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Copyright (c) 2009-2015 by Bruce Carlson
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.
About the author:
Web writing coach Bruce Carlson would like to help you build
your Web business with the right words. Sign up for his free
Dynamic Copywriting tips at
http://www.dynamic-copywriting.com/news
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