Here’s a big “upsell mistake” I notice time and again. You see…
Copywriters spend most of their time selling products to new customers. The trick here is, “get to the point.” You hit your reader with your offer and benefits, then you immediately ask them to act.
With upsells it’s different.
Your customer has only just bought from you. Now you’re asking them to buy something else. This takes a certain amount of charm and panache. You are, after all, being quite cheeky.
You must acknowledge their previous purchase. Thank them. Tell them how clever they are, and what their purchase will do for them. Then you can explain your next product, and what makes this new offer unique.
Essentially, that’s all I did in this upsell page for Motley Fool.
Yet (last time I checked), this doubled the sales of their previous control.
Can you imagine what would happen if your repeat business doubled? Wouldn’t that make a huge difference to your business?
Previous customers are in fact the lowest hanging fruit.
My mentor Drayton Bird estimates they’re 3-8times more likely to buy than a cold prospect.
You also don’t have to rush into your offer.
You can take a bit more time gearing up to your pitch.
Somebody who’s spent money with you has – whether they realise it or not – invested in you. That means they’re willing to read more of your message than a complete stranger.
That’s why this new upsell takes longer to “get to the point.” It makes them feel good about being a customer first. It shares fascinating factoids. “Conversational currency” which they can share with friends at the pub.
Try the same in your upsells.
You will, I suspect, see a dramatic jump in your bottom-line sales.
Oh finally, a quick question: You see, I also gave you a thorough walk-through of this copy in my new book Gold Standard Copywriting: How to write breakthrough financial promotions at breakneck speed.
The other week, I sent you a copy free.
If you haven’t read this yet, you’ll find it here on the blog. This is an early draft, so I’d love to hear what you think. Do reply 🙂
