(c) 2016 melanie saladino all rights reserved. www...

(c) 2016 Melanie Saladino All rights reserved. www.MelanieSaladino.com

http://www.MelanieSaladino.com


9 Hidden Questions: Quick-Start Guide

Table of Contents

1 - Introduction: This report will show you how to sell exactly the way your customer likes to buy: emotion first, logic second.

2- The 3-Legged Stool of Marketing: Watch carefully... because that third leg is pretty shaky. Here’s how to tighten it up. (No super glue required.)

3 - Marketing Bias: Everyone writes with blinders on. Here’s how to remove the blinders to give you an unfair advantage in your marketplace.

4 - The Safety-Excitement Scale: How to write “brain-friendly” sales copy that creates high-quality sales and long-term customers.

5 - Writing to Men vs. Writing to Women: How to write bold, exciting sales letters and emails that convert with men and women buyers. (Important because most copywriters are men. However, most online shoppers are women. Yikes!)

6 - The 3 “E”s of Brain Science: Take an ultra-short tour of your customer’s brain; and learn what people look for when making a decision that “feels just right” for them.

7 - 5 Decision Power Principles: Are your female prospects ignoring you? Are your male prospects bored by your offer? If so, this pull-out section is for you. Print it and keep it in a safe place.

8 - 9 Buyer Types: How to write to people you’re never going to meet, and still be able to influence them as easily as if you were chatting over coffee.

9- The 9 Hidden Questions: What really keeps people up at night... the questions they never tell their spouse, and only rarely admit to themselves... and how you can use them to reliably increase sales, and make more money.

10 - Handling Objections on the Fly: How to keep your buyers’ fears from killing your sales.

11 - FAQ Builder: How to write a killer FAQ that pre-sells your customers before they even read your sales letter. (Hint: If you do this right, customers will essentially “prime” themselves to be open to your message.)

12 - Conclusion: Decide what kind of business you are actually in. And how to take your next action steps. (Hint: If you don’t know for sure, then you’re leaving money on the table.)




Chapter 1Introduction

----------------------

This report will show you how to sell exactly the way your customer likes to buy: emotion first, logic second.

Dear Friend,

Thank you downloading this 9 Hidden Questions: Quick-Start Guide. It’s been a labor of love for me.

My story:

Before I was a direct response copywriter, I was a life coach who specialized in stress reduction. I worked with people to reduce the pressure on the “brakes” they experienced in life, and increase the “accelerator” that helped them move towards their goals.

Essentially, the plan was: decrease the pain; increase the happiness.

It worked great.

In learning to market that business, I fell in love with copywriting.

Direct response copywriting gave me the opportunity to speak to people from my heart. It was like being a pen pal... a trusted ally... who made suggestions about what to buy. Then I got to see if they took my advice, or not, based on increased sales results.

I had found my home.

Along the way, I looked for ways to integrate my special brand of Emotional Resonance into all my copy, and I started teaching it to other writers.

This report is the culmination of that extensive study.

Here’s my promise to you:

After reading this report, you will be able to send to out sales letters that feel rock solid because you’ve built an emotional connection with your ideal customers.

The 9 Hidden Questions System will give you:




• An understanding of how people make hidden emotional buying decisions, and how you can leverage that knowledge,

• A proven way to create sales letters that take advantage of the latest in brain science... essentially selling to the heart and the brain at the same time,

• A clear idea of why balancing safety & excitement is the single most important thing you can do to increase sales, and

• All the tools you need to cool off your customer’s emotional “brakes”, ramp up the excitement “accelerator”, and create sales letters that feel powerful and compelling... right out of the gate.

And finally, you’re going to realize that:

• You’ve possibly overlooked a large part of your audience of prospective buyers, which is costing you piles of money…

... and you’ll have a great head-start on solving that problem today.

In the next few pages, I’ll explain the individual Buyer Types, and their Hidden Questions. I’ll show you how to use the Safety Excitement Scale to eliminate Marketing Bias and Blindspots in your copy. I’ll talk about how to use the 9 Buyer Types Model in your sales letters. And, I’ll give you some user tips for in-person and online sales to get better decisions faster, with fewer objections.

This is going to be a blast! Let’s get started.

Sincerely,

Melanie Saladino

Melanie SaladinoDirect Response CopywriterMarketing Consultant

Important Take-away: In this report, you’re going to learn: the 9 Buyer Types and the 9 Hidden Questions; and how to increase sales by boosting the Emotional Power of your sales letters.




Chapter 2The 3-Legged Stool of Marketing

----------------------

Watch carefully... because that third leg is pretty shaky. Here’s how to tighten it up. (No super glue required.)

When we talk about marketing, we usually talk about demographics: income level, age, sex, etc. Then we talk about psychographics: what magazines prospects read, other things they buy, etc. And finally, we are told to “make your copy emotional” because...

... people buy on emotion and justify on logic.

But I noticed, that this creates a wobbly 3-legged stool. It looks like this:

• Demographic facts. Check.• Psychographic behaviors. Check.• Emotional resonance. Maybe. Sometimes, but not reliably or predictably.

So I started wondering, what if there was a way to reliably connect with customer’s emotions?

If you had that, you’d be able to create clear, clean, compelling offers that give prospects everything they need to make solid decisions.

And that’s what good marketers really need:

A way to put their best case forward and then confidently step aside, so that the customer can make a solid decision.

What would that give you?

• Happy, loyal, repeat customers. • Fewer returns and charge backs.• Fewer customer service headaches.

What do your customers get?

• The opportunity to benefit from the cool product you created that improves their lives.

It’s goodness all around.




Important Take-away: Emotional resonance is the key to reliably increasing ideal customer sales and making more money. It is knowable, repeatable, and anyone can learn it.




Chapter 3Marketing Bias

----------------------

Everyone writes with blinders on. Here’s how to remove the blinders to give you an unfair advantage in your marketplace.

Look over the most common marketing biases. Watch out: they’re in everything. Luckily, the 9 Hidden Question System gives you all the tools you need to write stellar copy, blinder-free.

Here we go:

1. Confirmation Bias

Confirmation bias is this: we interpret new information based on a previous belief. It is the most common bias for entrepreneurs, especially ones who are passionate about their business.

For example, imagine a business owner already believes that women between the ages of 30 and 39 would like to buy a new weight loss book (because the entrepreneur is a 35 year old woman who lost a lot of weight and wrote a book about her experience). Confirmation bias could lead her to market to thirty-something women only... without testing to see if the product also appeals to other age groups.

A quick way to overcome this bias is to get fresh eyes on your project. Ask a friend: what does this product remind you of? Who else could benefit from it? Why might my target audience not want to buy this book? You'll be amazed at the new ideas you'll discover.

2. Irrational Escalation

Irrational escalation is this: we ignore new evidence if it undermines a decision that has already been made. It is particularly dangerous for an entrepreneur who is already invested in an idea.

For example, if an entrepreneur has spent time and money creating a new acne program and then discovers that most people won't commit to a 30-day program.... the entrepreneur would be likely to dismiss the research and throw more money at an offer that will probably never generate sales.

This is a tough one. It's important to stay passionate about your product... and be willing to cut your losses if you need to. Try to stay objective. If this offer doesn't work, another one will.




3. Social Desirability Bias

Social desirability is sometimes called Observer Effect. We make choices we think are more "socially acceptable", when they're being watched. This means, people will behave one way on Facebook and another way in person. Or, they might vote for a certain product, but when you finally release it, nobody buys it.

You can prevent this bias by selling a smaller version of your product before you offer a premium version. You can also get honest feedback by giving people multiple (private and public) ways to talk to you about your products and services.

4. Framing Effect

Framing effect happens when similar information gets different results because it was presented in a different way. Essentially, how you present something is more important that what it actually is.

An example of this is when a teacher gives out multiple versions of a test. It reduces cheating. It also tells the teacher how a certain class wants to get their information: true/false quiz, multiple choice or essay? You won't know what connects with your people best until you test it out.

You can compensate for this bias by sending out different versions of your offer. (Sometimes just changing the headline is all it takes to get a better response.)

5. Knowledge Bias

Knowledge bias is this: we like familiar choices more choices that are truly better. The classic example is Classic Coke vs. New Coke. This is why building brand familiarity and loyalty are so important. It's also why testimonials from familiar (and possibly famous) people are so important.

When you pick your testimonials, make sure the testimonial-givers are the ones that matter most to your customers: Highlight people who are similar to your ideal customer. And, highlight people who the customer hopes to be like "some day".

Important Take-aways:

1. Find out what your ideal customer already believes. Stay inside that framework.2. Position your product as a way to support decisions your customer has already made.3. People behave differently when they think they’re being watched. Plan accordingly.4. Presentation matters more than substance.5. Familiar matters more than objectively “better”.




Chapter 4The Safety-Excitement Scale

----------------------

How to write “brain-friendly” sales copy that creates high-quality sales and long-term customers.

Think of the Safety-Excitement Scale As A Breakfast Food

Imagine that it’s your turn to make Sunday brunch.

And you’re craving pancakes.

Now. Mouth-watering pancakes require certain amounts of flour, sugar, salt, eggs, milk, and baking soda.

The ingredients matter. The proportions matter.

Once you nail the structure, you're free to express your creative genius in the kitchen any way you like.

A word of caution: Don’t abandon the core structure. If you do, you’re likely to end up with an inedible mess. (Plus, you’ll still be hungry and that’s annoying every time.)

Here Are the Ingredients You Need to Make Delicious Sales Letters That Close Sales and Create Happy Customers... Fast.

First, you need safety. Second, you need excitement.

On the safety side, the ingredients are:

• Appropriate: “Is this right for me?”• Self-aware: “Do I belong here?”• Environment: “Is this safe?”

One the Excitement side of the scale, the ingredients are:




1. Love: Do you appreciate me?2. Celebration: Will others see me as a success?3. Knowledge: Do I understand everything correctly?4. Entertainment: Is this going to be fun?5. Empowerment: Am I in control of what happens next?6. Community: Am I welcome here (along with my life and people)?

Important Take-away: How you balance safety and excitement is up to you. It’s science and art. Try this: Use all the ingredients. See what feedback you get from your ideal customers. Try again. Keep trying. The success isn’t in the ingredients themselves; it’s how you use them that matters. Have fun with it.




Chapter 5Writing to Men vs. Writing to Women

----------------------

How to write bold, exciting sales letters and emails that convert with men and women buyers. (Important because most copywriters are men. However, most online shoppers are women.

Yikes!)

Imagine a child’s train set with those cute little rail cars all lined up at the depot.

On the left side you see 3 safety triggers: a gas station, and fix-it shop, and a warehouse.

On the right side, you see 6 excitement triggers: a launcher, a tall roller coaster, some hills, a bridge, a cool shadowy tunnel, and a switch track. (Hint: the power is in the switch track.)

This is your little world. Your train track. Your cars.

So, you roll along the track making those happy “chugga-chugga choo-choo” whistling sounds.

Each time you go around the complete track, you increase the impact of the excitement. This makes each new level of excitement feel safe and easy to enjoy.

If you’re writing to men, go through the safety side of the track once in awhile. If you’re writing to women, go around both sides of the track lots and lots of times.

This is how you’ll increase sales and get more ideal customers. It will also decrease refunds and customer service headaches.

The next time you write copy, ask yourself:

• Have I created enough safety for my reader?• Have I created enough excitement around my product?

Important Take-away: Give your reader safety; give your product excitement. Balance the amount of safety and excitement based on whether your ideal customer is male or female. When in doubt, add more safety... because safety creates the fertile ground where excitement grows.




Chapter 6The 3 “E”s of Brain Science

----------------------

Take an ultra-short tour of your customer’s brain; and learn what people look for when making a decision that “feels just right” for them.

Should I move towards or away from this?

Everyone’s brain is asking one essential question: Should I move towards or away from this?

Answering this question takes up a lot of time and energy. So most of the time, it runs on autopilot in the back of people’s minds. If you want to capture your ideal customer’s attention, you need to get in on that autopilot “conversation”.

This is important because people buy on emotion and justify later with logic.

Scientists used to think that the amygdala (the brain’s pleasure-seeking system) was the primary decider in whether a person moved towards or away from something.

But thanks to ultra-modern fMRI scans, we’ve learned that there are actually 3 brain structures that work together to make the “towards vs. away” decision.

So understanding how the brain processes decisions is useful. On the fMRI scans we see...

• Enjoying: We like pleasure. We dislike pain.• Expecting: We learn to expect certain things over time. A little like Pavlov’s dogs, we

come to expect things we’ve seen and experienced before, even without evidence.• Eagerness: We are curious people. And we are highly motivated to seek out interesting,

fun, new, weird... anything that feels like a breath of fresh air.

These 3 systems work as a team to decide if you’ll move towards or away from a decision... or a purchase. If any one of these systems fires a “no” signal in your customer’s brain, the sale is a no-go.

Think of these 3 “no” signals as a set of automatic brakes.

• One set controls the “internal” system: “Can I relax and feel at home here?” • The second set controls the “external” system: “Is this suitable for the way I live my life?” • And the third set scans the environment for danger. It’s a low-grade anxiety that feels like

driving through life with the parking brake on: You’ll get there eventually, but it’s slow going.




Most marketers have no idea this is going on inside their prospect’s brain. But now you have an “unfair” advantages, which means:

You can improve your chances of holding your prospect’s attention, by doing 2 things:

1. Reducing the perceived danger, and2. Increasing the perceived rewards.

Important Take-away: If your offer is genuinely exciting, but isn’t converting, the problem is probably with the safety factors. Find ways to reduce pressure on the overactive “brakes” , and your offer will start performing much better.




Chapter 7The 5 Decision Power Principles

----------------------

Are your female prospects ignoring you? Are your male prospects bored by your offer? If so, this pull-out section is for you. Print it and keep it in a safe place.

Why Does This Work?

There are 5 Decision Power Principles that drive the 9 Hidden Questions System. It’s brain science. (I think that’s really cool.)

Rather than take you through all the science, I’ve decided to give you “the least you need to know” version of a huge, and fascinating field of study.

Here are the principles:

1. Men and women’s brains have all the same parts, but they’re organized differently.

2. Men like safety, however women require safety.

3. Without safety as a baseline, women’s brains will ignore anything else you say.

4. If men are excited enough, they will ignore safety.

5. Reinforcing safety as you increase excitement, increases your chances of closing the sale… for both men and women.

Important Take-away: The trick is to get your customer’s brain working with you instead of against you… or worse... ignoring you altogether.




Chapter 8The 9 Buyer Types

----------------------

How to write to people you’re never going to meet, and still be able to influence them as easily as if you were chatting over coffee.

This chapter is the heart of the 9 Hidden Questions System. It’s critical for copywriting because you’re unlikely to meet your prospect in person. That means that you aren’t able to watch their body language, ask about their buying criteria, match their pace and tone... or use any of the other tools that are essential in person-to-person sales.

All you have are the words.

How you use those words to emotionally resonate with your prospect determines your success or failure in online sales.

It’s you, the words, and this moment. So let’s dive in:

There are 9 Buyer Types.

Most people have a “home base” or favorite type. And when they get stressed out, or feel strong emotions, they will behave like one of the other Buyers, because they are looking at life from a new perspective for a little while.

As you read through all 9 Buyer Types, think about how your ideal client acts on a regular day. Which Type stands out for you? These are the customers that respond to your emails, buy your products repeatedly, rarely annoy you, and often make you smile.

But sometimes, people have bad days. And sometimes, people have crazy, amazing, over-the-moon days.

So I have to ask: Is your sales message built to reach your ideal customers no matter what mood they’re in?

If you’ve never thought about this before, you’re running the risk of only catching your ideal customers 1/3 of the time... on their regular days.

What about the other 2/3’s of the time? They’re still ideal clients, just in a different “head space”. You need to capture them no matter what mood they’re in.




Try this:

1- Read through the Buyer Types.2- Take an educated guess about which Type is your ideal customer.3- Think about your marketing: Are you gearing your sales messages towards this one Buyer Type? How could you be even more focused in your messaging?4- Finally, are there any Buyer Types, you rarely write to? (Remember: Writing to all the Buyer Types will help you capture more of your ideal clients, more often, with less hassle.)

Here’s the world’s fastest tutorial on how to emotionally resonate with your ideal customers. Read on...

1- The “Respect Me” Buyer

He considers himself to be a person with high principles. He likes things logical and orderly. He hates being proven wrong or foolish. He wants to be morally right... and beyond reproach. His secret question is:

Is this right for me?

He'll mask his real concern by poking holes in your logic. All of his objections will be about the implications of making this decision:

“Will I need a new ____ to make this work?”“Are there any hidden costs?”

2- The “Love Me” Buyer

She considers herself to be a warm, loving, and helpful person. She worries about being unloved. She wants to love and be loved... to be seen as helpful, and appreciated for what she does. Her secret question is:

Do you appreciate me?

She'll mask her real concern by talking about trust:

“You don’t understand my problem.”“How do I know you’re qualified?”“I don’t believe you.”

3- The “Celebrate Me” Buyer

He considers himself to be self-confident competitive, attractive... a winner. He worries about being rejected. He wants to be noticed and admired for doing things well. His secret question is:




Will others see me as a success?

He'll mask his real concern by asking questions about timing:

“I don’t need it right now.”“How long will it take to work?”

4- The “Support Me” Buyer

This buyer holds superior standards with contempt for lesser standards. She considers herself to be thoughtful, sincere, sensitive, and emotionally intense. She worries about being defective or broken... not “good enough”. She wants to understand herself and be understood by others. Her secret question is:

Do I belong here?

She'll mask her real concern by talking about bad experiences in the past:

“I got burnt by ____ before.”“____ is a scam! It will only cause damage.”

5- The “Teach Me” Buyer

He considers himself to be very perceptive, and a person who sees things more clearly than others. He worries about being overwhelmed. He wants to understand what’s going on around him, and have the “lay of the land”. His secret question is:

Do I understand everything correctly?

He'll mask his real concern by obsessing over value:

“Isn’t ____ better/ faster/ offering more return?”

6- The “Reassure Me” Buyer

She considers herself to be strong-minded, friendly, and cautious. She worries about being abandoned. She wants to belong and feel safe in her own friendly group. Her secret question is:

Is this safe for me?

She'll mask her real concern by talking about cost vs. need:

“I can’t afford it.” “Do I really need this?”




“It won’t work for me.”

7- The “Entertain Me” Buyer

This buyer values a sense of easy optimism. He considers himself to be a friendly, fun-loving, and able to do well at whatever he chooses to do. He worries about being deprived. He wants to be happy, excited while discovering and doing new things. His secret question is:

Is this going to be fun (without any unpleasant surprises)?

He'll mask his real concern by asking for specific details. This is a trap because he mostly wants to know that there is a plan; he doesn't want to know exactly what's inside the plan:

“I don’t know if I have the authority to buy this.”“What exactly is in the program?”

8- The “Empower Me” Buyer

This buyer has a big sense of justice. She considers herself to be different, independent, decisive, and respected. She worries about being under someone else’s authority. She wants to be in control. Her secret question is:

Am I in control of what happens next?

She'll mask her real concern by asking logistical questions:

“How do I start using the product?” “What happens if I don’t like it?”“Can I return it?”“What if I have questions or need help?”

9- The “Invite Me” Buyer

This buyer likes to make decisions slowly. He believes waiting improves the quality of each decision. He considers himself to be friendly and easy-going. He wants everyone to get along with one another. He worries about being separated or alone. He wants to be peaceful and keep things as they are... or as they were in the past. His secret question is:

Am I welcome here (along with my whole life and all my people)?

He'll mask his real concern by posing this objection:

“I don’t want to rock the boat at home.” “What will I tell my spouse about buying this product?”




Important Take-away: People bounce all over the place emotionally. As the writer, it’s your job to be steady. Move with the reader. Don’t let go. Be someone worth paying attention to on every day, in every mood.




Chapter 9The 9 Hidden Questions

----------------------

What really keeps people up at night... the questions they never tell their spouse, and only rarely admit to themselves... and how you can use them to reliably increase sales, and make more

money.

Each Buyer Type has a question they hold close their heart. It’s a simple question. Something that loops in their head. They might not even know it’s there. But when you answer that question, they suddenly feel like they are in the right place, at the right time, making the right decision.

What they’re really asking is: Do you “get” me?

Here they are:

1. Is this right for me?2. Do you appreciate me?3. Will others see me as a success?4. Do I belong here?5. Do I understand everything correctly?6. Is this safe for me?7. Is this going to be fun (without any unpleasant surprises)?8. Am I in control of what happens next?9. Am I welcome here (along with my whole life and all my people)?

Tip: The majority of buyers fall into 3 categories. If you can only hit three emotional hot buttons, these are the most important ones:

• I love you. • I respect you.• This is going to be a good time.

Important Take-away: People are really asking: Do you “get” me?

Answering these 9 hidden questions in your sales letters and emails is a great way to show that you understand your customer, without having to blatantly say, “I get you.” This works because demonstration is more compelling than simply saying the words.




Chapter 10Handling Objections on the Fly

----------------------

How to keep your buyers’ fears from killing your sales.

All objections fall under the umbrella of 3 dark emotions. The easiest way to keep customers from getting stuck in the “I’m not sure” loop is to speak openly and honestly about those concerns before they become deal breakers.

Here are the 3 dark-side feelings that sabotage sales:

Fear: “I’m afraid this won’t work. What if it’s not for me? What will my family say, if I fail again?”

To knock this out before it becomes a problem, talk about these 3 things:

1. Talk about how much fun this is going to be because... you have a plan, and you are going to guide them every step of the way.

2. This solution is safe AND your product that delivers the solution is safe. Both are important. Say both. And,

3. Clear up any misunderstandings. Give kindergarten-simple instructions for everything. Show snapshots of order screens and the products themselves. Leave nothing to the imagination. Fear of the unknown is more terrifying than fear of a known quantity.

Anger: “I’ve been burned before. Everyone’s a crook, these days. I hate high-pressure sales.”

1. Talk about how much you respect your customers and the decisions they make.2. Assure them that they are in control. Every step is up to them. You are merely there to guide

their success, as needed, and3. Make sure they feel welcome. They are invited to make a decision. Of course, it’s better if

they decide now... because there are some nice bonuses if they act right now... but ultimately there’s no pressure.

Shame: “I’d feel terrible about myself if this doesn’t work out. I’d hate to let someone down. What if I don’t fit in?”




1. Talk about how much you love and appreciate your customers.2. Talk about how others will see their success. Use before & after stories to show how

successful others have been with your product.3. Tell them how they’ll fit right in to your community. There are like-minded people in your

tribe. They are not alone anymore.

Important Take-away: People make decisions out of their fears in the blink of an eye. Once they make that decision, it is very difficult to change their minds. Handling objections right up front helps tip the scales in your favor.




Chapter 11FAQ Builder

----------------------

How to write a killer FAQ that pre-sells your customers before they even read your sales letter. (Hint: If you do this right, customers will essentially “prime” themselves to be open to your

message.)

This section is interesting because FAQs are an untapped well of selling power.

On its face, an FAQ is just a list of questions.

But underneath that, there’s this truth: People ask certain questions all the time because they have a strong feeling behind them.

It’s not even so much about getting a good answer... it’s about the need to ASK the question.

This is a powerful point: The need to ask is purely emotion-driven. That means you’ve found a heat source... a way into your customer’s mind.

How can you use this channel to prime buyers for the sale?

Give powerful answers.

Then, step back and let the customer make solid decisions based on your clean offer.

Here’s How to Write FAQs that Get Inside Your Customer’s Head

Customers want to get their problems solved. It’s a driving need. It’s not something they keep to themselves. So they’re going to give you clues about what matters to them. Often, they’ll scream out their frustrations.

You’ll see it in customer service emails, Facebook rants, unsubscribes, product returns, etc. If you don’t have these things for your own products, go look at someone else’s. The fuel is there. You just need to decode it... and leverage it.

Here are the steps:




1. Look at the objection carefully: What does it remind you of? Is there a Hidden Question? Hint: The Hidden Question will be one of the 9 we’ve already discussed.

2. Answer the Hidden Question on 2 levels: logical and emotional.

Here’s an example:

Say I'm selling an ebook... and sales are going pretty good. Customers are sending in feedback. I'm even getting emails that ask questions like:

“What happens if I don’t like the product? Can I return it? What if I have questions or need help?”

When I look at these objections, I see that I'm working with an “Empower Me” Buyer because what he's really asking is:

Am I in control of what happens next?

You answer his objection on 2 levels:

1. The logical level: State what your exact policies are for returns and customer support, and,

2. The emotional level: Say something like this: "You are in complete control. I respect and admire your independent and decisive manner. This makes you one of the few who are ideally suited for this program. You have complete authority to take this process and make it your own. Your results are the direct result of your quick action. And that's exactly how it should be."

Here’s another example:

Imagine that you meet with a completely different type of buyer. Her objection might sound like this:

“Do I really need this? I can’t afford it. It probably won't work for me anyway."

This tells me I'm working with a “Reassure Me” Buyer because what she's really asking is:

Is this safe for me?

You answer this objection on 2 levels:




1. The logical level: Explain how this is cheaper than buying a competing solution or continuing with their existing problem, that living with the existing problem is no longer an option, and talk about how it has worked for similar people in the past, and

2. The emotional level: For this buyer, the tone of the letter and the sound of the words are critical: Speak in a friendly manner. Use clear, simple words. Avoid sounding overly hype-y. Say something like this: "You belong here. I have reserved a spot especially for you. You will find other strong, friendly, no-nonsense people here who are waiting to help you get the results you are after. You don't have to struggle alone."

No matter what this person ultimately decides, you can feel confident that you answered both his stated and hidden questions.

Tip: You don’t need to use my exact words to get the desired effect. It’s the feel of the words that make the difference. Change the words to feel authentic to you, while also answering your customer’s Hidden Question, and you’ll get a good result.

8 Ways to Use FAQs to Increase Sales

The goal of creating Emotion-Driven FAQs is to help people make their best decisions, because letting objections interfere with making a good decision is not fair to them or to you.

Yes and No can both be good outcomes... as long as you feel you've presented your offer in a way that gives the customer everything they need to make a solid decision. To amplify this effect further, try these ideas:

1- Make it feel real: Ideas feel like “real” things when you can put them in an imaginary wheelbarrow and push them around the back yard. Make sure your answers feel concrete. Tip: Use a metaphor. The more visual the better.

2- Make it feel now: Check your verbs to make sure they make sense. Remember, your FAQ appears at the end of the letter. They’ve already gone on the journey with you from: Here’s the Problem all the way to Here’s What’s Possible. We’re at the end now. Your reader is in the moment. Reinforce that “Your future is now” feeling.

3- Make it feel permanent: This one is about weight. Let your reader settle in to the sensation that your product is a substantial item that brings them a solid outcome. That grounded feeling is soothing and will often get a customer to commit to the purchase.




4- Turn up the volume: Most people read silently to themselves. It’s a habit we picked up in grade school that most people don’t outgrow. Use that to your advantage. Give preference to words like “listen”, over words like “look”. The only exception is if you want them to look at a picture that’s actually in the letter.

5- Put it in motion: People prefer things that are in motion. And, they like to match their movements to their peers. So. Tell stories about their peers who took action and got a good result with your product.

7- Reduce the risk: Remove barriers by reminding them of the guarantee and other safety measures that are built into your product. This includes risks around the product itself, and risks around getting their desired result. Both are critical to the customer.

8- Show the future: Show the customer the process and the ultimate outcome. Fear of the unknown is the enemy here. The journey matters as much as the destination. Show both.

9- Get emotional: Imagine what would happen if a copy bullet met a testimonial, and they made a bouncing baby boy. That’s how short and emotional your story needs to be. Make it bright with new life. If your product has the power to bring fresh energy into their lives, now is the time to show it.

Important Take-away: Combine all 8 FAQ tips to anchor your reader to place and time. This will help you get their attention, and keep their attention, on you and your product. When something feels:

• Real, • Now,• Permanent, • Loud enough, • Moving, • Safe, • Possible, and • Vibrant,...

...then it is compelling. FAQs are a perfect place to leverage these buying emotions to increase sales.




Chapter 12Conclusion

----------------------

Decide what kind of business you are actually in. And how to take your next action steps. (Hint: If you don’t know for sure, then you’re leaving money on the table.)

4 Key Take-aways from this 9 Hidden Questions Report:

• Even when you are working with ideal customers, there are 9 types of buyers with 9 different reasons not to buy at any moment in time.

• Even if your Ideal Customer description is 100% on point... there are still lots of different people in your ideal client pool. And they're all making decisions from these 9 vantage points all the time.

• Depending on when you happen to catch that person's attention, you could miss out on closing a deal with a great customer, because he's having a stressed-out day... and isn't able to respond to your regular marketing messaging.

• If your product is truly a good fit for them, then using the 9 Hidden Questions System will help you connect with them no matter where they’re at emotionally.

Here's what to do now:

1. Discover your Personal Buying Type. Read through the 9 Buyer Types. Do you see yourself on the list? Read the suggested ideas. Would these simple changes have helped you say "yes" to buying decisions in the past?

2. Discover your Customers' Hidden Questions. Look at the 9 Hidden Questions. Do you see customer objections that have stumped you in the past? (You'll see several ideas for how to immediately improve your copy and increase sales.)

3. Apply the 9 Hidden Questions to your own offer. Are you gearing your sales messages toward your ideal Buyer Type? How could you be even more focused in your messaging? (You'll see what needs to be adjusted in your copy and you'll get suggestions for exactly where to beef up your copy.)

4. Expand your Reach. Finally, are there Buyer Types that you rarely write to? (Try answering all 9 Hidden Questions in your copy help you capture more of your ideal customers, more often, with less hassle.)




5. Get Feedback. If you’d like to learn more about how to emotionally connect with your ideal customers, send me an email at [email protected]. We’ll set up a time to talk about how to laser focus your messaging and increase sales. You can also learn more by visiting www.MelanieSaladino.com

Thank you for reading the 9 Hidden Questions Quick-start Guide. I’d love to hear how you use these ideas in your own sales letters and emails. Feel free to drop me a note anytime.

Sincerely,

Melanie Saladino

Melanie SaladinoDirect Response CopywriterMarketing Consultant

www.MelanieSaladino.com


mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]







(c) 2016 melanie saladino all rights reserved. www...

Documents