Apple ad: Designed by Apple in California by Christian Zibreg
Sales. Simply saying the word is likely to evoke some sort of emotion. Maybe it gives you a flashback of that time you had to deal with a slimy salesman. Maybe it makes you think of negative words like: pushy, money hungry, or aggressive.
More times than not, the gut reaction isn’t a positive one. But, it doesn’t have to be that way— and in fact, it shouldn’t be that way. It’s time to ditch the sales jargon and replace it with a love letter to your prospective clients.
Yes, you read that right—a love letter. And in this love letter, you must do three things:
- Focus on your customers' needs and desires
- Convey a sense of understanding and compassion for the pain they are experiencing
- Clearly demonstrate how your product or service helps solve their problem
Your industry will dictate the tone of your sales page. Business to Business (B2B) sites typically take a more serious tone, while Business to Consumer (B2C) sites are often friendlier and conversational. Regardless, the “heart-centered” approach to writing the content is the same. It’s all about sharing your truth in a way that resonates and connects with your audience, making them feel understood and loved.
7 sections of a sales love letter you can’t live without
Headline and subheadline
Arguably the most important words on the page, the headline must grab the reader’s attention, address their need, and draw them in to keep reading.
Here are some questions to ponder when brainstorming headline ideas: What’s the problem you are solving? Why does the problem exist? How does your product or service solve that problem?
Lay it all on the line. Create clear, straightforward headlines that communicate and inform the reader about what’s to come.
Features
Features are the facts about your product or service. This is where you spell out exactly what your customer is getting (the specifics) when they make a purchase. Clarity is crucial. This can be effectively accomplished using a list format.
Apple does this extremely well. On their sales page, they have a clear section for feature comparison that leads to further information if desired.
They then clearly lay out all of the features of each of the different iPhones enabling the customer to easily understand, compare, and select the model that best suits their needs.
Benefits
This is where you focus on the results your customer will experience after utilizing your product or service. Will they save time? Be less stressed? More comfortable? Call these items out and tell a story that connects with them on an emotional level.
Keep in mind that the benefits section of the sales page complements the features section. The two always go hand-in-hand. If you’re struggling to determine the benefits, look at your list of features, and for each one, finish the sentence, “This feature helps you by…” This is a great starting point to identify the key elements of your story.
It’s all comes down to identifying what moves your clients and tapping into their emotions.
Apple does a stellar job of that with this video. They play into the overall experience and feeling users can expect when purchasing an iphone. It’s these feelings that are going to drive your sales.
Overcoming objections
Effectively overcoming objections involves careful listening skills. Make sure you truly understand the obstacles your prospects are facing and what is holding them back. If you aren’t sure, ask them. Send out a survey or call past clients to pick their brain. Addressing these concerns up front can help resolve any hesitations, or at the very least open the door to invite further discussion on a potential objection.
Sticking with the iPhone example, price can be a concern to some customers. But this is addressed by offering various payment plan and insurance options. Other examples of overcoming objections can include offering a free trial period or money back guarantee. Once you identify what matters most to your customers, you can decide the best way to reassure them, overcome objections, and move toward making the sale.
Social proof
Testimonials are one of the most persuasive forms of social proof you can use on your sales page. Whenever possible put a face to the words by including a photo next to the quote. People connect through stories, and when they can read a detailed account of how your product positively impacted someone’s life or business, they are far more likely to take action and make a purchase.
Think about all the news coverage and social posts of long lines of people anxiously awaiting.
Price
Keep it clean and simple. If you offer different pricing packages, give them distinct names, make them easy to understand, scan, and compare. On average, three to four different pricing options are more than enough. When you offer more than that, you risk confusing the prospect and losing the sale. Highlight the plan that is the most popular or offers the best value for your investment. The more direction you can provide, the easier the decision making process becomes.
Call-to-action (CTA)
Make sure you CTA is visible and utilizes action-oriented words like: Buy Now, Get Started, Join, Free Consultation, etc. Most people are skimmers, so the simpler and clearer, the better. Depending on how long your content is, you’ll want to be sure to have a CTA listed both above and below the fold of the page. The CTA should be one of the first and last things the prospect sees when visiting the Sales page, telling them exactly what you want them to do next.
Wrapping up
An effective sales page, aka love letter, captures a prospect’s attention and keeps them interested from start to finish. It focuses on the client’s needs and desires, and strategically marries product features with benefits to create an emotionally charged message that resonates and promotes action.
Go take a peek at your sales page. Does it have all of these sections? Is it written in a genuine way that centers around your customer’s raw needs and desires? If not, be sure to take the time to make edits, incorporate missing sections, and breathe life into your sales page. Your prospects will feel the difference, and you’ll watch your conversion rate go up.
Lauren Fonvielle is a copywriter, marketing maven, and storyteller extraordinaire. Lauren works with solopreneurs and small business owners to create powerful content that tells a story and resonates with readers. She specializes in writing email campaigns, sales pages, and blogs that both educate and motivate audiences to take action. Follow her on her blog to get writing tips and tricks.
