CBTool Blog

By now I’ve seen hundreds of sales pages and many of them use some cliched tactics that tend to annoy me unendingly. Evil, e-e-e-e-v-i-l tactics (imagine a deep, scary voice). Well, do they at least work? Since everyone is using them I assume they probably do. Sales pages aimed at marketing professionals might (should) be an exception as the intended audience is probably well-aware of the techniques and won’t be impressed.

Here’s a list of some of these sales-page techniques -

1. Shock Tactics And Insults (The Rich Jerk)
   “If you don’t buy my e-book you’re going to feel so stupid, you miserable, poor dumbass! Observe my ridiculous earnings and despair, ye frail mortals!” Et cetera. If you play this right, it can be very effective in evoking an emotional response (emotion -> action -> sales…?). It doesn’t matter whether the reader buys the product because of excitement and anticipation or because of greed and shame. Right?
2. (Unlimited) Limited Time Offers
   There’s nothing wrong with limited time offers as such - it’s a valid marketing strategy. However, I have more than once encountered pitch sites that say “this incredibly low price only available for the next XX hours!”. Maybe they even have a live countdown there or something. If you don’t buy it and come back a few days later… suprise! - “…for the next XX hours!” is still there, counting down to some arbitrary time in near future.
3. Out of Stock Downloads
   “Only 2 copies left!” Sounds kind of strange when the product being sold is an e-book or downloadable software. Not enough bytes left to reprint your product, eh?
4. “They” Don’t Want You to Know This…
   Then there are the “dirty secrets” and “killer techniques” that “the Big Canines don’t want you to know”. I mean, all of the “Top Felines” use them and I had to “practically steal” these pages of priceless information from them so I could sell them to you. I’ll even let you in on some “guru” tricks and give you the opportunity to “spy” on … stuff.
5. Metaphors And “Style”
   If a product is 98% similar to other products in the same niche or simply a retelling of well-known truths it can be hard to sell it. Then it’s time to give the product a unique style or brand. Sometimes the author/copywriter goes a bit over-the-top. I’ve seen Ninjas (more than once) and Space Monkeys being injected with cash. Lets not forget the outdated blackhat stuff. I wonder if zombies and pirates are forthcoming?
6. Is Product X a Scam?! (And The U-Turn Tactic)
   Often used to attract visitors to a review of some product, the advertiser initially creates the impression he didn’t like the product and later turns around and endorses it wholeheartedly. While it is actually possible someone disliked a particular product and became a convert later do to recognising the product’s true value, this is usually not the case with most of the reviews.
7. From the Desk of Jon Smith…
   I know, I know - giving the visitor a name improves credibility. Still, it’s not a damn paper letter. It’s not a letter at all! Letters are delivered to the addressee and, on some level, they are personal. The sales page on the other hand is publicly available and compels the faceless visitor to approach it.
8. This Is A Complete Success Blueprint…
   Enough said.
9. Bonuses Worth $1437.95?…
   If a product costs $47 and I’m also offered ten times more “value” in free bonuses I have to wonder if the product is really worth the price, or is it really worth anything at all? Or maybe the bonuses are worthless? Hmm?
10. Straight Out False Advertising
    I’m not going to look up the definiton of “false advertising” for you. Anyway, some sales letters make claims that are simply untrue. The infamous “Get Google Ads Free” e-book is an example of what could be referred to as a borderline case… maybe… if you’re feeling unusually lenient.

Here’s an amazing site that makes fun of some sales page cliches - Buy My Stupid Book.
And another one - ClickHereYouIdiot.com (not so funny yet interesting anyway).

By the way, if you’re looking for information on how to write a sales page, check out these copywriting resources.

White Shadow :: Jul.02.2007 :: Rants, Tips & Tricks ::

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