Make Them an Offer They Can't Refuse!

By Denise Hall
Posted Tuesday, December 21, 2004

Every enetrepreneur knows that the most important aspect of building a business is responsive leads. Whether you publish an ezine or just send occasional sales letters via e-mail, if you don't get a good response, you won't have a profitable business.

The old saying, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink" applies here. You can send offers to your prospects, but you can't make them buy.

So how do you turn those prospects into buyers? How do you get them to read, not just skim or delete, your ezine or sales letter?

Make them offers they just can't refuse!

Offline businesses frequently have "Buy one, get one free" specials. Or "Buy one, get one 1/2 off." Or "Today only" sales.

Online businesses need to use those same marketing principles. While the rules on the internet are a bit different than offline marketing, many of the same concepts can be applied with the same results.

How many times have you seen an item on sale that was tempting, but you wanted to think about it before handing over your money? By all means, think about it, especially if it's a large purchase. But if the special is only for "today" or "this weekend", you'll have to decide a little faster, won't you?

Have you noticed that the checkout area at stores always has candy bars, magazines and other inexpensive items on display? Those candy bars sure look good, don't they? The headline on that magazine makes you want to read the article, doesn't it?

Those items are put there on purpose so you'll buy something else while you wait in line to pay for your other purchases. It's called "impulse buying." Retailers have used it for years.

Another offline marketing tactic is "loss leaders." Retailers advertise an item at or below cost to get customers into their store. Once the customers are there, they'll normally buy more than just the advertised special.

So the retailer takes a loss on one product to sell other products that will bring profits. Pretty clever, huh?

These concepts can, and should, be used for online businesses. Offer your customers a freebie or second item at half price with their purchase of any product at regular price. Or 25% off "Today Only" on one or more of your products.

Customers like to shop for bargains, but on the internet your website, ezine or sales letter can get lost in the vast array of reading material potential customers see everyday.

Make your offer stand out. Your customers will want that candy bar if it comes with a second one for half price. They'll need your newest product if they get one of your other products for $10 off the regular price.

So dare to make them an offer they can't resist! Your customers will get a great deal and you'll have more sales.

About the Author
Denise Hall is the publisher of Home Business on a Budget Newsletter. She specializes in free and low cost tools and resources to help netreprenuers start and build their businesses on a tight budget. To subscribe to her newsletter mailto:home_business_on_a_budget@rapidreply.net or visit (http://www.home-business-on-a-budget.com)