The ONE Thing That Gets People to Buy Coaching on Your Site
In a survey I sent to subscribers of my email list, I invited them to ask me their most burning question (by the way, surveying your list is a great marketing move): The Burning Question Trick.
And here is one question a respondent asked me:
What is the one thing on a website that makes people sign up for coaching or buy packages and products?”
You probably already can guess that my answer is going to be that there is NO one thing that gets people to buy – as selling isn’t that simple.
However, let me go into three things that will help you get a sense what’s needed on your website to get people to buy coaching.
Thing 1: A question.
Let me ask you, think back to when you bought coaching online (a webinar, program, product or even 1on1 coaching if you ever have). What compelled you? What got you to buy?
If you’ve never bought any form of coaching online, why not? What stopped you? What would it have took to have made you buy? Less resistant to buying?
What thing or things caused you to stop from buying online? What would get you to buy coaching online?
Thing 2. There are price points to consider.
When buying anything in coaching, be it 1-on-1 coaching, a group program, workshop or 1-year master class, the cost is a factor in the purchase. Higher priced items require a stronger case to click ‘buy’.
Coaching books you’ll consume like oreos, but a 10k full-year program will have to have more compelling reasons to buy, because you will be spending more time, money, and energy on it.
How do you create that desire? That is the question you need to ask. ONE thing often won’t do it (maybe if you survived a heart attack and have just met a health coach who works with the seriously ill, but you can’t bank on that regularly).
Higher price point coaching products require more effort to get them sold. Maybe your coaching is best delivered (and paid for) in a group format at a lower monthly ongoing fee. Maybe that’ll get an online sale.
Thing 3. Disposable income.
What customers have to spend is a huge factor in what they’ll buy. One can’t spend $$ one doesn’t have.
If the need for your coaching is high, people will make the effort to get the money by borrowing from friends, using their credit cards, etc. But still, the more income they have to spend, the more easily they can say yes to your coaching.
So, when it comes to your website, are you selling to people who have wallets thick enough to cover the cost of your coaching services or products? Maybe you should consider a new market?
However, if I had to answer with ONE THING that it would take to get people to buy online …
I would say it would be to have a “super-rich offer”. An offer with great benefits to an audience that needs it at a price they can afford.
Such an offer would have to be equipped with juicy testimonials, loaded with features, have a strong guarantee, and provide a low-risk way to take action on the spot (easily back out and get a refund). Bonus gifts (outside of the core offer) will also help you get the sale.
Bear in mind, you’ll still need to get people to the site to see this offer. You’ll need to spend time getting great testimonials. You’ll need the savviness to craft the wording of such an offer too.
If you have a lot of credibility outside of your site or an email list that thinks you’re the cats meow, then, when it comes to your site, you’ll fare better.
In reality …
For many newer coaches with little credibility and limited marketing experience, you’d be smart to focus on things like the following:
1. Narrow your coaching focus. Niche marketing, targeting, branding, can all help you do that. These words can get fuzzy to you … in essence, I’d say find a niche coach or program and go through it. You don’t have time to coach the world one on one. All you really need is 10 good clients to shift out of a job and into coaching full time – a great goal for many.
2. Build your expert image online. With articles, well-written content, speaking, an email list, social networking … you can pick a few that fit “you” to showcase you’re a pro at what you do.
3. Learn about running a business and marketing. Sometimes this is not obvious but yes, you are going to be a coach who must also step up as a business person. Otherwise, just coach for free and have a ball.
4. Learning how to “talk” to people about coaching so that when they do come knocking, you can make a strong impression and lead them to signing up as your client.
Anything here hitting home? Other ideas on this topic? Wuddya think? I’d love to hear your comments.