“I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse.”
I’m sure you’ve heard this line before. It’s from the movie The Godfather. For those millennials who haven’t watched it, when the Godfather, played by Marlon Brando, wants someone to do something for him he makes him an offer they can’t refuse.
The offer usually involves a threat of violence or blackmail. It’s how things are done in the mafia world.
In the marketing world, you don’t have to use violence or blackmail to get people to buy. An irresistible and superior offer will suffice.
One of the most overlooked aspects of any direct response marketing campaign is the offer.
The offer can make or break your campaign. It can turn a marketing campaign with mediocre copy into a success.
You should take your time in creating and engineering the perfect offer. The perfect offer will make your prospects say “Why not?”
It’s a no-brainer for them.
Your offer should also be perceived as superior.
Superior to what?
Superior to your direct and indirect competitors in your marketplace.
For example, if you are a medical weight loss doctor you are directly competing against other medical weight loss doctors. And, you are also indirectly competing against personal trainers, gyms, weight loss supplements, and others.
Your offer should be seen as superior to both your indirect and direct competitors. Before crafting your offer you should study what your competitors are offering in your marketplace.
If they have been successful, find a way to model their success and craft a better offer.
Remember, people don’t care about the features of your product/service they only care about how your product/service can help solve their problems or challenges.
Getting a prospect to buy is hard.
As my virtual mentor, Todd Brown says: You should never underestimate the amount of effort it takes to get a prospect to buy your product/service. It takes massive, significant effort to get your prospects to buy.
You should focus on selling the offer and not your product/service. The main objective of your offer should be to get your prospects to say themselves:
“I’d be crazy not to take advantage of this”
Your offer is supposed to be a no brainer to your prospects. It should be superior in value and perception compared to your competitors.
11 Steps in Crafting A Godfather Offer
#1 Your offer should be clear and easy to understand
Your offer should be easy to understand. Your offer should convey its value within seconds. Don’t be vague with your offer. 50% off is easier to understand than 17% off.
50% off is easier to understand than 17% off.
Your conversions will increase when your prospects clearly understand the value.
#2 You should consider the traffic source
You need to consider the traffic source before creating your offer. In some channels, the traffic is going to be further along the buying cycle than other channels.
For example, keywords on Adwords with commercial intent can be taken straight to a hard offer while other channels like Facebook might need more education up front and a soft offer might work better.
# 3 Your offer should be perceived as higher value
How is your offer perceived? Is it perceived as a no-brainer? Or just another deal that your prospect can get anywhere? Are you separating yourself from your competitors?
These are questions you need to ask yourself to get a good understanding of your prospect’s mindset.
If your offer is not perceived as unique and of high value, your offer will fall flat.
Things that can help your prospects perceive your offer as higher value include testimonials, case studies, and scarcity. Make sure to incorporate these elements into your offer.
#4 What is your Damaging Admission?
A quick way to increase credibility and believability is to admit a flaw that is not a dealbreaker. If your offer sounds too good to be true then most people won’t believe you.
You see this a lot in popular culture. Superman is faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound but he is powerless against kryptonite.
This flaw makes him seem more human and relatable. You should do the same with your offer. By marketing your message for only “certain people” this will increase credibility.
A common damaging admission is to admit that your product/service is not for everyone and you’ll only see results if you work hard.
#5 Value of the deliverables has to be lopsided
Your value of the deliverables needs to be perceived as high-value as well. A free consultation from a well-known attorney is perceived as higher value vs. some schmo Joe Attorney that lives in your neighborhood.
Deliverables like audio, video, books, and consultations all need to be seen as having a value that is lopsided. For example, a hardcover book is seen as having a higher value than an e-book.
#6 Have a True risk reversal
A risk reversal is a good thing to add to your offer. A money-back guarantee will increase conversions. But, do you know what’s even more powerful?
A true risk-reversal.
If you are offering a money-back guarantee people will still need to spend time using your product/service. They don’t get that time back. Their time is wasted using your product/service.
A true risk reversal would compensate them for their time. A true risk reversal would eliminate all the risks for the prospects. This makes your offer a lot sweeter and easier to digest.
A common true risk reversal is offering to pay your prospects for their time if they don’t find your consultation valuable.
#7 Make sure to overcome every objection
Prospects won’t convert unless every objection is overcome. You need to address and overcome every objection in your copy before your offer is even seen.
#8 Remember The Magic Formula
Remember the Magic Formula:
The Right Audience + the Right Promise + the Right Time = Offer You Can’t Refuse
In order of importance, the right audience (or the right list) which is defined as a hungry audience, plus the right promise (which is defined as your offer), and the right time will equal an offer your prospects can’t refuse.
All elements need to come together to create an irresistible and superior offer.
#9 Hard offer vs. soft offers
A hard offer is defined below:
A “hard offer” is defined as an offer that is basically to buy the product or service right now, a discount on the price of the item, or something that leads directly to a sale, such as an appointment with a salesperson (whatever you might call it, i.e. “free consultation,” “free inspection”).
A soft offer is defined as an offer that gets the person to respond right now, but it doesn’t necessarily lead to a sale. A soft offer can be seen as a smaller commitment. Soft offers include:
- Email Newsletters
- Whitepaper Download
- Webinar Sign-Ups
- Seminars
Soft offers often have higher response rates than a hard offer. It is often said that a person needs 6-8 touches with your company before they become a sales lead. It usually takes another 6-8 touches before they actually buy.
Depending on your product/service both types of offers can work. If your product/service needs a lot more education up front, then a soft offer, which is seen as a smaller commitment, can result in higher conversions.
#10 Use Scarcity
Scarcity is one of the most important tactics you can use to influence purchase decisions. Your offer will be perceived as having the higher value when it’s scarce. People gravitate to things that are seen as unavailable.
The two most common types of strategies with scarcity is having a deadline for your product/service or having a limited amount available.
There is a lot of fake scarcity out there. People won’t believe unless you have provided a good reason why your offer is scarce. Your reason has to believable and authentic. You don’t want to burn bridges by providing fake deadlines.
#11 Remind them of their pain
Prospects are not buying your product/service because they think it’s great. You might love your product but your prospects don’t care. They buy because your product/service is solving a pain or a challenge in their lives.
You should remind your prospects the pain they are currently experiencing and the problems you are solving with your offer.
Conclusion
A lot of marketers don’t understand the importance of your offer. An offer is one of the core elements of any marketing campaign. Sum up your offer with the main benefits of your product/service.
Make sure your offer is perceived as superior and irresistible. Remember, the most important to keep in mind is that your offer has to make them say “I’d be crazy not to take advantage of this.”
