Joe Polish: Why People Don’t Buy From You

Do you ever sit and scratch your head and wonder why your last ad didn’t work? Well if you haven’t tried direct response marketing techniques yet, then 99% of your answer is right here.

So rest assured that if you are a student of direct response marketing, you are miles ahead of the pack.  But, even though direct response is the only form of advertising that really works, every once in a while, even a well-written ad hits a wall.

And That is When You Ask “What Happened…Why Aren’t They Buying From Me?”

There can be a number of factors why people don’t respond, even to a “good” ad, and some of these reasons are so basic that they might not jump right out at you…

First, it could be something as simple as “the weather,” or some other issue with timing.  For example, a campaign that goes out in the middle of a blizzard or hits your clients’ mailboxes on a holiday isn’t likely to be well received or responded to.  In fact, an ad that lands in front of your prospect on say a Monday, when people are busy getting their week in order, may have a different response than a message they receive on a nice, calm Tuesday.  Or an ad received on a Friday (when most people are ready to “play”) could have a different response than an ad received on Wednesday or Thursday. But take heart, a well-written direct response ad can still pull in results, weeks or even months after someone receives it.

Second, sometimes it’s just simply the “audience”.  The late Gary Halbert used to say, “If you want a better response, get a different list.”

When you send out your direct response ads, really examine “How is my ‘message to market match?’”  Maybe you are hand delivering to an area that gets over-run with ads… if this is the case, make sure your piece doesn’t look like an ad. Make it look very personal, like the “plain white envelope” approach.  Or, maybe it’s an area that just isn’t drawn to your high-end service.  Maybe you purchased a “list” and it’s simply outdated, or the majority of the people in that area don’t fit your “ideal client”.  Take a good, hard look at your “list” and see if that’s where you need to adjust.

Next, ask yourself if your ad is truly a direct response style ad, or is it an attempt at direct response.  I’ve seen plenty of ads that marry some direct response principals with…well, I’m not quite sure what…and they end up with a bit of a “hot mess” on the page.  Yet, because the person included a headline or a guarantee they think it’s a “direct response ad” when it’s actually not.  So either use one of my proven ads, or if you must write your own ad, check it against this list:

• Attention Getting Headline
• Compelling (Interesting) Copy
• Clear, Irresistible Offer
• Call To Action
• Expiration Date/Sense of Urgency
• Testimonials
• Money-Back Guarantee
• Your Contact Information

Here are some more tips:  Use fonts that are easy to read.  (Like this one.)  Don’t use cursive.  Don’t spell in all caps, because that is not only difficult to read, but comes across as “shouting” in print.  Use colors that are easy on the eyes, i.e. Don’t use light colors on dark backgrounds unless you don’t want your ad read.  And keep things in a nice, easy to read font size and format.  Remember to use sub-headlines for the “skimmers” out there.  Use appropriate, relevant pictures.

And If Your Ad Passes All These Check Points and Still Flopped…

Then it’s time to pull out the stops.

A few years ago I was faced with this situation in selling people into my high-level Platinum Mastermind Group.  It’s a $1,000 per month program that helps successful entrepreneurs take their businesses to heights they never imagined through innovation and masterminding. Even though it is a bit of an investment, people make back at least double that money (though most make back in the six figures as a direct result of their membership in the program).  So with something that is so good to offer, I was having a hard time understanding why I wasn’t converting more people in some of my campaigns.

So I simply asked them.

I stapled a $100 bill to 100 letters and FedExed them to individuals I had hand-picked as being some of my most likely prospects for this program.  (In a sense, I “ethically bribed them” to tell me why they weren’t buying.)  And the result?

It was worth every cent of the $10,000.00+ I spent on the mailing.  I got back the most detailed and comprehensive “report” on what the barriers were that kept my prospects from buying from me.  And I discovered some fundamental reasons why the majority of people let “psychological barriers” – not real barriers – keep them from responding.

Then I took the information and compiled a killer audio recording entitled “Barriers to Success.”  It addresses all the psychological barriers that hold people back from success and how to conquer those fears and limiting beliefs.  (I highly recommend you listen to this audio that cost me over $10,000.00 to make and take notes. It will give you so much insight into the fundamental reasons behind why “people don’t buy” from you. It’s available at the end of this article.)

How can you apply this in your business?  Well it was worth $10K for me to do this survey because of the high price point, but what is one customer worth to you?  You could survey a “slice” of your demographic by sending out $5-$10 Starbucks cards.  Figure out what it’s worth to you and your business to find out what your clients barriers to buying from you are, and conduct your own “ethical bribe” and survey.  Then use the information you gather to craft a sales message that speaks directly to your market…make sure to send it to the people who you surveyed in the first place.  (That’s what I did and was able to convert many of these formerly resistant buyers.)

So as you can see, there are many reasons why a person may or may not be “buying” from you…but you have many resources that can help you break through these “barriers” and reach your prospects. Whether you find your answers through me or by simply asking your own prospects, you never have to throw your arms up in the air feeling helpless about how to get your ads to work…you have the power to control your business and have your clients buying from you on a regular basis.

Keep it E.L.F. – “Easy, Lucrative and Fun!”