5 Sales Secrets To Sell Anything Online

With over 2.1 billion, yes billion, pieces of new content produced every day, it's no wonder you're frustrated that your messages might not be getting through and that your sales maybe aren't as high as they could be. Today I'm gonna show you how to sell more of anything using four highly effective but often overlooked copywriting strategies. Now here's the good news. Selling more in this noisy environment it's not about getting louder and it's not about doing or saying things that are hypey or slimy or unethical. In this video we're talking about how the secret to getting more sales requires you to be more honest, more transparent, and have even more integrity. Here we go. 

Let's play a game. Guess which headline gets more clicks? A: “How I Made My First Million,” B: “How I Made $12,233 in Two Hours.” Now if you guess B, you're right, but why is that? Because at first glance, doesn't make sense right? Because you could argue that making a million dollars is a lot more impressive than making 12,000. However, there is something else going on here which brings us to strategy.

Number one. Specific numbers sell way better than vague numbers. So specific numbers, especially in print in visual form, they're more believable, they're more memorable and they instantly create more trust, and they should. Because you're being more precise about telling the truth, and we are all more likely to trust and believe a number that's specific and precise rather than one that's vague or general. So for example, let's say that I wanna have a guest here on Marie TV who doesn't know who I am. I'm not gonna reach out in their DMs and say, "Hey Miss So-and-So, I have this popular show on YouTube. You should come all the way to New York City, take hours outta your life, and be on our show." That's a terrible pitch, right? I mean especially when someone doesn't know who I am. But if I write something like, "Hey Miss So-and-So, you've got a new book coming out on June 10th. We have over 74.56 million views on Marie TV. We also have over 3,073,000 followers on social. If you're interested, we'd love to have you on to support your book launch." No contest, right? That's because specificity sells.

It instantly creates more trust, it creates more legitimacy because we're telling the truth. Here's a few more examples: which is better, "Make Your Reservation Now, Rooms Are Going Fast," or "Hurry, Only One Room Left at This Rate for Your Dates, September 7th through the 10th"? No question. That second bit of copy feels more honest. It feels more legit. How about this one: "Join My Women's Business Community" versus "Join 34,467 Women Growing Their Online Brands." For me, it's the second one. It just feels more real. It feels more compelling. Now there is one little nuance to underscore here. So this is a copywriting strategy, meaning the words are visually seen on a page or a screen. So whenever you're speaking large numbers, either on a video like this or on a podcast, it can sometimes sound awkward and really be a mouthful. So you gotta use your judgment when you're converting the written messaging to the spoken word.

Let's keep going. So next tip, I want you to get ruthless about eliminating vague words like "soon" and "fast" and wherever you can, replace those words with specific timeframes. So you tell me which one is more compelling: "Launch Your Online Course Fast" or "Launch Your Online Course in 29 Days or Less." “Get More Clients This Week” or “Get Three New Clients by Friday or Your Money Back.” Again, no contest. Making your timeline and your promise as specific as possible creates a lot more interest and it creates more trust and it goes without saying, of course, you gotta make good on your promise whatever that is. But here's why this is a good thing: because it challenges you to be extraordinary at delivering results. It communicates how confident you are about how you can help your prospects get what they want which is the whole point of business.

So no matter what, start being as specific as you can in your copywriting. This is such a simple and effective way to use the truth to inspire more trust, and more trust creates more sales. “Facts tell, stories sell.” It's probably the phrase that I say the most to my team. I say it month after month, year after year. Can't stop. Won't stop, ever. Why? Because it works. Look, you have to understand this. No matter how great you or your business are, we're all living in a low trust environment, especially online. And what other people say about the results you get for your customers is way more persuasive than anything you can say about yourself. Here's why I love the strategy: because it's rooted in integrity. It's about sharing more of the truth. See, if you wanna sell more, then start telling more and better stories, make it a focus in your company to consistently share case studies and reviews and testimonials. Really any form of story that demonstrates your customers got the kind of results that the person reading or watching wants for themselves. And this next point, oh my goodness, it is so important. You can never, I repeat, you can never have too many success stories. You can never have too many reviews. You can never have too much social proof. Don't stop at like three or five or even 25 stories, and don't ever let your team or any consultant tell you, you know what? Just slow down. We got enough testimonials. Don't ever let them tell you, oh the sales page is too long. We can't fit any more success stories. No, those people are sales killers and money repellers and you should never, ever take advice from them.

You know, recently I was looking for a specialist, a doctor who took my insurance here in New York City. So I start searching online, came across about a half a dozen providers. I had very specific criteria and it came down to two good options. So one doctor had like nine five-star reviews, close to my house, okay, that's a possibility. Then, I came across another doctor again very close to my house, similar credentials, but she had over 2000 reviews and I think her average was like 4.7 stars. Who do you think I went with? That's right. I went with the doc that had over 2000 reviews. That stack of stories made me trust her more and now I'm her new patient, and it's not just me. Research suggests that over 90% of people say that ratings and reviews have the biggest impact on what they buy. So, instead of you trying to figure out how to write about how great you are, let other people talk about how great you are. Let them tell the truth about you.

And look, there is an art and a science to getting great reviews and case studies through your business, because the honest truth is the best stories don't always just show up on your lap. Even if people love you, they love your product or your service, most people never leave a review or know how to write an effective testimonial because they're busy and most people don't even know what to say. So you do have to be proactive in this regard. You have to prompt people, you have to ask people, and that's a whole other topic for a whole other video. But look, if you're a member of B-School or The Copy Cure, you know this; we go into great depth in how to get great testimonials over there. But for now, there is one final strategy that I want you to start using immediately to make your story selling even more persuasive. Do me this favor, whenever a customer says something spectacular about you or your business, take a frigging screenshot. I don't care if it's an email or a tweet or a comment or a text or a dm, take a screenshot.

Screenshots are lo-fi images that often convert way better than highly designed or produced versions of that same testimonial. Now, of course you can protect their privacy if that's something important for your business. It's super easy to hide the person's name and their face, but screenshots often feel a lot more trustworthy. Why? Because they're raw, they're real, and best of all they cost you nothing. In our company, we literally have thousands and thousands of screenshots that we have taken over the years. 

“@marieforleo: and the best part with the combo of B-School and Copy Cure is that my sales have more than tripled. Win-win. I remember investing in this two-course with the little money I had left in my bank, not knowing how I was going to pay my bills if this didn't help me bring in sales but trusting my intuition. I took the leap of faith. P.S/ - I was pooping my undies when I did and OMG all I can say is I'm bringing in the vegan bacon faster than I can type. Thank you ladies. You are superstars.”

Here's another one. “I had to pay for B-School in installments because I didn't have the money. Now I have a seven-figure business.” So for you, take those screenshots, create a folder for you and your team, and use them. Use them in your emails, in your sales pages, in your videos, and for all your social content. Why? Say it with me. Facts tell, stories sell. Always have, always will.

Now right now you might be wondering, well, how do I get such amazing testimonials if I'm just starting out and I don't have a ton of customers yet? Great question. As always, everything is figureoutable. I actually made a whole other video on this exact topic, so you might wanna watch that next. We're gonna link to it in the description below. Now look, the truth is there is so much more I could teach you about sales and copywriting and persuasion, but this video would be a hundred hours long. And learning how to communicate persuasively by telling more of the truth is a superpower that anyone can learn, including you. Do it right, and I guarantee you're gonna change more lives and you're gonna make a lot more money. And in my opinion, it's a skill set that every successful business owner needs to have.

Now if you wanna get the superpower for yourself, I've got a few more resources in the description below. First up is a free seven-day writing class to up your copywriting and your story selling game. You can click on the link below or you can get it at marielovesyou.com/freewritingclass. Next, if you're serious about ramping up sales immediately, go check out The Copy Cure. Our students regularly double, if not triple, their sales just by learning how to use the right words. Here's what Carolyn and Cynthia have to say. "Our sales have increased 91% from the low six figures to seven figures. The only thing we changed was the copy.” And they’re sellin’ silk flowers, y’all. If you wanna learn more go to thecopycure.com and you can get started right away. No matter what, I promise you that winning more sales is a skill that anyone can learn, and all it requires is communicating with more honesty, transparency, and integrity.

Now if you like this video, give it a thumbs up and subscribe because that helps us keep creating even more content to help you create a business and life you love. Until next time, stay on your game and keep going for your big dreams because the world really does need that very special gift that only you have.