The Secret to Sell Your Products Online

 

 

Products People Want to Buy

If you’re reading this post I know that somehow you made the big decision to start your own business and you wanted to sell your products online.

Your business was probably based on the fact that this was something you knew how to do and you could do really well. So you got your ideas together, ordered some business cards and set up shop.

And then came that moment where you realized you needed to start marketing your business. You pulled out a piece of paper, wrote out 2-3 really cool things about why your stuff is great and said, “Yep, there ya go. Marketing message done.”

You told all your friends, set up a Facebook page, did a couple posts or if you had some money in your marketing budget, maybe even ran a few ads on Facebook.

Marketing campaign, done. Checked that one off your list, right?

That’s not the way this works

Having spent way too many years working with small businesses on their marketing plans, I would bet you one month’s revenue that your marketing plan didn’t work.

I feel so confident that I’m going to win this bet — so let me tell you why your plan didn’t work:

I bet you just spent an awful lot of your budget and time on a campaign about your product’s features and not its benefits.

Don’t be upset about wasting the time or money – we’ve all done it. It’s called the expensive lessons gained from ‘shoot first then aim.’

But today is a new day and we’re moving forward with your new way to manage your social media marketing.

Let me show you how to turn that marketing plan around so that you start seeing an increase in your engagement on your social sites. It’s a simple process to show you how to focus on your program or product’s benefits not just the basic “Hey look how cool my stuff is” features.

Once you start doing this, your future marketing efforts will connect you to more customers and increase your site traffic.

The secret to get people to buy your stuff

Despite the all that cool detailed information you’ve added to your social posts, people are not signing up for your offers, not engaging with your tweets or commenting on your Instagram posts and just a few are actually clicking on your links.

Does this sound familiar?

I’m going to share with you one of the biggest marketing secrets to make more sales: When you focus on the features of your programs or products, your marketing efforts won’t work.

It’s really just that simple.

Most business owners assume your customers will understand why they should buy your stuff just because they’ve been told about what you’re selling. I mean, why else would they hit the Like button on your Facebook page? Of course, they want to buy from you, right?

Wrong.

All you’re doing is telling them about what your stuff does. You’re not telling them how your products can help them – help them save time, help them save money or help them feel less overwhelmed { or frustrated or confused or fill in the blank }.

You’re just telling them about your program’s features and not how you’re giving them a solution to solve their problems.

Features vs Benefits: What’s the difference and why this matters

To put it simply, a feature is a statement about your program or product. If you were to complete the About Our Products/Program in your website, what would you put in the descriptive section?

If you sell a product, you would describe its size, color and something unique about the product like the fact it’s energy efficient or costs less than $20.

To promote your program, you’d use phrases like ‘I’m a 20 year veteran in the marketing industry,’ ‘I’ve managed email campaigns for a Fortune 500 company’ or ‘We’re a family-owned business since 1970.’

Unless you’ve skewed the facts to make your business look better, all of these things could be proven as factual statements about your products and programs.

This is where most people lose their way. Most entrepreneurs and bloggers confuse the list of their product’s facts with benefits.

To find out your program or product’s benefits, you’ll need to answer this question, “What’s in it for my customers?” How does this benefit and help your customers solve their issues or concerns?

Let’s look at these examples:

People don’t hire a business coach because of the knowledge this person has about the problems in their business { feature } – they hire a coach because it saves them the time to research the information, try out the programs or test what works and what doesn’t.

The business coach has been there and can save the business owner the valuable time and a better direction to help them grow their business  { benefit }.

People don’t buy an email list building program { feature } – they buy an easy to follow process that will help them reach more customers who are interested in their programs and products { benefit }.

People don’t buy a car with special anti-lock brakes that stops itself { feature } – they buy a car with the technology that can brake for you when you’re distracted or warn you if you are getting tired {benefit }.

How to Feature your Benefits

Take some time to work through these questions to figure out your program’s and product’s benefits.

Your answers will help you get a better understanding of how to answer your customer’s question, “What’s in it for me?”

1. Name five (5) or more features: Factual statement about your products and programs.
2. Name five (5) or more benefits: Answer the question, what’s in it for my customer?

If you need some help answering that question, try breaking it down even further with these:

• Does my product make my customer’s life easier?
• Will my service help them do something quicker?
• Does my stuff give them more value for less cost than the others?

You want your customers know that you’re not just some company they can switch out with the next one who comes along with a cheaper version of your stuff. You want them to know how your products and programs can help them make their worlds flow easier.
3. Think about your ideal customer – the one who emails you or engages with you in your social sites

• What are the key issues, problems or concerns keeping them awake at night? There’s a ton of conversations happening in your social sites – like Facebook Groups, Twitter and even the posts with your Facebook friends – that can help you learn more about what your customers are talking about and trying to solve.

• What words or phrases do they use when they describe their problems?

• How can your product or program solve this problem for them?

• What type of support or solution are they looking for when they contact your business?

 

Now pull all your answers together to finish the following sentence:

My <product or program> will help my customers solve <problem> because it does <solution>.

And hello … here’s the foundation of your marketing message!

People don’t want to buy your product or programs. They want to buy solutions for their problems. They want to know how your benefits can provide them with a specific outcome to make their lives easier.

Keep asking yourself the question, “What’s in it for my customers?” until you find the answers where you connect with your customers on an emotional level.

Only then can your products and services turn from just something they need into something they want. And most likely, they’ll pay whatever it takes to get this thing they want because you’ve shown them that it’s the solution to their problems.

Soon, you’ll realize that you’ll know your customer so well that you’ll start giving them what they want even before they ask for it.

 

 

Are you spending hours online and not seeing results?

Get my FREE step-by-step process to the answer to your questions about how to stop wasting your time on social media. The Social Biz Builder ecourse will give you simple easy to follow action steps to give you clarity with your social media strategy help you find your focus to stop wasting your time online – and find the right customers who are looking for what you’re selling.