There was tremendous response to the last issue of CCM ezine. A number thought the article on using "Tie-Downs" should be posted for others to see so I desided this morning to do so.
Thanks for all the support!
Success and Regards... Mike
Basic Offers and the "Tie-Down"
by Mike Rodman
The "Offer"can be the most intimidating part of any selling process.
(Certainly so when writing copy for online offers.)
The number one reason most will fail in a sales career, is due to not
being able to "Close the sale!". The second reason is not being skilled
in "Asking for the order!". The difference you ask???
Simple! Closing the sale is self-explanatory. We've all had what I call
the "Buyer/Seller Feud". Where you tell your spouse or significant other...
"There's no way in the World that guy is going to SELL ME today!" We've
all said that a time or two, haven't we???
We've set up an invisible barrier to an outside sales force!
Heck! To this day I'll still say that when I walk onto any car lot!
Most people will stumble and fumble when it comes to effectively closing
a sale, or asking for the order in person. But what about "Closing"
online??? What about asking for the order online??? Can a person not
skilled in closing face-to-face have success online??? They most
certainly can!
The online close can best be described as a "Self-closing" technique.
You must be able to get the prospect to "ask themselves" the key
questions since you're not there. To do this, simply place a "tie-down"
at the end - or beginning - of your statements. I used one three
paragraphs above.
The line above is, "We've all said that at a time or two, haven't we?"
"Haven't we?' is the tie-down placed at the end of the statement, but it
can also be placed at the beginning of the sentence, "Haven't we all
said that a time or two?".
Although I personally prefer using tie-downs at the end of a statement,
I will often throw a few into the front of a statement to break up the use,
and to somewhat disguise the technique.
Other tie-down phrases include:
Don't you
Wouldn't you
Couldn't you
Shouldn't you
Isn't that right
Doesn't it
Will you
Won't you
Come up with a few of your own and practice them at home during
regular conversations. If you want to stir up your spouse repeat this at
the dinner table, "You wouldn't mind passing me the salt, would you?",
"This Pot Roast is delectable, isn't it?" "Please hand me the gravy will you?"
Halfway through dinner my wife told me, "KNOCK OFF that tie-down
cr@p I'm not one of your clients!" Now I know why she's my ex!
But I'll
still use tie-downs every day - and they get easier and deadlier with time!
Tie-downs will force the prospect to answer a question mentally, without
realizing it. While they are reading your copy they are in a process of
"self-closing" themselves.
There isn't a salesman standing in front of them being "pushy, is there?
It's only the prospect and their monitor! All you are doing, as an effective
writer of sales copy, is leading them along a path which they can step
off of at anytime, right? (Tie-down!)
There is NO outside pressure on the prospect, is there??? (Oops! Another tie-down!)
So instead of blaring out a headline like "BECOME A SUCCESS", try
getting inside their head with, "You do want to become a success, don't
you?"
Instead of shouting out "MAKE $100,000.00 A YEAR SELLING EBOOKS!!!".
Be subtle, seductive and deadly with, "Making $100,000.00 a year would
interest you, wouldn't it?"
The reverse would be, "Wouldn't making $100,000.00 a year be of
interest to you?"
Another tie-down which could be used is, "Making $100,000 a year is
intriguing, isn't it?"
It can be reversed as well with, "Isn't making a $100,000.00 a year
intriguing?"
Now, overuse of this technique - like the overuse of anything - will kill
the effect.
Take a look at my subscription site
http://www.CrashCourseMarketing.com
and count the "tie-downs" which force the prospect to convince themselves
to subscribe.
Even though there are many places where tie-downs could have been
used, I opted not to. Instead, place them at "key spots" within your copy.
It's a deadly technique! Use it wisely. (You will use it wisely, won't you???)
Success and Regards... Mike
P.S. I'll describe an additional area of the basic offer in the next issue.
Hope you enjoyed it!
Success and Regards... Mike