This was originally going to be a chapter in my upcoming eBook.
However, I’ve decided to turn it into an article instead.
It’s something I see a lot of up and coming entrepreneurs struggle with.
Somewhere along the line, someone may have convinced you that we live in an “equal” world.
That things are always fair and you’re rewarded 100% for anything you do or give.
Well…
That’s far from the truth, my friend.
The reality is that humans are selfish by nature.
Not only are they selfish, but they are filled with concerns and fears.
Don’t believe me?
Read the classic book The Selfish Gene and you’ll change your mind.
So what does this have to do with you and your website?
Eventually, if you’re on the same path as me, you’ll be creating an eBook or some sort of downloadable product for your audience.
However, creating that product is the easy part.
Well, actually it’s not, but it isn’t the hardest, that’s for sure.
The hard part is convincing people who are selfish, concerned, and fearful to trust and buy from you.
At the end of the day, when you’re selling a product online, it’s a lot harder than in person.
On the internet, it’s you negotiating with a computer.
And my guess is that before you pull out your credit card, you want to feel safe about your investment.
There’s so much to worry about online these days.
Will this website deliver on its promises?
Can I trust them with my credit card information?
Who the hell is this person offering me this book/product?
Whoa!
Those are some heavy questions.
People want to make sure they’re actually getting their money’s worth.
And when I say money’s worth, I don’t mean that they’re paying $10 and getting $10 of value.
People want way more value than what they’re paying for when it comes to buying online.
You see, $10 worth of information would be equivalent to ONE chapter of a book (If it’s a good book).
However, no one is going to pay that amount for such little content.
They’re too selfish for that.
They don’t see it as a “good investment” even if that one chapter will solve a problem which would’ve inevitably cost them years and WAY more money to figure out on their own.
Do you understand what I mean?
No?
Don’t worry, I’ll explain below.
My $100 for Your $10
So this is what it comes down to:
If you want to do well online, get over the thought that people owe you anything.
“Well I spent many months on this eBook and I’m teaching people so many things that I worked very hard to learn, there’s no way I’m selling it for less than what it’s worth!”
If this is your mindset, I have bad news for you, my friend…
You’re going to fail.
The reality is that people do NOT care how hard you worked.
Sure, they’ll admire you (maybe) but they don’t care!
If I write an eBook that contains $100 worth of information, I have to settle for selling it for $10.
Does it sound fair?
NO.
Does it matter what’s fair or not?
Not when you’re asking someone to buy something from you.
Makes sense?
The proper mindset is:
“I’m going to create an amazing product worth $100 and demand only $10 in return.”
If you can convince people they’re getting MORE value than what they’re paying for, their credit cards will fly out their wallets.
Again, people are selfish by nature.
You want to sell your product?
Make it as perfect as possible and put a price tag on it that’s too good to say no to.
But…
That’s not the only step.
“Yeah, sure, this product sounds great but how do I know it isn’t just the marketing that’s good? How do I know what’s inside will really help me out?”
Keep in mind that the internet is FLOODED with eBooks and other downloadable products.
People have caught on to the marketing gimmicks and know that 99% of the stuff offered for sale contains no value.
So how do you make people feel secure about purchasing your product?
Allow me to satisfy your curiosity.
Giving Them Proof
OK, so your product sounds amazing, but how do I know I can trust you?
Give away FREE information potential buyers can apply and get results from immediately.
Look…
If you come to me and give me something FREE which I apply and get results from, how likely do you think I am to pay for the information you actually charge for?
For example, read my article 3 Secret Steps I Follow to Make Money With Niche Websites.
Anyone who reads that article and applies what they learn, WILL MAKE MONEY!
Did I charge a single penny for that information?
NO.
I could have easily turned that knowledge into a short guide and put it up for sale on my blog.
But I didn’t, I know better.
Do you know how many eBooks are available online that people buy and don’t learn anything from?
Thousands!
But then I come along and give something FREE that makes you money.
What do you think happens when people start making money from the free information I gave them?
“Man, if the information you’re giving away is making me money, how valuable is the information you’re charging me for?
And that’s business, my friend.
That’s what it’s all about!
Giving people a little proof so they feel safe before buying from you and know that you genuinely care about helping them.
The problem?
Most people don’t want to offer any value before asking the customer for money.
“No, give me the money first and then I’ll give you the good stuff!”
And that’s why so many people fail online, they have the wrong mindset.
Before you even think about making a single dollar online, you have to give away MASSIVE value.
Let me say it again:
YOU HAVE TO GIVE AWAY MASSIVE VALUE!
…And you have to accept not charging a single penny for it.
GET OVER IT!
I come across so many websites where in the first five seconds, a pop up appears telling me to buy their book/product.
Wait!…what?!
“I just got here and I’m already spending money???”
That’s like you walking into a store and going straight to the cashier before even looking around.
It doesn’t quite make sense, does it?
Can you trust the cashier, who you don’t know, to pick out the right items for you?
Of course not!
Then how can you expect someone who doesn’t know you to buy from you?
What proof do they have that you can help them?
Think about that for a moment…
If I come to your website, I need to feel as if you understand my problem or concern.
I need to feel like you can actually help me.
Got it?
Steps to Follow
OK, so you learned the right way to go about things, but where do you start?
Well, that depends on your goals.
Are you creating a blog like me?
Then write a ton of content that’s available for FREE before releasing your eBook.
Are you selling a product online?
Offer a 30 day money back guarantee and free shipping.
Do you offer some sort of online training or consulting?
Give away your first class or consultation for free.
Do whatever necessary to turn a selfish, concerned, and fearful person into a customer BEGGING you to take their money.
Are you following me?
Get them to trust you!
I recommend you write the word “trust” on a post it note and stick it on your computer screen.
It’s the most important criteria when doing business, especially online.
Let’s use the analogy of a dog and a treat.
If you give a dog a treat without him doing anything for it first, and he absolutely loves the treat, how likely is he to do something for it next time?
“Sit Toby!” – The dog sits – You give him the treat.
“Here’s my eBook for sale” – Your audience wants it desperately after the free amazing value you’ve given them – Their credit card comes out.
See how simple it is?
Proof = Trust
Trust = Sales
Sales = Success
Don’t try to cheat the system.
Do the work and get rewarded for your efforts.
We’ll talk again soon,
-Alex
PS – Download my NEWEST book “How To Make $100 Every Day On The Internet” because it’s going to show you my ALL my proven ways to make money online.
Andrew Miles says
Great article Alex. This point is the exact reason why it pisses me off when you hear people clamouring for “the rich to give back”. If you are using a laptop, you are paying a few hundred, maybe few thousand dollars for something that is the result of millions of dollars and hours of effort. You got a fucking bargain, and now Bill Gates or Steve Jobs have to “give back”?
Producers understand this inherent quality – and revel in it, because if successful, they can make millions.
But people used to only consuming don’t understand the true cost of things – and so when they come to start attempting to produce and sell things, they don’t understand either why a. people aren’t “paying enough” or b. their product is so shit for the amount they paid to produce it.
This is how the system is – and like you said, you can’t really cheat it. But you can accept it, and make the world a better place in the process.
Alex (Administrator) says
Excellent comment, Andrew. How does the famous saying go?…“If you help enough people get what they want, you’ll get what you want.”
-Alex
Alex (Administrator) says
Great comment, Tara. You provided some great examples and I’m glad you understand just have valuable this information is. Hopefully everyone who reads this does so as well.
-Alex
The Rational Rebel says
I agree with Andrew, producers understand this strategy and successfully implement it. But people with a consumer mindset don’t. To me, it makes perfect sense: give away something of quality for free, and be sure that people will be back for more, if they liked it. A quick look around is enough to understand that. In this article, you illustrated how it works with online content and ebooks. If you look at various companies, many of them offer a free membership with limited (but useful) services, and a premium membership that offers more services for a certain price. If you look at food industry businesses, companies/bakers/merchants let the consumers taste their product first, before charging for it. It’s a proven technique. But then again, many people don’t realize it. So it’s great that you point it out here.
Cheers,
Tara
http://therationalrebel.com