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How to Sell Online | Online Selling Techniques

Do you have the sales skills you need to effectively sell your
product(s) or service(s) on the Net? As with any business venture, if
you don't know how to close a sale, you're not going to generate much
income.

The selling process starts with your Website, which is, in effect, a sales presentation. Who wrote the copy for your Website? If you did, do you know how to write effective direct response copy? (Copy that elicits a specific response, such as placing an order, from your prospect.) Or, if your Website designer prepared the copy, does he/she have good sales presentation skills?

The fact is, a large number of Websites owned by small businesses and professional practitioners have weak sales presentations. They are missing two basic elements, which we will talk about here: 1) benefits-oriented copy and 2) a strong call to action.

Benefits, Benefits, Benefits<<<
There are two ways to describe a product or service. One is to focus
on features, the other is to point out the benefits. Can you see the
difference between these two statements:
#1. Our widget has four large thing-a-ma-bobs.
#2. Four large, easy-to-use thing-a-ma-bobs on our
new time-saving widget will increase your profits.

Statement #1 focuses on features, #2 on benefits. Which do you think has a stronger sales effect?

Copy should always answer a basic question for your viewers -- what's in it for me?" If prospects can't relate your product or service to their needs -- emotional and otherwise -- then you will never make a sale.

Look at the copy on your site. How often do you use the word "we," and how often does the word "you" appear? "You" is a selling, benefits word. "We" is usually a features word -- unless it is closely followed by "you." The word "you" should appear often in your copy.

Copy also needs to have dynamic words, especially adjectives, that sell. Include words such as free, easy, new, time-saving, innovative, exciting, appealing, tasty, unique, incredible. Good word pictures are important -- people need to see your product or service in use in their mind's eye.

Exercise: Review the copy on your site and change it from features to benefits- oriented copy. This may seem difficult at first, but it's worth the effort. Good salespeople always think in terms of benefits because that's what makes sales.

To get ideas, read all the so-called junk mail that you receive as well as mail-order catalogs from successful companies such as Lillian Vernon, Land's End, Eddie Bauer, etc. You can also examine their Websites. I like Land's End at <http://www.landsend.com. The home page is filled with calls to action and benefits. The product descriptions are artful -- very dynamic and enticing.

Resource: "Words That Sell : A Thesaurus to Help Promote Your Products, Services, and Ideas" by Richard Bayan / Paperback. Available from Amazon.com for $11.96. <http://www.amazon.com.

What's Your Call to Action?<<<

Once you present your product or service, what do you ask people to do? Too many Websites only have a button with the words "Contact Us" that goes to a page with a telephone number and other contact information. Usually there is a mailto link. The suggestion "Contact Us" isn't strong enough.

If you want people to contact you -- rather than buy something or make an appointment -- be specific. For example, "Need more information? Call us at 888-123-1234 or send e-mail to information@yourdomain.com. (link) "

If you are selling a product and you have a shopping cart, be sure something says, "Add to Cart" or, as they do at Land's End, "Buy." If you don't use a cart, I suggest a link that says, "For ordering options, click here" or "Find out how to order our widgit now!" (This would be a link.)

The page with ordering options should clearly state how people can order your product. Language should be clear and direct. Don't say, "Please fill out our order form." Instead, say "Use our secure order form." Make this a link to your form.

At the end of every page on your site, have a call-to-action -- and make it something more than "Contact Us." If I don't have anything else, I'll use a click-Go link box that says "Choose a Location." On the selection list will be often be an action such as "Ask a Question" or "Order Now."

Exercise:<<<

Write a signature for your e-mail that contains a benefits statement and a call to action. Every piece of e-mail you send can be a sales presentation.

Limit signatures to 6 lines with no more than 65 characters per line. Always include the http:// with your URL because many e-mail programs turn full URLs into hot links. Use brackets < around the URL to separate from punctuation.
Use phrases such as
Visit our site at http://www.yourdomain.com
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Find out how you can benefit from Most e-mail programs let you have at least one standard signature.
In Eudora Pro, you can have a selection of them.

Here are some examples of effective signatures:

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