Timing Your Offers

I've noticed an interesting phenomenon in marketing and selling. When you make an offer, you sell something, when you don't make an offer you don't sell anything.

I know this sounds simplistic, but in many ways it's really at the heart of successful marketing and also at the heart of many marketing failures.

I've noticed that Independent Professionals are notoriously bad at making offers. Let me give you some examples.

Networking
A web designer at a networking event has discussions with several people. He leaves with a few cards and gives his card out to a few people. None of this activity results in new business.

Speaking
A consultant gives a talk at a professional organization. The talk is good, the graphics are interesting; people enjoy the talk. But it doesn't turn into any new business.

Mailing
A communication skills trainer sends out a letter and brochure to a qualified list of potential clients. The information is full of benefits and advantages of his services. But nobody responds.

What's missing? Why no results?

Networking, speaking and mailings are all proven marketing tools for Independent Professionals. They can actually work. They can be very effective. But often they're not, for one very simple reason: No offer is made.

What is an offer?

An offer is a specific call-to-action to the prospect. It is a request for them to do something. It doesn't have to be an offer to buy now, it may be an offer to find out more.

The simple construct for an offer is: "Here's something I have that will provide value to you. Here's how to take advantage of it."

An offer always needs to be explicit, not implicit. It needs to be direct, not indirect. It needs to be a request, not a suggestion. And a successful offer also depends on the right timing.

Let's look at our three examples again.

We often think an offer in networking would go something like this: "I help companies increase their profits, would you like to meet with me to discuss how I can do that with you?"

OK, that's an explicit, direct request. But the timing is bad.

Why would someone want to meet with you just after a brief conversation? You've barely connected. So you need to make an offer appropriate to the situation:

"I help companies increase their profits. I have an article called "Ten Profitability Mistakes Most Companies Make." Can I send you a copy and then get back to you and get your reaction to it?"

This is also an explicit, direct request, but with better timing.

Timing has to do with sensing the appropriateness of the offer given the situation and relationship with the prospect.

Many of us are not too good at this, so we avoid making offers completely. Instead, we need to think through our offers more carefully and design offers that apply good timing

You might design this offer in stages:

1. An article, followed up by an email, phone call, and an introductory conversation: "How did you like the article? Tell me something about your business."

2. An offer or request for an appointment: "Why don't we set up a time to talk in more depth about your business and how I might be able to help you."

3. A sales conversation in which you offer to do a piece of work: "What I'd recommend to start is a Communication Assessment Session with you and your top managers."

Let's look at a speaking engagement.

You give a great talk and at the end is the opportunity to make an offer. You want to make it appropriate to the situation, so you need to consider the timing carefully.

Recently I saw one of my Action Plan Coaches give a 3-hour presentation to a professional group. In three hours you can build a strong connection, and she had succeeded at that. Her offer went like this:

"I have a 6-CD set called "Seven Steps to Energize Your Marketing." The price for that is $199. For anyone who gets one today, I will also give you a complimentary "Marketing Energy Audit" valued at $395."

Eleven people (about a third of the audience) bought the CD program and signed up for the audit. In that audit she explored the situation, needs and opportunities for their businesses. Then she made an offer for a four-month group coaching program valued at $2,000. Seven of the eleven signed up for it.

With this two-step offer, she generated $16,200 in business. And it happened because she thought through her offer, and made explicit, direct requests with the right timing.

For a direct letter you think through this in the same way.

You need to realize that probably you won't get a sale only from the letter. And if your letter says, "Here's what we do. When you need help in this area, just give me a call," you're not likely to get very good results. (I've sen thousands wasted this way.)

That's poor timing because they likely don't need you now, so you're asking for action in the future. All offers need to be for NOW, not the future. So you could offer a special industry report, an introductory presentation or something that will be relatively easy to say yes to now.

The first thing to notice is how often you fail to make any kind of offer in your marketing. The next thing to work on is crafting offers that are explicit, direct and ask for action. Finally, you need to fine-tune your offers so the timing is appropriate to your audience. Before long, your offers will generate new business.

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The More Clients Bottom Line: The better you get at making offers, the more business you'll attract. Creating and communicating offers is a bit of an art. And art takes practice. Develop a new offer for your business today.

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What offers do you make in your marketing that really work for you? Please share on the More Clients Blog.

Comments

[John Maver]

Robert

A terrific article!!! Very well done.

You have summarized a major stumbling block that I find with some clients. They make the pitch in their materials, advertising or sales presentation and then there is the hanging question "That was interesting but so what? What do you want me to do now?"

As we at Maver Management Group work with clients, we introduce action requirements that turn the ideas that have been created into steps forward. Easy next steps, that are appealing and incredibly logical following the pitch. They are very much like the offer of the 6 cd set. Brilliant!

I am going to share this article as is with my network colleagues and may use it at a later date with full credit to you on my website if that is acceptable to you.

Okay?

Thanks Robert

John Maver
www.mavermanagement.com

[Shama Hyder]

I think people are often so scared of rejection that they would rather not make the offer.

However, it pays to remember that not everyone will (or has) to sign up. Even if a few people accept the offer, you are still making money.

[Jason Leister]

Hi Robert,

My best results come when I actually create the offer based on what my market tells me it wants.

Somehow, it changes the confidence of your presentation. You're not sitting there wondering "if they'll like it." You KNOW they'll like it because they told you that's what they wanted.

P.S. As for selling from the stage, your readers might want to go to YouTube or Google Video and search for a guy named Joel Bauer. Watch him and you'll realize just how much "art" is involved.