Use This Quick Checklist to Help Ensure Your Client’s Offer is Irresistible
By Sandy Franks

Four words that changed the approach direct response marketers and copywriters used to sell more products …

But wait there’s more!

Those words were spoken by Ron Popeil, an inventor, entrepreneur, and founder of the Ronco company, which brought the world The Pocket Fisherman, Veg-O-Matic, Hair in a Can, and the Showtime Rotisserie & BBQ to name just a few.

Ron rose to notoriety for the infomercials he created to sell his inventions. In fact he’s often credited as the inventor of the infomercial format, which mostly aired in the wee hours of late night television.

When I say create an infomercial, I mean it too. Ron did it all. He edited the raw film, wrote out his own cue cards, and did the scripts for his group of “operators standing by.”

Ron became more famous for how he sold products than what he invented. In 1994 the New York Times called him, “The amazing human selling machine!”

But he was selling products long before he stepped in front of a camera.

Ron’s career in sales started in the early 1950’s, where he worked at Woolworth’s flagship store in Chicago on Maxwell Street. He was in charge of their appliance and kitchen gadgets department.

He turned his sales pitches into “mini shows” that were so entertaining, people would gather around just to see him perform.

It wasn’t until sometime in 1959 that Ron “performed” for his first infomercial selling the Chop-O-Matic. It was a big success. From there, Ron created infomercials for most all of his other inventions.

The Showtime Rotisserie & BBQ was his most successful effort, with sales eventually reaching $1 billion.

When asked how he came up with so many different products, Ron replied, “I ask myself, what can I give people that they don’t already have? Who wants to make a toaster? Not me.”

Ron’s style of doing infomercials became so popular that he was famously portrayed by Dan Aykroyd on Saturday Night Live. During the show, Dan did a parody skit, where he sold the Super Bass-O-Matic in the same way that Ron did in his infomercials.

The audience broke out in laughter. It was an instant hit. Dan even repeated the skit for the show’s 40^th anniversary celebration.

Something else that people remember Ron for is the certain phrases he used during his infomercial appearances such as “set it and forget it,” and “less shipping and handling,” and his most famous one: “But wait there’s more.”

And it’s that phrase in particular that reshaped how copywriters wrote offers in their sales letters. It became part of what we now call the false close, a critical part of selling.

If you land a client that is struggling to convert prospects into buyers, the first thing you’ll want to look over is the offer they’re making. As a quick refresher, the offer is the section of copy that tells the prospect exactly what they’ll receive.

Coming up with a strong offer is one of the fastest ways to get a big boost in sales. In fact statistics show the offer can contribute 30% to 50% of the success of a campaign.

So it’s worth the time to get it right. And you can help your client do that by “auditing” their current offer.

Here’s a checklist to help you perfect your client’s offer:

1. Is a discount/savings being used and is it immediately visible to the reader? Even something as simple “one-time special offer, was $158 now only $67” could make all the difference in the world.
2. Incentives included that get prospects excited. This could be a free report, bonus, guide, checklist, or tutorial. Whatever it is, make sure it has value, is timely information, and is something that isn’t available anywhere else.
3. Are the payment terms clearly outlined? Does the prospect have to pay the full amount right way, or is it broken down over months — pay in full or pay over 12 months.
4. Is the offer written out clearly and concisely? Does the reader know exactly what they will get when they place the order. And how long will it take to receive the product … immediately, days, or a few weeks.
5. Does the offer make the reader feel as if their purchase is protected? Is a guarantee used and is it specific … will they get all of their money returned, or a portion of it? Is their satisfaction guaranteed? And what does the prospect have to do to get their money back?
6. Is urgency used? Are the reasons why the customer must act now … limited amount of the product or service is available, or a deadline to respond … mentioned?
7. Is the call to action (CTA) written out clearly and easily visible to prospects?
8. Does the value proposition make the reader feel that whatever the product or service cost is a mere drop in the bucket to the benefits they’ll receive in return?

There are many different ways that you create irresistible offers, regardless of what type of product you're selling.

But at the core of it all is understanding what your customers need and want.

Once you know that, you can create an offer that makes it a no-brainer for someone to purchase the product you are selling.

When you can help your client create an irresistible offer, you’re showing them how much you value their business. And in return, they’ll think of you as part of their marketing team.

And when that happens, you get rewarded with higher fees and more projects.