Here’s a personal story I think you will appreciate (I’ll explain why in a second):
Today I walked up the hill to the local tourist attraction. A couple was dragging behind me.
When I got to the entrance, a guard popped out, blocking my way.
“Where are you from?” he asked with a scowl.
I told him — a neighboring country.
“And where are they from?” He nodded towards the couple.
“Russians, I guess.”
“All right,” he said, “hold on a moment.”
The upshot is, the Russians got in first, paying 5 euro each for the privilege. I had to wait a minute while the guard talked to me about the political and economic crisis in his country. And then he let me in for free.
I was chuffed by this experience. I kept replaying it as I climbed up to the fortress at top of the hill… and then all the way back down.
“I got in for free,” I chuckled to myself, “while the Russians had to pay!”
Maybe you see where I’m going with this.
It’s not just that I managed to save 5 euro. That part is nice, but the fact is, I can afford 5 euro. Instead, I was pleased because I was somehow chosen, selected, and approved.
Jay Abraham and Tony Robbins do this in their programs.
“You are very special,” they effectively say. “How do I know? Because you bought this course… which tells me you care more about success than most of your peers. Because you listened this far… which shows you’ve got the determination to improve and succeed.”
You can use this same approach in your sales copy as well. And I’m not just talking about the lazy argument you’ll often hear at the end of a VSL. (“You’ve watched this far, so you must want this product… so click the Buy Now button.”)
No, I’m talking about everything you can conclude about your prospect. Bring these things up, and use them to explicitly compliment or flatter. Make your prospect feel special, as though these reasons are what make him or her perfect for your offer.
For example, what do I know about you?
I know you’re not satisfied with surface-level ideas, and you want something deeper. Otherwise you wouldn’t have done the research needed to dig up my blog.
I also know you’re a reader. This gives you a big advantage in today’s world, where most everyone needs information served up in fluffy, less dense formats.
Finally, I imagine you resonate with the stories and examples I use to illustrate these marketing lessons. This tells me you’ve got a great sense of humor and a refined taste.
And for all of these reasons, I think maybe you will like to subscribe to my email newsletter. It’s where I talk about marketing and persuasion, and sometimes even give demonstrations of the techniques I talk about. In case you are interested, here’s where to go.