The Game That Increases Your Sales – Nasscom Emergeout Takeaway

You might know that I was one of the speakers at the recently concluded Nasscom Emergeout Conclave at Kolkata. My presentation was based around “Increase Your Sales With Internet Marketing“.

I introduced an interesting game that website owners can regularly play to increase the conversion of visitors to prospects and customers. For the benefit of those who could not make it to the conclave and to remind those who attended, here is how the game is played.

An interesting fact before we learn how to play this game – “People buy on emotion and justify with logic.” So if your prospect decides to buy your product or service from your web site, he does so because of some gut feeling after looking at your website. Now if he can successfully justify this with logic (again based on your web site content), he will go ahead and do so. If the information on the site does not help to justify this, he will abort the purchase.

Ok – let’s play…

1. Imagine you are your prospective customer. You have to make a mental picture of who are your typical customers and become one of them.

2. Now open your website in another window of this browser. Watch it load for a few seconds and switch back to this window. I will wait while you do so.

3. Back already? Great! If you want to spend some more time at the site, go ahead, I will be patiently waiting for you here.

4. What kind of emotions are running through your mind? Does that site look professional? Do you feel that this is a useful product for you? Can it provide you some benefits if you buy that? Is your life going to become easier? Improved productivity? Does the company look like one you can safely buy from?

5. Now let us assume, you feel like buying this product. However you will have to convince your accountant or purchase department or boss or wife – whoever – that it is useful to buy this. How will you do so? Go back to the site and collect information that will help you justify your purchasing decision.

Do they layout the benefits clearly? Can you see testimonials from other satisfied users? Any certifications? Is the cost justifiable? Guarantee? Refund policies? List out everything that you will use to convince your approval authority for allowing you to purchase it.

6. Let’s change the track now. We will assume that you do not get the emotional high that tells that you really need to buy this. Why? What went wrong? Go back to the site and find out what is missing.

Have they not explained the benefits clearly? Are they offering facts that are not verifiable? Something looks shady? No testimonials? Doubtful testimonials (like one from John, USA)? Price too high? Contact information missing or hidden somewhere deep? No photos? No case studies? It is just a me-too product with no clear differentiator from other products?

List out all the objections that drag you away from making the purchase NOW.

7. Ok – let’s stop pretending you are a prospect and check your website again.

You know what to do next. You will have to take up these issues one by one and update your website so that the good things are highlighted properly and the negative points are taken care of.

Generally it takes one week to play a round of this game. Next week you can again don the hat of Mr. Prospect and play one more round.

As you can predict, it becomes easier to make the first list and more difficult to make the second list as you progress. However you have already tasted success – your conversion rate is improving and more people are buying rather than just looking.

Keep playing and keep writing to me (by commenting below) how much you are enjoying this fun exercise. You have my best wishes!

Be a winner!