Indifference. Silence. No response at all.
The reason we don’t write our sales pages is not because we’re afraid people will say no. It’s because we’re afraid of nothing.
We’re afraid of nothing, so we do nothing.
Aha! See? Just as we suspected.
How could anything we say make people care? Even the President can’t get everyone to take action, and he gets his own speechwriters.
It sounds like we could all use a mad libs sales page pep talk.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Print this post.
2. Fill in the blanks with phrases or words.
3. Paste phrases and words into place in the pep talk below.
Fill in the blanks.
1. Name of your boss at the worst job you’ve ever had.
_____________________ (WORST BOSS)
2. Your favorite ice cream flavor?
____________ (ICE CREAM)
3. The top reason people you want to work with say they don’t want to work with you right now.
_________________________________________ (OBJECTION)
4. The name of one of your favorite clients.
_____________ (FAVORITE CLIENT)
5. The nicest thing your favorite client ever said about you.
_________________________________________ (TESTIMONIAL)
6. The best outcome you’ve ever created for a client (or can imagine creating).
_________________________________________ (BENEFIT)
7. What’s your current title?
______________________ (CURRENT JOB TITLE)
8. What’s your name?
_____________________ (YOUR NAME)
9. What’s a big problem people are having when they come to you?
_________________________________________ (PROBLEM)
10. What’s the tiniest next step the perfect client could take?
____________________________ (OFFER)
MAD LIBS SALES PAGE PEP TALK
(Strong enough for a hockey team, made for a business.)
Remember the time I worked for _____________________? (WORST BOSS)
I’m not that person anymore.
If only _____________________ (WORST BOSS) could see me now!
The way I felt then probably wasn’t all about that job, although the job didn’t help.
I’m a different person in all sorts of ways. And I’m not such a total ____________ (ICE CREAM) anymore.
If I’m afraid writing this sales page, risking indifference and humiliation, would put me right back there again, to the way I felt working for _____________________, (WORST BOSS) that’s an understandable fear.
Listen, me, I get it.
It’s not like people haven’t told us _________________________________________. (OBJECTION) That hurt a little. But at least that was a somewhat legitimate objection. I’m even more afraid of people just not caring.
The good news is I’m already living in Indifference Land. Hey! We’re here.
But perhaps Everyone-Will-Love-This Land is closer to reality than I think.
People do want this.
They may not know they want this—because they don’t know about it yet—but I know it will help them.
And they want help because they have said as much. Like when _____________ (FAVORITE CLIENT) said, “_________________________________________.” (TESTIMONIAL)
(Do you really think _________________________________________ (BENEFIT) was a fluke? I don’t.)
It is not my job to sell this to them.
And even if it was my job to sell this to them, it still wouldn’t be as bad as _____________________ (WORST BOSS) telling me what to do.
I just tell them about how it can help them, like when _________________________________________. (BENEFIT)
They have a few objections, probably. Like _________________________________________, (OBJECTION) for starters.
I know, I know. I will address those objections to the best of my abilities. But I’m not going to fall over myself trying to persuade them. If they want it, they want it. If they’re not ready to take action right now, that’s okay, too. It just means they’re not ready right now. They might be in the future.
My goal in writing this sales page is not to get a 100% conversion rate.
And I don’t have to entice millions of people. Just the people who already like me and are willing to talk about me to their friends and colleagues.
(Even if I get zero conversion, that’s just zero conversion right now. Things can always change. Besides, at least I’m a ______________________ (CURRENT JOB TITLE) working for _____________________, (YOUR NAME) instead of for _____________________. (WORST BOSS)
My goal is for the people who are ready to make a change to see that and feel inspired to make that change with me.
It is to sell well and honestly, in a way that suits me.
Really, this is about solving problems like _________________________________________. (PROBLEM)
If even .000001% of the people who had _________________________________________ (PROBLEM) knew about my service or product, I’d be doing just fine.Better than fine.
The sales page is the invitation.
I hope after all this time the people who know me are ready to come to my party, or to invite their friends. Will you ____________________________? (OFFER)
Let’s see what happens when I invite them!
Even if I don’t get the outcome I’m hoping for, I know the process will be useful.I’ll learn something new about what makes people say yes—or not.
I also like how this is cumulative. My product or service may not be right for some people, but that doesn’t mean they’re not waiting, wishing, hoping for a different offer to come along.
I’ll keep trying until I get it right. Or, I could ask them. Starting with _____________. (FAVORITE CLIENT)
Oh, look! There _____________ (FAVORITE CLIENT) is now, smelling just like ____________! (ICE CREAM)