Today I’d like to address an issue that comes up all the freaking time when I work with lovely creative business ladies on their web copy.

 

The question I get all the time is:

 

“How do I sell my stuff without making promises about the result? What if the person doesn’t get the result and gets mad at me?! What if they expect too much?!”

 

Answering this question takes a bit of unpacking. Here we go:

 

Selling is first and foremost a question of confidence.

 

In order to sell anything, you’ve got to believe in it. You’ve got to believe deep in your bones that people need what you have to offer, that what you’re offering will make a difference in people’s lives, and that you’ve created something of the highest quality.

It’s all about coming from a mindset of SERVICE.

If you don’t have 1 million percent confidence in yourself and what you do, you’ll have a helluva time selling anything without sounding like a sleazebag.

 

In The Total Knockout Copywriting Course, the first thing I have students do is fill out what I call an “I’m Awesome List”.

 

You can create your own, too! The “I’m Awesome List” ensures that when my students get down to the business of writing their sales copy, they will come from a place of love, service, and confidence in what they do.

 

 

 

Secondly, you must put some responsibility on the buyer.

 

If people don’t follow your online course the way you designed it to be followed, of course they’re not going to achieve the desired result.

 

If your client doesn’t do her homework or show up to your one-on-one sessions with an open mind, of course she’s not going to achieve the desired result.

 

You should always be very clear on your sales page what you expect from the buyer. (We’ll talk about another important way to protect yourself from energy-leaking clients in a minute).

 

You can use money-back guarantees to outline exactly what you expect from customers. Guarantees reduce the risk for someone to jump in. That’s why I have an extended 60-day money-back guarantee for The Total Knockout Copywriting Course.

 

Most people will never ask for their money-back if they know they haven’t held their end of the bargain. And if they do, you can decide whether or not to give them one based on the agreement you had in place.

 

 

Thirdly, make promises that you can actually keep.

 

For example: I can promise that when clients work with me on their copy (and execute things exactly how I advise) they will see a raise in conversion rates.

 

For The Total Knockout Copywriting Course, I can promise that when you execute all of the lessons in the 6 modules, you will see a raise in conversion rates.

If people are totally unsatisfied with the content and it doesn’t help them to achieve their goals, it’s my fault, not theirs.

When you write your sales copy, focus on telling your potential client what’s possible for her. Then, show her some testimonials or case studies from people like her who have worked with you. These testimonials should showcase the results that they’ve achieved.

 

If your work is, say, helping to heal chronic illness, you’ll definitely want to include some disclaimers. In fact, I urge everyone to include disclaimers about guaranteed results (promises that you’re not making).

 

This brings me to the last point…

 

Finally, get it in writing. Always.

 

Use your good ol’ fashioned common sense (and a little research, perhaps) to get an idea of what you feel comfortable promising people and what disclaimers you’d like to make. Then plop all of that info on your sales page.

 

I absolutely recommend speaking with a lawyer to ease your concern, see what you have the right to say, and GET PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTS WRITTEN for your services.

 

Please, for the love of all things holy, use contracts!

 

Interested in learning more on exactly how to address this stuff in your sales copy? I teach a step-by-step formula for creating kick ass sales pages (and every other type of copy you need) in The Total Knockout Copywriting Course. Enrollment ends on Sunday, September 27 at midnight. (FYI: The current price is limited and will go up the next time I open enrollments).