3D Mail Results: Discount, Premiums, or Both?

Earlier in the week we talked about your clients favorite radio station, W.I.I.F.M., or “What’s in it for Me?” Today we’ll talk about the third of the 7 tips for crafting a compelling offer. To review, see my previous blog posts below.

The question is often asked of me, “Travis, should I use a discount or a premium.” A premium is something you give your client as a free gift for taking the action you want. It can include placing an order, accepting a cross-sell or up-sell or even just opting into your marketing and your prospect giving you their contact information.

I say the only real way to know for sure is to test your offers and see which one wins. However, if time is of the essence, I can make a pretty good argument for premiums over discounts.

My mentor, Dan Kennedy, has said many times that, ”Premiums can, and do drive sales, and that a change of premium, with no other changes, can dramatically alter the results of a promotion.” The primary reason of offering a premium is to give ’fence-sitters’ a push over into immediately buying
action.

Good premiums can be of practical value to your clients, for example, a free report on 3D Mail. However, sometimes ‘vanity items’ or things that people just want to have can drive sales, and can often out-perform the practical item.

Don’t think people care about a free gift? Are you clients just too sophisticated for such ploys? Estee Lauder Cosmetics is generally credited with creating the “gift-with-purchase” strategy we now see often with cosmetic sales today. Some of the richest, most sophisticated women in the world flock to such offers at malls and retail outlets daily.

Finally, multiple premiums often out-perform single premiums. How you present them is also vitally important. “Choose any 3 of these 5,” is just one way. I personally love this because its moves the prospect from a “yes/no,” buying decision to, “Which do I want?” A subtle, yet very powerful sales technique.

As you may know, we offer some premiums on our website. However, we’re really looking to increase both they quality and quantity of what we offer. That’s where I need you’re help, and I’m willing to bribe you to do it.

I’ve got a quick survey I’d like you to complete on some of the new premiums we’d love to have available. If you complete the survey, I’ll send you my free report, “Why Premiums Out-Perform Rebates & Discounts,” plus I’ll send you your choice of one of the free gifts pictured below: