One of the more difficult things for inexperienced copywriters
seems to be how to deal with possible objections that a prospect
might have about a product or service.
It can be hard to make the leap into your prospect's mind like
that...
And so, the objections sometimes just don't get dealt with in the
copy.
Which means you lose sales.
In this short article, I'd like to show you a simple technique for
dealing with your prospect's objections. Using this method will
clear the way for you to start making a lot more sales with your
Web copy.
1. Make A Nice Big List
Before you even begin to write your copy (including your headline
or lead copy or bullets), sit down and write out a list of ALL the
possible objections your prospect could have about the product or
service you're pitching.
Every single one of them...and then some.
Get silly about it. Come up with far-fetched and off-the-wall objections.
Brainstorm like crazy. Get your friends and family involved. Turn it
into a game. The more outside help you can bring in the better.
You see, it's really easy to develop a kind of "tunnel vision" when
you're writing, especially when it's your own product you're dealing with.
This means you lose your objectivity. And when you lose your objectivity,
you lose sight of your prospect's core emotions.
Which can cause you to lose sight of the real reason they want your
product.
So start by making an exhaustive list. And do your best to get outside of
yourself and become more objective. Bringing in outside help will make
this easier.
2. Prioritize Your List
Once you have an exhaustive list, you'll need to take a look at which of
your prospect's objections carry the most weight. The weightier objections
should be at the top of your list, with minor and less vital ones below them.
An example of a heavy-duty objection might be that it's too expensive,
especially if your product or service costs substantially more than your
competitors' versions. You'll have to come up with a pretty strong argument
about value, and show some clear examples of what they get when they buy, in
order to deal with this one.
Another weighty example might be the believability factor. Particularly if you
don't have testimonials clearly interspersed in your copy or else overflowing
on a separate page with a clear link to them.
As far as lesser objections go, depending on what your product or service is, you
might be faced with things like the fact that your service isn't delivered on-site,
or that your packaging isn't "hot" Madison Avenue style or that your color selection
isn't wide enough.
Keep your list at hand the entire time you're writing your sales copy. Refer to it
often, and see if you can come up with a way to either directly or indirectly address
each and every objection on your list, starting with the most important ones.
3. The "FAQ Approach"
If you can smoothly and effortlessly answer your prospect's objections within your
sales pitch, then more power to you. But those major objections I mentioned above
sometimes require a little extra fire power in order to be laid to rest.
One way that's very effective for really singling out specific objections, and which
some very good Web copywriters (Lorrie Morgen-Ferrero, Paul Myers, and Charlie
Page come to mind) use well, is what I call the "FAQ approach".
This is where you put your prospect's possible objections in the form of a question
right smack dab in the middle of the copy (But Can't I Get It Cheaper At Wal-Mart?).
You then follow up with your answer right there (Yes, you can, but you won't get the
hand-stitched quality, the designer fashion look, and the 1-year guarantee).
How you present them is up to you. Different copywriters have different styles. I like to
list the questions as separate sub-headlines, especially if they're really heavy, followed
by the answer. If they're not quite so heavy, I'll just use bold-faced type for them within
the body of the copy followed by my reply.
If you want, you can even use an actual FAQ section right in your sales letter and it works
very nicely.
**Take Your Prospect By The Hand And Lead Them To The Sale**
Remember, your prospect needs to be taken by the hand and led carefully through your
pitch and onto the sale.
By being clear and keeping things simple concerning their objections, you have a much
better chance of leading them down that rosy path to the order form. By dealing straightforwardly
and effectively with every possible objection they might have, you reassure them.
Which builds trust. And which, in turn, leads to more sales.
So try out my advice the next time you write sales copy for your Website. Make a prioritized list
and deal clearly with each objection, using the FAQ approach. You'll see better numbers for your
efforts.
Copyright (c) 2006 by Bruce Carlson
