Sales Come First

Hi there, and a big welcome to all of Jim Straw’s subscribers who may be reading these posts for the first time.

Actually, I’m such a big fan of Jim’s I reproduced one of his stories here:

http://salescomefirst.com/this-is-the-1-lesson-i-ever-learnt-about-business/

If you haven’t read it, then do it. You’ll have a sparkling new clarity about the direction you’re going in business.

Also, I’ve got Jim’s mail order course. If you want to make it in mail order then get this manual. Its about $50. AND its just as applicable to online and offline businesses. Real fundamentals here folks.

OK, on to what I mentioned last week, and I guess it comes from some frustration I’m having right now writing for a client. Actually the client’s great, but the dilemna is a doozy. (I’ll tell you what I’ve done to get around it too at the end).

The client’s got the resell rights to a set of DVDs on how to make money on the internet, but I wont mention the niche. Anyway, as you probably know, one of the big challenges when you’re writing copy is PROVING the claims you make. If you can’t do it, then you’re kinda stuffed. Problem is, he doesnt really have any proof.

Now, before I go on, there are plenty of types of proof you can use. There’s written testimonials, audio testimonials, video testimonials, screen captures of bank balances, pictures of people enjoying the success they’ve had, quotes from reports and so on. But the problem is that this guy got the product, but DIDN’T get any proof from the seller.

Uh-oh, big problem here for the copywriter, because while I can make claims about what the product’s going to do for the purchaser, but I can’t really PROVE any of them.

So, that’s the first big lesson I want you to learn about buying resell rights. Make sure you’ve got all the ammo you need to sell it. And if you don’t have proof that the product works then you’re fighting with one hand tied behind your back. So if the product you’re looking at doesn’t have all the sales copy written for you, OR it doesn’t have a sales package containing evidence you can use then its best to look for a better opportunity. Of course, sometimes the seller may provide these things if you ask them, but do this BEFORE you buy.

Just be careful about using testimonials from their website. This could land you in hot water because the vendor has permission from the person who gave the testimonial to use it. YOU DON’T. So dont go and grab them.

I’ve got the rights to sell Brett McFall’s Ad Camp DVD. Now this one WORKS beautifully, because not only did it come with a sales letter all written out, but I can use the testimonials, screen shots etc from it for my own lead generation ads or sales letters to sell it. It also comes with a page of information on what I can and can’t say about Brett McFall. So in this case, I’ve got all the firepower I need to get out there and sell it. (If you want more info on this, let me know).

But this poor guy hasn’t got much, so its taken some creative thinking to get around the problem. And what I’ve done is far from perfect, but its all I can do under the circumstances.

1. I’ve got all sorts of information about the size of this market. How much money is being spent in it, how many people are involved in it etc.

2. I’ve looked through youtube and found other people telling their success stories. I’ve been able to paraphrase these, because the stories are in the public domain. I haven’t identified the people apart from their first names and have simply retold their stories. I haven’t linked to the videos.

3. There are a couple of stories that the presenter tells in the DVD, so I can retell these too. Remember, its only an outline I’m telling (for example, “The mother of 3 that Mr X taught that now turns over $25,000 a month online. Now she and her husband are living their dream of raising their children instead of leaving them in dreaded Childcare”

4. Provide proof about the market. I can prove how big the market is, how many people are making money in it and how many people are spending money in it.

OK, now I told you there was a second part to this story. That part is coming up next week but it tells you what you need to think about BEFORE committing any time or money to a business selling information related products.

Until then, all the best,

Hugh Thyer

PS If YOU’VE got any more ideas about how to provide proof of your claims without any testimonials, please let a comment. I’d love to hear from you.

<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>