How to sell your free offer and why you need to do this
Ever wonder why not everyone jumps to get your free ebook or software download?
A way to get prospects to say “yes” to your free offers
There’s a reason people say no to your free ebook or software downloads and a way to overcome it.
On Saturday, April 13th, 2019 aviation history was made. It wasn’t a faster plane. It wasn’t a higher flying aircraft. It wasn’t even a new space vehicle. It was simply an airplane that was larger than any other in history. Its name is Stratolaunch. With a wingspan of 385 feet, it’s wider than a football field is long.
But why build such a massive aircraft?
The answer is to send rockets into space much more quickly than we can at present. A typical rocket can take months or even years of preparation before launch. Stratolaunch will be able to launch a satellite into orbit in less than 24 hours.
The massive time and preparation for a rocket launch is a cost few people consider. This has parallels to when we give out a free offer, we often fail to recognize the costs that our audience may perceive. And not dealing with these costs can cause our free offer to fail to launch.
Let me give you an example. Let’s say you meet someone at a networking event who has written a 50-page ebook and will give you access to it in exchange for signing up to his newsletter.
Do you jump at the chance for a free ebook? Or do you have some questions?
What is this ebook about? Why would I need it? What’s this newsletter I’ll be subscribing to? Can I unsubscribe if I don’t like what you send me? Will I hurt your feelings if I unsubscribe? What if I never read your emails, will you hold it against me?
You might think that these questions sound like they come from a worry-wart.
But these are actually the questions that rapidly run through many of our minds in this kind of situation. Fortunately, you can answer every single one of them when you make your free offer. I’ll show you how with an example.
After a presentation, you can make an offer by bringing up a problem:
I’ve given you three powerful ideas that can help you boost your sales this year. However, this leaves us with a problem. It’s hard to remember everything you’ve been taught just when you need it. And even if you took notes, they may not be as organized as would be most effective for learning and implementation.
Fortunately, I’ve created a document that includes all the main points and all the stories and examples in great detail. You can get it by filling out the form under your seats which asks for your email address. Fill out the form and give it to me and I’ll email you the notes and add you to my newsletter. The newsletter is sent out once a week and chock full of insights about how to improve your sales. You can unsubscribe if you don’t like it and I won’t hold it against you. I’m totally used to that.
Notice how this answers all of the questions above.
Why get the notes? Because you may forget.
What’s in the newsletter? Tips on increasing sales.
Will you hate me if I unsubscribe? No, I’m used to that.
With these questions answered, you would be much more at ease saying yes to this person’s offer. And when you answer them for your prospects, they’ll be more likely to say yes to you as well.
The same principle applies when you’re offering a free report on your website or a software download or a trial of an online membership. You list all the questions your prospect may have and then answer them on the page detailing the free offer.
Summary
If you want prospects to sign up for your free offer, they may balk unless their hidden questions are answered. So be prepared to give them the information they want.
When you do, they’ll be more likely to accept your gifts and become your customers or clients. Then you can watch your free offers take off like a rocket released from an airplane at 35,000 feet.