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Instead of creating a product and then convincing people they must have it. Go the easier route and create your product that's already what they are looking for. Then you don't have to work nearly as hard to sell it. Ask them - Survey your prospects and ask them about their biggest challenges are, and what is preventing them from overcoming them. Find out specifically what tools they would like to help them ... perhaps a coach, a book, or a software program? Review what's working - Look at your lead generating marketing efforts and see what is creating the best results. If you are using article marketing, you can analyze what article titles get articles viewed and which have article content that leads to subscribers. If you are using trade magazine advertisements or even ppc or newsgroups and blogs, you also can monitor your feedback through which keywords get attention, what headlines and what are people reading and talking about. Don't try to create excitement about a product - capture the excitement that is already there. Take inventory of your knowledge - What do you really know well enough to teach? What unique insight can you provide? What are all of the steps that your client must take to reach success? Write out all of the steps your typical client would have to take to get from where they are today to where they want to be. Especially focus of the first several steps and think of what you could focus on to create a product that will give them substantial value and is also related to a topic that your prospects are already very interested in. Virtual or Physical
First of all, when you are finished with your product funnel you may have more than one entry-level product that precedes your membership Website. For your first introductory product I would recommend creating a physical product if you can afford the small overhead generated from creating the physical product, packaging, and shipping. I recommend using a physical product for your introductory product because people (especially those that don't know and trust you very well yet) have a higher perceived value of a physical product. They have something to actually send back if they don't like it, and the box in the mail is something to show for their money. If they are happy with the product and you continue to earn their trust, then whether the product is physical or virtual will matter less in the future. Ideas for Physical Products
Book - One of the most highly accepted forms of information products, and they make excellent entry-level information products. Having a published book still creates some level of respect and trust in our society, and they are an affordable way for the client to get access to information. Report - In our busy day and age, you should never try to create more content by repeating yourself (in the same medium). If you don't have enough to say to create a book, then by all means write a useful, concise report. If you chalk it full of content and leave it void of filler, your clients will thank you. Audio CD - Content can be composed in a number of ways: o Reading: a tutorial or other text is the most basic form of audio CD product and can be a useful tool on its own or in conjunction with the print version. Reading is also a great way for a nervous speaker to get started. You don't need to improvise or come up with anything on the spot because your "speech" is 100% scripted. o Teleseminars/seminars: There are great because they "kill two birds with one stone" and you get a product out of doing your "other work." o Interviews: These are a great way to cover an old topic with a fresh twist. Since they are taking place between two people you never know exactly where the conversation will take you and the dynamics can be entertaining and educational. o Private Conversational Method: The private conversation method is great for bonding with your listeners. In this method you create a recording (you can probably use software that is already on your computer) of you having what has the feel of a private conversation with your listener. This style is similar to the approach you would use if speaking in front of a group of people but tends to be more casual and only ever identifies the individual as the "interaction" is taking place between you and one listener at a time. Think of this as a recording of a conversation with an acquaintance at a coffee shop. DVD - You can create DVDs from a variety of sources: o Screenshot: This tool is great for teaching people how to use programs on their computer or software on a website. You can easily record the view of your screen while you click buttons, type in content and open websites. You can also add your voice over the video to verbally explain the process. If you are trying to teach anything remotely technical on a computer then this is the ticket. Camtasia Studio Screeshots is one of the most popular programs to use for generating video based on your screenshots. o Interview: Video recordings of interviews (or pieces of them) can be very valuable. If you are going to create a video of an interview make sure that everyone in the interview is aware well in advance and that you communicate with them the type of "dress code" you have, if any. Dark solid colors generally work best. Also, you may choose to hire a professional, but if you create the video yourself you will want to make sure you are using a well lit room with minimal background distractions, like a busy dιcor or construction noises. Do not record in front of a bright window unless you have spotlights on everyone. Be aware that not everyone who is comfortable doing an audio-recorded interview will feel the same about video. If they are too uncomfortable with the idea of video, it is better to have a fun relaxed audio interview than a stiff awkward video of one. o Webinar: The video version of a teleseminar. A recording of a conference call or teleseminar that also has computer screen sharing so the audience is able to view the presenter's computer screen during the call. Great way to create a product out of work you had to do anyway. o Teaching: This format is exactly as it sounds, a recording of the presenter teaching the material. They may be sitting at a desk, or standing in front of a chalkboard. o Speaker: A complete film or clip of a speaker at a seminar event. A great clip can be a nice ready-made product, and of course the fact that it is taken from an event that you are speaking at adds validity. o Slide show: Unlike a screenshot video, a slide show video is not created from actions you take on your computer but from an organization of prepared PowerPoint slides including text, animation, audio, images and/or charts and graphs. o Combination: Some of the best informational product videos are created of a combination of two or more different types of recordings. Changing the style breaks up the recording and can make it more entertaining and easier to follow. o Natural environment: You could create a recording like this while talking and walking on the beach, standing on a mountaintop or driving down the road. The idea is to make the viewer feel like they are a friend or acquaintance just having a little chat. Bonuses
Bonuses are important in tipping the scale. They take a product from being a good value, to a steal you would have to be crazy to walk away from. Whenever I am thinking about bonus ideas I think of the famous info-commercials over the years. These are excellent examples of using bonuses to give shoppers that extra little reason that they needed to buy. Ideas for Bonuses
Your options for bonuses are only limited by your imagination. Here are a few different ideas for you to get started: List of helpful resources Another information product that you sell/sold A poster, picture or sign that contains an important philosophy, formula or diagram that is crucial for your clients' success Private consultation with you CDs, DVDs or reports on related topics Membership Website access for a limited time Newsletter subscription for a limited time Three months subscription to an audio CD series Gift certificate to use towards other purchases from your business E-mail access to you for a limited time Small group teleseminar and webinar coaching You can make bonuses more attractive by letting your client select the item(s) that they want from a list. Make sure that your bonuses are always relevant to the group purchasing the product and will help them achieve their goals. When you have a strong set of bonuses, it is not uncommon for people to buy a product for a particular bonus, not the primary product itself. Never include "fluff" for your bonuses. They will not only fail to build the value of your information product, but it will actually discredit the value of everything in the package.
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