Years ago I wrote emails for a very expensive article. It was a six-month leadership development program.

How did I shift my thoughts from selling a single item to this ten-subject classroom-based course? Less than you think. I had to start with five thoughts.

1. I had to explain how this program was different and better than all the others on the market. So I explained the process participants go through to complete a meaningful workplace project during the training.
2. I had to overcome the objections. So he explained how this program delivers real results and doesn’t just hand participants a sheet of paper.
3. I had to remember “people buy”, “not companies”, so I focused on human emotional needs.
4. I had to remember that there would be a lot of decision makers during the buying cycle so this was included in my emails.
5. He had to remember that decisions about expensive purchases were time consuming, so he had a series of emails and strategies designed to provide shoppers with details to help them decide to buy.

So yes, high-priced items are really different.

But sales are sales.

And the concept of my three-step sales cycle still works regardless of the item.

Build interest, overcome objections, close the sale.

Also, with a high-priced item, you will have different decision makers who have different emotional and motivational needs.

The higher the price, the more difficult it will usually be to get a quick sale or at least more steps are required.

Here are some thoughts to keep in mind.

• The long copy almost always outperforms the short copy.
• The more you say, the better your chances of a sale.
• Of course, you can’t bore your potential customer in a sale, so stick to proven formulas.

Need help getting started in 2018?

Use this simple email marketing tool to help you decide what you want to say in your emails. It will help you to list your emails in a logical sequence.

This diagram has two purposes:

1. It helps you build your case without sending meaningless emails.
2. It allows you to hit different emotions and trigger points of prospects.

If you’ve read this far, I suppose you’re saying, “Yeah, it’s easy for you!”

And you would be right, as I have spent over ten years mastering my email marketing skills.

But this does not mean that you cannot try.

So here are some more tips.

Don’t ignore former potential customers, especially if the item you offered was expensive. It is very likely that they have not done anything yet and the opportunity is still there. Old prospects are generally more interested in what you have to say than they are in an entirely new prospect.

Likewise, it’s easier to re-sell to customers (people who have bought from you before), so don’t ignore them either.

Believe in yourself

Kurt

Business coach, mentor, trainer and author