunity to purchase it again.

        So don't let a few who are not using them correctly cloud your judgment
        on how effective they can be as well as valuable for new subscribers and customers.

        I've made a few sales today of one of my oto's and that's because my subscribers, members and clients know when I say something is one way,
        that's the way it is.

        So don't be discouraged from what you may have seen from others,
        because as long as you stay true to your market and have integrity with your offers, your customers will appreciate it and you'll do just fine.
        Hey Doug,

        Yeah I am really tired of people saying that they are presenting us with a OTO but it is just a simple page and far from a OTO. Technically they should be called an upsell yes.

        But well there are some people that stick with what they say and that is a good thing :p

        Best
        James
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  • Profile picture of the author Fernando Veloso
    I am lost here. I'l try to show what i have been doing:

    ----

    content...

    more content...

    Buy Button

    >>>>>> another page

    Buy this for $22

    OR

    Buy This + my membership club for $44

    ---------------------

    Is this a wrong approach?

    P.S. - Nice article from Michel Fortin
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    People make good money selling to the rich. But the rich got rich selling to the masses.
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  • Profile picture of the author AndrewStark
    I have followed the butterfly model and can tell you that if you present people with an offer just after they enter their email that you will makes sales - providing the offer is relavent and is actually a good deal for the customer.

    Even if you don't make the sale then the people joining your list will know that you're going to make offers, and this means that when they open future emails they won't be offended when you mail out with another related offer.

    As has been said a lot of answers are based on opinion, and I'm sure it depends on the market that you're targeting. I wrote a blog post about how I was delighted to be upsold by amazon as they know what I will like and put it next to the order button.

    If clickbank were to put that as part of their checkout process I'm sure all affiliates and owners would make a lot more per customer than they are at the moment.

    Finally just go out and do something rather than asking advice here, the answers all take you away from the actual tracking and testing that will make you the most money.
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  • Profile picture of the author LeeGagarin
    I've seen OTOs and I think it works but not all the time and not to all people but just to make sure you won't miss the opportunity to increase your sales let it part of your sales process. Just do it in a manner that your customers benefit from it.. it's a win win situation.
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    • Profile picture of the author Nedu
      Experience has shown that OTOs are best offered immediately JUST BEFORE a FREE report is given. As soon as subscribers opt in to your list, before they download their free report, present them with your OTO - even before the confirmation email arrives.

      It should be related to your main product/squeeze page/free report. The less investment you ask for,the more likely for the subscribers to say YES. You can use a related reoccuring offer/product.

      Upsells can be offered after email confirmation. It might not convert as well as an OTO but it wll be money left on the table - why not take the advantage of it! Your subscribers are hot and in the buying mode. Give it at a good discounted rate - more incentive to purcahse!
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