Despite what many marketers have been led to believe, the biggest reason for failure and struggle online is NOT due to a lack of marketing know-how, missing technology components, outdated tactical marketing methods, or a misunderstanding of sound marketing strategy.
Sure, in many cases one or more of those things certainly contribute to a lot of struggle and frustration online. However, it’s my belief that none of those are the biggest cause.
Most marketers fail at creating profitable marketing funnels and campaigns simply because they underestimate the task at hand when it comes to persuading prospects and making the sale online. I see it from new clients all the time.
Lots think if they simply have a lead generation webpage, have a sales letter, sales video or series of sales videos, and make an offer, they should be able to make sales and acquire new customers. But, when they experience little success, if any, they often immediately look to newer, slicker marketing tactics or whiz-bang technology “solutions”.
Really, what’s going on… is… they simply don’t recognize the difficulty of the task at hand when it comes to persuading prospects to whip out their wallets and buy.
Today, in late 2012, prospects are more skeptical and have more fears than ever before.
Prospects are significantly afraid of:
- Making another poor buying decision…
- Being manipulated by another “sales person”…
- Being forced out of their comfort zone…
- Losing “hard-earned” money and time…
- Buying into hyped-up “bogus” product claims…
- Looking like a fool in front of their family and friends…
- Not possessing the ability or skills necessary to reap the promised benefits…
- Being disappointed once again by another inadequate product!
And, to not take that full weight of this skepticism and fear to heart when thinking through and creating your marketing funnels and campaigns is a MONSTER MISTAKE.
As a marketer, you always need to remind yourself of the magnitude of the mental baggage and low perspective prospects bring to the table when engaging with your marketing communications.
Don’t ever assume the persuasion process will be… or should be… an easy task. It’s not.
To assuage your prospects’ fear and skepticism, you must establish significant trust and credibility, provide a preponderance of proof for all claims, and present a truly irresistible and superior offer.
The process of doing so, begins with a deep, intimate understanding of your prospects’ fears and concerns. Hence, the need for extensive marketplace research.
As well, you need to analyze and understand your prospects level of awareness and sophistication as it relates to competitors and their marketing, you, your company, your product, and your offer.
Next, you need to ensure, throughout your marketing funnel, you’re establishing trust with prospects, and not doing or saying anything to take away from that trust (i.e. coming off like a sales person, seeming desperate to make the sale, making wild unsubstantiated claims, not providing adequate value, etc.).
In line with building trust, you need to ensure you’re establishing and maintaining credibility throughout your entire marketing funnel. Below are some of the ways this can be done:
- Qualifications/Credentials
- Experience/Track Record
- Case Studies/Testimonials (varied & bulk)
- Demonstrating results
- Media/Prestigious Publications
- Real/Borrowed Association
- Accomplishments (they would like to equal)
- Sufficient Adversity overcome
- Respected Endorsements
- Giving Results In Advance
- Scientific Language
- Proprietary Language
Next, when making any claim, promise or stating any benefit your product or service can deliver, you must provide at least one proof element, if not many. The more the better. (I teach clients over 11 different proof elements to use. And, to use as many as possible throughout their funnels.)
Not proving ample proof for every point simply leaves your prospects open to dismiss what you’ve presented as simple marketing speak and advertising talk.
Finally, once your marketing funnel has effectively established belief with all the points your prospect needs to believe to desire your product or service, and you’ve powerfully presented your product or service, you need to present prospects with a truly superior offer. This is critical.
The offer is the second most critical factor in any marketing campaign… second to just the list of people you’re speaking with… and more important than the copy, benefits, big idea, promises, etc.
So, you need to make sure your offer is far superior to what competitors are offering prospects. And, is so irresistible, it’s a no-brainer.
Remember, today prospects are incredibly skeptical. And, have lots of fears.
Your job is to show them why they need not be skeptical of you. Or have those fears as it relates to your product and offer.
Don’t ever… ever… underestimate this task.
