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How One Button Made Amazon 43% More Sales

 

Amazon made an extra $2.4 billion a year by changing one button—not a new product, not a new marketing campaign, or new management—just one button: the “Buy Now” button. This simple change allowed for a single click to purchase, no credit card forms, no hassle. Let’s dive into how it works, the surprising science behind it, and how you can apply the same principles to boost your sales, no matter what you sell—even if you don’t have a checkout button.

The Hidden Cost of Convenience

Think about your online shopping experience. How many times have you abandoned your cart because the checkout was too much of a hassle? You might have gotten distracted, faced frustrating forms, worried about security, or second-guessed your decisions as extra steps took too much time. This is where Amazon’s one-click button comes in.

The hidden cost of convenience

The Science Behind One-Click Buying

A 2023 study by Murat Unal and Young-Hoon Park from Cornell University analyzed over 18,000 online shoppers over 35 months. They found that one-click buying:

  • Increased spending by 28.5%
  • Increased orders by 43%
  • Increased items purchased by 36%
  • Led to customers visiting 32 times more frequently
  • Resulted in an extra 245 minutes spent on the site

So, why is one-click buying so effective? It’s not just about convenience; it removes negative emotions. The emotional weight of a complicated purchase process—like pulling out a credit card, entering an address, and navigating multiple screens—makes the purchase feel harder and heavier. This emotional factor is the first surprise in how one-click buying boosts sales.

One-Click Buying: An Engagement Magnet

Here’s the second surprise: one-click buying isn’t just a sales booster; it’s an engagement magnet. The same study found that one-click buyers made 32 more visits to the site and spent an extra 245 minutes browsing. Why? Because buying becomes easy and enjoyable. This encourages customers to return, explore, and discover, creating a positive feedback loop. A customer uses one-click to buy a product and then browses more, discovering new items and buying even more. It’s a snowball effect!

One-click buying engagement magnet

The Unexpected Winner

Now, the third surprise is who benefits most from one-click shopping. It’s not your loyal high-spending customers; it’s actually the occasional buyers. They are the ones most sensitive to the friction of a traditional checkout process. One-click removes that barrier, turning them into more frequent, higher-spending customers. Research shows that these occasional buyers benefit significantly more from one-click than ultra-loyal customers.

The unexpected winner

Friction: The Key to Unlocking Growth

So, what’s the key element that can get you a 42% lift in sales (even if you don’t sell online)? The answer is friction. One-click removes friction online, but you can remove friction anywhere in your business. This is how you can apply it:

  • Simplify your processes
  • Streamline your communication
  • Make it easy for your customers to interact with you

Imagine a doctor’s office: one has patients filling out long paper forms and waiting weeks for appointments. The other practice has online appointment scheduling, digital forms to complete at home, and automated reminders. This reduces friction for patients and improves efficiency for the office.

Friction in business

Implementing Frictionless Selling

Frictionless selling is the future. If you’re not working on this, your competition is. To succeed, you must eliminate friction at every step. Don’t just think about online checkouts; examine your entire sales and delivery process. Identify pain points, delays, and areas where customers get frustrated. Simplify, streamline, and automate, then measure the impact on your sales.

Continuously Optimize for Success

Repeat this process constantly, looking for ways to reduce friction and enhance the customer experience. Start with the changes that will give the biggest impact. If you want a step-by-step way to find exactly what to tackle first, use my Scale with Science method, available for free. Learn how to apply the scientific method to grow your business.

Continuously optimize for success

By simplifying the checkout process, reducing friction, and leveraging the psychology of shopping, you can drive higher conversion rates and increase revenue. As Amazon’s success with one-click ordering demonstrates, the future of business is providing fast, efficient, and intuitive ways for customers to buy from you.

 

January 23, 2025
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The Right Way to Use Discounts in Your Business

 

Discounts are supposed to boost sales, right? So why do they sometimes feel like setting fire to your profits? You slash prices hoping for a flood of customers, but all you get is a trickle. And you’re not alone; most businesses do discounts dead wrong and they’re leaving money on the table. Let’s explore how to get it back using science.

The Problem with Deep Discounts

Ever wonder why those 80% off signs sometimes scream desperation instead of value? A 2018 study by Zike Cao, Kai-Lung Hui, and Hong Xu, published in Information Systems Research analyzed nearly 20,000 daily deals and found something shocking: discounts over 60% can actually backfire. They make people think your product is cheap and not a bargain, causing quality perception to plummet along with your sales.

Study on discounts and sales

I once consulted with a software business struggling with slow sales. They were constantly discounting at the end of the quarter, up to 70% off, trying to make their numbers. Yet, the more they discounted, the fewer customers they attracted. Customers were avoiding them, assuming the product wasn’t good or that the company was in financial trouble.

Understanding Customer Psychology

This isn’t just for bargain basement brands. Another study looked at 1.8 million sales on Groupon and found that even small increases past the 55% average discount resulted in decreased sales across the board. For instance, if you’re selling a premium coffee maker for $100, slashing the price down to $40 might seem like a great deal, but it triggers alarm bells in your customer’s mind. They start to think, “What’s wrong with it? Is it a knockoff? Is it defective?” However, at 55% off, that’s $45, and suddenly it feels like a premium product at a steal.

Premium product pricing

This reminds me of when I started my marketing agency. I thought low prices would attract more customers, so I discounted my services to about $599 a month. Month after month, I was disappointed with the lower quality clients and sales objections from prospects. So I tested a higher price point of $1,500, which worked. I then tried $2,500, and that worked too. I reached $5,000 a month (eventually, $25,000/month), and each time my close rates increased. It was confusing at first, but I learned that by positioning my services as a premium offering, I attracted more and better customers.

The Importance of Pricing Strategy

This taught me a valuable lesson about the psychology of pricing. Before diving into how to test your discounts to maximize revenue, let me share the framework I use. You need a system for testing and scaling all your marketing efforts, including pricing. That’s where my Scale with Science Protocol comes in (available for free at the link below).

Three Stages of Testing

  1. Directional Testing: This is where we quickly and cheaply eliminate losing discounts. You only need $50 to run this test. Create two ads – one with a dollars-off discount (express as $X off) and one with a percentage-off discount (Y% off). Run them on Facebook or Instagram, targeting your ideal customer. This isn’t about making sales; it’s about measuring which gets clicked on the most.
  2. Statistical Testing: After identifying the winner from the first phase, you refine that message to turn clicks into conversions. Test various dollar amounts or percentage discounts to find the best return on investment.
  3. Revenue Testing: Finally, you get to scale your proven winner and optimize for maximum profit. This is where you launch pre-order campaigns or limited-time offers using the discount that works best.

Testing framework for discounts

The Right Type of Discount

Research shows that the type of discount matters depending on the price point. For products over $100, customers respond best to a dollar amount off. For example, a $600 laptop with $150 off feels better than 25% off. But for products under $100, percentages are more persuasive; for a $50 sweatshirt, 20% off feels more significant than a $10 discount.

Applying the Framework

You might be wondering how to apply all this to your products or services. Pricing can feel like a black box, but I’ve compiled over 45 research papers on pricing into a simple flowchart, which you can get for free below. This eliminates the guesswork, so no more gut feelings – just proven strategies.

Conclusion

Discounts are a powerful tool, but they’re only one piece of the revenue puzzle. If you’re ready to take your business to the next level, click on the link to download the Scale with Science Protocol and learn how to maximize your pricing strategy. Remember, effective pricing is about understanding your customer’s perception and testing different approaches to find what truly works.

 

January 16, 2025
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The New Paid Ads Strategy for 2025

 

Pouring money into paid ads and getting crickets? You’re not alone. Many business owners waste thousands before figuring out what works. In this guide, I’ll share the simple tweaks that transformed my paid ad campaigns, taking one business from barely breaking even to generating over $2.9 million in profit.

Before we dive into the details, let’s address a common misconception: the bigger your ad budget, the more effective your campaigns will be. This isn’t always true. I’ve seen companies with huge budgets perform worse than those spending a fraction of that amount due to a huge mistake that tanks campaigns before they even get started. Let’s explore what that is and how to fix it.

The Biggest Mistake in Paid Advertising

Most business owners are stuck in the past, treating paid advertising like it’s 2010. But the landscape has changed dramatically. Video has taken over, dominating over 80% of all internet traffic. If you’re not using video ads, you’re leaving money on the table. However, there’s a catch: many people misunderstand how to use video ads effectively.

It’s not about production quality or having the perfect script. In our tests, simple videos shot on phones often outperformed expensive, professionally produced content. The key is in how you present these videos. Think about how you use social media—most people hold their phones vertically. Yet, many businesses are still running horizontal or square ads, which costs them dearly.

Vertical video ads outperform horizontal ads

A 2021 study published in the Journal of Interactive Marketing showed that vertical video ads had a 57% view completion rate compared to just 43% for horizontal ads. Even better, vertical ads had a 10% higher engagement rate. Why? Because vertical video creates a frictionless experience; it’s the natural way people hold their phones. No matter your business type, using video will make a significant difference.

Steps to Create Successful Paid Ad Campaigns

Now that you understand the importance of vertical video, let’s go through a step-by-step process to create paid ad campaigns that convert.

Step 1: Directional Testing

More ideas will fail than succeed. Accept that. Your first step is to spend just $50 on what I call a directional test. This helps you eliminate the losers quickly. If you’re just starting out, test different ad ideas and hooks in your videos. The Scale with Science protocol will help you track what works and what doesn’t, allowing you to pick winners without wasting too much money.

Directional testing helps eliminate losers

In my last business, I used this strategy to turn $500 in spend into $2.9 million in sales by avoiding ads that would never convert. Wouldn’t you want to eliminate ineffective strategies before investing heavily?

Step 2: Statistical Testing

After identifying potential winners, refine them by testing different variations. For video ads, run three to five variations that performed well in the directional test against each other to see which produces the most revenue. You might not make money during directional testing, but as you transition to statistical testing, you should start seeing positive results.

Statistical testing refines ad performance

This stage is critical because it shows what resonates with your audience and which ads convert best into revenue. Remember, you can grab a free copy of the Scale with Science diagram to help with this process.

Step 3: Revenue Testing

Once you’ve identified the best-performing ads, it’s time to scale. By filtering out ineffective ads through the first two steps, you can focus on those that drive revenue. Businesses that scale the fastest aren’t necessarily those with the biggest budgets; they are the ones that test the most variations quickly.

Revenue testing scales successful ads

One of my clients tested 400 variations in a month while their competitors were still perfecting their first video. My businesses test thousands of ad variations, which keeps us ahead of rising ad costs and poor performance.

Final Step: Elevate and Scale

Once you have a winning ad, don’t stop testing. Keep refining and exploring new concepts. This iterative process helps you stay ahead of the curve. 

Elevate and scale successful ads

Make sure to download your free copy of the Scale with Science protocol to assist you on this journey. 

Want the full strategy? Join my Free 7-day Mini-Masterclass to learn how to grow your company faster … and with total confidence.

 

January 8, 2025
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Five Tips to Double Your Sales with Scientific Testing

 

Tired of wasting money on marketing that just doesn’t work? You could be doubling your sales but you’re probably making this one critical mistake.

The secret weapon is scientific testing. In this article, you’ll get five tips to double your sales in under a year. I’ve used this method to scale multiple businesses to millions of dollars.

We’re going to ditch the guesswork, embrace the science, and I’ll even give you a free tool to make it all easy.

Understanding the Power of Continuous Testing

A study by Koning, Hasan, and Chatterji in Management Science (September 2022) showed that continuous testing can boost customer visits to your website by 10% within just a few months. This compounds to a 30% to 100% jump after a year. That’s doubling your prospects just by testing using the scientific method.

I launched an e-commerce business with just $500 in tests over four months, and I scaled it to over $2.9 million in profit (and still counting).

This is how you do it: small directional tests that are fast and cheap.

The Common Mistakes in Testing

Most businesses do testing wrong. They change too many things at once, spend too much money, and wait too long. Here’s the right way to approach it with five essential tips:

1. The One Thing Rule

Test one thing at a time. This is known as isolating variables in science. It means to test one thing on each test – maybe it’s the headline, the color of a button, or the picture on a webpage. Pick one (and make it one that counts – something that can move the needle). Don’t change everything at once. If you do, your tests will either take too long, cost too much, or won’t provide useful information.

2. Directional Tests

This is my secret weapon. A directional test is a small tweak with a small budget that gives a big impact. Use my free Sell More with Science flowchart to pinpoint exactly where your business stands, whether you’re a startup or looking to scale. For instance, a quick $50 directional test based on that chart can tell you if your credibility messaging resonates. In under 24 hours, you’ll know if it’s a winner or a dud. No more wasting ad spend.

(image below – full download can be found here)

Sell More with Science flowchart

3. Don’t Get Fooled

Don’t bail on a test too early. Directional tests are great for eliminating duds, but for promising ideas, you need statistical significance. This means making sure your test runs long enough to give you reliable data.

4. Profit From Failure

As Thomas Edison famously said, “I’ve not failed, I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.” Negative testing is about actively seeking failure quickly. Each time you test something—a bad headline, a rejected offer, or an ignored image—you get closer to what works. It’s about eliminating all the things that are wrong and focusing on what truly works. You’ll generate more cash by quickly eliminating ineffective options.

5. Assume You Know Nothing

Test everything. You think you know your customer? Test it. You think you know what they want? Test it. Assume you know nothing because until you test, you don’t know. In one of my businesses, we actually place bets on every test to see which headline or offer will win. Guess what? We’re almost always wrong. Testing is the key to unlocking true customer insights.

Conclusion

No more guessing. No more dart throwing. You have control and predictable growth. It’s not luck; it’s science. This approach works for every area of your business.

Next Steps

Want to dive deeper? Download my free resource: Sell More with Science. You can also explore my Scale with Science Mini-Masterclass for more insights.

Let’s keep the conversation going! Connect with me on Twitter and Instagram.

 

December 26, 2024
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Maximising Sales Through Online Reviews

 

Could you be missing out on a 24% increase in sales by not focusing on your online reviews? Let’s explore how to take control of your reviews and turn them into a powerful sales weapon using science. I’m going to give you a tool so you can do it NOW.

The Impact of Reviews

A 2021 study in the Journal of Marketing Science found that a single negative first review can tank your average rating by 0.29 stars and cost you nearly 40 reviews over the next year. AND … if that one bad review is the first one shown, it can poison the well for months to come. However, if you get those first reviews right, you’re setting yourself up for a wave of positive feedback since customers often base their reviews on earlier reviews.

Step 1: Respond to Every Review

Here’s the first step to fixing this: respond to every single review, good or bad. Research by Proserpio and Zervas published in the Journal of Marketing Research found that responding to reviews boosts star ratings and can increase the total reviews by 12%. It can also bump you up half a star within six months. Why? It shows that you care, you’re listening, and this builds brand value over time.

Responding to reviews boosts star ratings

Now, before I give you the how-to, I’ve created a free mini masterclass on scaling with science, packed with tactics you can use today. Just click here to get it for free: Free 7-day mini-masterclass  

Handling Negative Reviews

We all get negative reviews from time to time. Research from Bocconi University and INSEAD in 2023 showed that a single negative review on the first page of your webpage can decrease purchases by 42%. Each additional negative review drops that by another 27%. This effect is strongest for reviews about product or service functionality. But remember, negative reviews aren’t all bad. They give you a chance to publicly demonstrate how you handle problems and can turn dissatisfied customers into brand advocates by responding to them.

Negative reviews can decrease purchases

Step 2: Review Order Matters

Next up is review order. Research from Tuck and the London Business Schools highlights something called the primacy effect. A bad first review is incredibly damaging, but a relevant positive first review is a massive plus. Check how your website or product listing sorts reviews. If they are sorted by date, fix that – and feature a compelling, detailed positive review as the first one that people see. This can increase your sales by up to 20% (!).

The order of reviews can affect sales

Testing Your Changes

How do you test if all this is working for your business? It’s simple: use the scientific method. Ask the right questions and let the data guide you. I’ve got a tool called Sell More with Science that you can use to pick exactly the right test to run.

For your on-site reviews, create two versions of the product page: one with your current review set and one with the optimized reviews. Run a simple A/B test showing different people different versions of each page and see which gets a better response. Use any standard page tracking software to track how far people scroll down, how much time they spend on the page, and how many add-to-cart clicks you get (more details in the free resource download above). You’ll find that by changing the review order, it probably makes a huge difference!

Testing changes to reviews

What if you have a product on a third-party site? This testing can take a little longer but it’s worth it. First, track how many leads come in from each review site or how many sales you’re getting. This gives you a baseline. The next step is to actively manage the reviews—respond to them and address negative reviews both publicly and privately. After a month or two, check for an increase in leads or sales for those sites.

Tracking leads from review sites

Real Results

I’ve worked with a services company to lift revenues by 24% without spending a dime on new advertising. Product companies have seen even bigger increases—all by focusing on working scientifically to sell more. Make sure you use the Sell More with Science chart to guide you: if you want the full roadmap to scale your business scientifically, click here to see how I built a $2.9 million business from just $500 in tests using the scientific method.

Building a business using the scientific method

 

December 11, 2024
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How to Craft Email Subject Lines That Drive Open Rates

 

Low email open rates are frustrating. You’re leaving money on the table, and I’ve been there. You think you know how to fix it by simply adding the recipient’s name in the subject line, right? A research study from 2018 convinced many of us that this was the way to go … but that’s where everything went wrong.

Researchers published a paper titled Personalization in Email Marketing: The Role of Non-Informative Advertising Content, and it got everyone thinking that putting a name in the subject line was a magic bullet. I’m here to explain why that study is outdated and what to do instead.

The Problem with Personalization

The idea behind personalization in a subject line is that it grabs attention, leading to higher open rates. People like seeing their name, so marketers jumped on this bandwagon. Most stopped there, thinking they just needed to find the right tactic to succeed.

But business isn’t about finding one magic bullet; it’s about having a repeatable process. Like the one I use to run $50 experiments that uncover how to scale (more on that in a bit).

Testing email subject lines

When we look at the research that discredits the original study, it becomes clear that relying solely on a name in your subject line won’t make you money.

Testing Subject Lines

Your subject line is the first impression for your email. You might think personalization would be effective—people see their name, so open rates should rise. But if open rates are low, let’s fix that. Here’s a small test:

  1. Split your email list into three groups and send each group a different subject line.
  2. The content of the email remains the same, but the subject lines vary.
    • First: No name, just a subject line.
    • Second: Use their first name only.
    • Third: Use their first and last name.

Measure which one gets opened the most. Remember, every email audience is different. If you blindly follow what others say, you’re just guessing.

Recent Research Findings

Recent research from 2023 published in the Journal of Marketing Research showed that putting names in subject lines isn’t working any more. Why? Because everyone is doing it – and now, a name in the subject line is just noise.

Examples of specific subject linesThis is why blind imitation can be dangerous. Just because it worked for someone else doesn’t mean it will work for you or in the current landscape.

Specific Personalization

While generic personalization is dead, there’s a way to make it work. You need to be specific. Here’s how:

Consider your customer journey—what are their pain points? What truly matters to them? For example, instead of saying, “Raj, check out our new product,” try “Raj, struggling with Facebook ads? This might help.” This adds a layer of specificity that makes it relevant to the situation.

Continuous Improvement

Keep at it. Take the winning subject line from your first test and run another test with a new variation. Maintain what works and discard what doesn’t. You’ll find yourself improving incrementally over time.

A little improvement compounded can double, triple, or even quadruple your open rates. Your email subject line is just one lever to increase revenue, but it can feel overwhelming. Don’t try to tackle everything at once.

Conclusion

In the next discussion, I’ll share my framework for applying the scientific method to any part of your business. Remember, it’s about the process, not just a single tactic. If you want a shortcut, get my FREE Scale with Science Mini-Masterclass.

 

November 27, 2024
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How to Get 37 Times Better Every Year: A Proven Process

Elon Musk is running seven companies and growing them at an incredible pace. Then there’s a lot if us… feeling stagnant in business- BUT there’s a process inspired by Musk’s methods that can help you improve every single year. This process can make your business 37 times better in just one year. Here’s how:

The Power of Compounding

Compounding is a powerful concept. If you improve by just 1% every day, your business, yourself, and your life will be 37.78 times better in one year. BUT, if you get 1% worse every day, you could end up at a mere 0.03 (business dies). The truth is, many days we fluctuate between being fine, worse, or better. The key is to be intentional about getting better every day.

Introducing the Process

This process is simple yet effective, and it’s used by military leaders and top CEOs to ensure continuous improvement. It consists of three steps:

  1. Pre-action review
  2. During action process
  3. After action review

Step 1: Pre-Action Review

Before starting any initiative, conduct a pre-action review. This step sets the stage for success. Here’s how to do it:

  • Set Clear Expectations: Define the outcomes you want to achieve.
  • Identify Obstacles: Anticipate what might get in your way.
  • Determine Resources: Know what resources you have available.
  • Define Success Metrics: Establish objective measures of success.
  • Outline Ongoing Metrics: Decide how you’ll measure success after completion.

For example, when SpaceX prepares for a Falcon 9 launch, they define their desired outcomes, list potential obstacles, and outline the resources available.

Falcon 9 pre-action review

Step 2: During Action Process

While executing your plan, focus on three key areas:

  • Observation Points: Track what’s working and what isn’t.
  • Communication: Ensure clear communication among team members and stakeholders.
  • Measurement and Logging: Keep track of data and metrics to inform future actions.

Even during the action, it’s normal to make mistakes. The important part is to learn from them and improve for the next time.

Falcon 9 during action process

Step 3: After Action Review

After completing a project, conduct an after-action review to reflect and improve. Focus on:

  • Outcome vs. Goal: Compare the actual outcomes with your initial goals.
  • Successes: Celebrate what went well and recognize your team’s efforts.
  • Areas for Improvement: Identify what could have been done better.
  • Metric Review: Ensure you have the right metrics and data to inform your next steps.

For instance, if a Falcon 9 launch doesn’t go as planned, SpaceX uses the data gathered to improve their processes and avoid similar issues in the future.

Falcon 9 after action review

What To Do Next

This three-step process may seem simple, but it’s how you can achieve continuous improvement. Commit to repeating these steps regularly, and you can expect significant growth over time. If you want to explore how to apply scientific methods to scale your business, check out more resources on my website.

For further learning, grab a copy of my book, The Business Unlock, which dives deeper into these concepts. You can also find more resources and training on the CEO Workbench.

November 20, 2024
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Boost Your Sales by 270% with Effective Testimonials and Reviews

 

What if you could increase your sales by up to 270% – without changing anything in your sales process, your sales presentation, or the number of leads you’re getting? The key is in how you use your testimonials and reviews.

I’ve been doing this for over 10 years, and it has completely transformed my sales. Here’s how I do it:

Let’s get started with effective reviews and testimonials. The mindset a prospective customer comes to you with makes a HUGE difference: between facing objections, or meeting a pre-sold prospect who’s ready to buy.

Online Reviews Matter

If you’re online, this is a no-brainer. But even if you mostly operate offline, online reviews absolutely matter. Here are some compelling statistics:

  • 93% of consumers say online reviews impact their purchasing decisions.
  • Products with five reviews are 270% more likely to be purchased than those with zero reviews.
  • Customers are willing to spend 31% more on a business with excellent reviews.
  • 72% of consumers say positive reviews make them trust a local business more.
  • A one-star increase in Yelp ratings can lead to a 5 to 9% increase in business revenue.
  • 94% of consumers say a negative review has convinced them to avoid a business.
  • Businesses with nine or more current reviews earn 52% more revenue than average.

These statistics highlight why I focus heavily on getting reviews, publishing them, and keeping them current.

Platforms for Collecting Reviews

There are several popular platforms for collecting reviews (depending on your industry, you might have specific industry review sites such as medical or legal): Google, Facebook, Yelp, etc. Sites like Glassdoor provide insights from employees, which can also influence customer perceptions.

Strategies for Collecting Online Reviews

Most customers conduct research online before making a purchase. To effectively collect reviews, consider the following:

1. Timing Your Requests

When requesting reviews, timing is key. You want to ask your customers for reviews at the right moment, ideally at turning points in their customer experience timeline. This could be when they transition from a prospect to a new customer or right after they’ve received a product or service.

2. Make the Review Process Easy

Don’t just wait for customers to leave reviews; actively prompt them at various points on their experience timeline. If you wait passively, you’ll receive way fewer reviews. Instead, encourage them to share their experiences actively.

3. Respond to Existing Reviews

It’s also a ‘must’ to respond to existing reviews. If you have positive reviews, frame them nicely and use them in your marketing. Highlighting these reviews can reinforce potential customers’ decisions to choose your service or product.

Handling Negative Feedback

Negative feedback is inevitable, but how you respond can make all the difference. Addressing negative reviews promptly shows potential customers that you care (and the benefits are actually backed by research). If someone leaves a one-star review, respond thoughtfully – and quickly – to demonstrate your commitment to customer service. This can improve your overall perception and show that you are attentive to customer concerns.Effective Reviews & Testimonials

Leveraging Reviews in Marketing

Leverage reviews in marketing. For example, post reviews on your social media, incorporate them into your marketing collateral, and place them on sales pages where customers are taking action. Utilizing the right reviews at the right time can significantly increase conversions.

My Review Flow

In my e-commerce business, I capitalize on the excitement of customers who have just made a purchase. On the thank-you page, I ask for a review before they even receive the product. This works because their excitement is at its peak right after the purchase.

To maximize reviews across platforms, I rotate links to different review sites like Google and Facebook on the “thank you” page. This strategy ensures I gather reviews from various platforms without overwhelming any single site.

Understanding Testimonials

Testimonials are similar to reviews but allow for more direction. They are often used in case studies or presentations and should be crafted to overcome objections that potential customers may have. The purpose of a testimonial is to address concerns that arise during the sales process. 

Collecting Testimonials

When collecting testimonials, consider the following:

  • Identify the main concerns customers had before buying from you.
  • Ask about their experience during the delivery of your service or product.
  • Gather feedback on how your communication style made them feel.
  • Inquire who else would benefit from your product or service.
  • Capture their thoughts on whether they would choose to work with you again.

Creating Trust with Testimonials

Having no testimonials is not an option. They create trust and establish credibility. Ensure that testimonials are grouped by relevant aspects of your business, making it easy for potential customers to see themselves in the success stories of others.

What To Do Next

Implementing an effective strategy for gathering and utilizing testimonials and reviews can drastically improve your sales process. Start today by asking for reviews, responding to feedback, and showcasing testimonials. You’ll be amazed at how these simple changes can lead to a significant increase in your sales.

For more insights on using the scientific method to scale your business, check out [CEO Workbench](https://link.rajjha.com/YT-free) and other resources linked below.

 

 

November 13, 2024
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Sick of being on the revenue rollercoaster?

Sick of being on the revenue rollercoaster?

$50,000 one month.

$87,000 the next.

Then back down to $42,000.

That was my reality my our old firm: revenue all over the place

It was chaos

But then, I had a crazy idea

What if we did something unheard of? This was a law firm. What did law firms NEVER do?

A subscription model

We flipped the script and offered clients a fixed monthly fee

REGARDLESS of how much work they sent us

Yes, we’d do unlimited work for a fixed fee

(people thought we were nuts)

But guess what?

It worked

Like, really worked

(no, we didn’t get crushed with work, because of how we priced)

But here’s where it gets really exciting…

We started with clients paying an average $2,000 – $3,000 monthly.

Flipping over to subscription, over the next two years we took our average to $11,000 – $19,000 monthly retainers

This wasn’t just a billing change

It was a business transformation

We became predictable

The lesson:

Don’t be afraid to break industry norms

Test crazy ideas

The biggest opportunities lie where others fear to tread

November 12, 2024
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How to Build a Personal Brand That Generates Revenue

By the time you read this, I will have generated four million dollars in sales just by posting content. I’m going to share my process, a checklist, and the systems you can use to achieve the same results.

I used to post randomly on LinkedIn and struggled to keep up. It felt overwhelming. But today, I’m going to simplify it. The key to branding is leverage, and I’ll show you how to create leverage in various ways:

  • Leverage in creating materials.
  • Leverage from the materials you create, which allows you to reach more people without one-on-one interactions.
  • Clone yourself through effective content creation.

Let’s break down the model I use, known as the Four P’s Model: Produce, Process, Publish, and Promote.

1. Produce

The first step is to produce content. You may have questions like:

  • What should I create?
  • What format should I use?
  • How do I get leads?

To help simplify content creation, I’ve developed a tool called the Authority Content Builder (link goes to free download). This tool provides a calendar of topics that consistently resonate with your audience. Build a grid: 5 columns and 6 rows

Start by identifying the top five problems your ideal clients face. Note these down as across the top of the grid. Remember, your audience cares about their problems, not about you. Positioning yourself as a solution to their issues will make them listen to you.

Next, I’ve listed various content formats you can use for the rows:

  • Q&A
  • How-to guides
  • Winners and losers
  • Gotchas before buying
  • Surprising facts
  • Why buy from the best

For instance, if accountants struggle with time management, you could create a Q&A on why they’re pressed for time or a how-to guide on freeing up hours in their week.
Now you have a grid with 5 problems that your audience has, and 6 different ways to talk about those problems. That’s 30 pieces of content that will address their biggest pain points and give you different ways of talking about it. That’s a whole month’s worth of ready-made ideas.

Run this tool for ninety days to see what content works best for you. Adjust your focus based on what resonates. Remember, people don’t see everything you post, so you can use the same ideas and concepts just in different formats. No one is going to see all of them, therefore it’ll seem new and fresh to them but still hit their biggest pain points.

2. Process

Next, let’s discuss the process. This involves two key components:

  • The production line: This includes everything from initial brainstorming to recording.
  • The publication line: This covers how and where you will share your content.

When producing content, aim to outline rather than script. Outlining allows for a more natural flow of ideas and saves time. You can also create downloadable resources that add value to your audience, such as checklists or white papers.

For instance, if you’re delivering a video, offer a script download or a checklist that outlines key points. This not only enriches your audience’s experience but helps build your email list.

Once your content is ready, hand it off for editing and publishing. Don’t burden yourself with video editing; delegate that to your team or hire professionals. This will free up your time for more impactful tasks.

3. Publish

When it comes to publishing, focus on mastering one platform initially. Don’t spread yourself too thin. For many, LinkedIn or YouTube is a great starting point. Once you’re comfortable and confident, you can expand to other platforms.

Respond to comments on your posts promptly. This helps boost your visibility on the platform as algorithms tend to reward engagement.

Establish a posting schedule, and consider using tools to manage your calendar. This will help you maintain consistency without overwhelming yourself.

4. Promote

Finally, promote your content. If you don’t promote, your posts may go unnoticed. Here’s how to effectively promote your content:

  • If you have an email list, share your content there.
  • Cross-promote between different social media platforms.
  • Engage with others by commenting on their posts to draw attention back to your content.
  • Consider forming engagement groups where participants agree to support each other’s posts.

Remember, if you only post and don’t engage or promote, your content will likely fade into the background. The goal is to create a feedback loop where your audience interacts with and shares your content, amplifying your reach.

Conclusion

The Four P’s Model is a systematic approach to building your personal brand and generating revenue. By focusing on producing valuable content, streamlining your processes, mastering your publication strategy, and promoting your work, you can significantly enhance your visibility and credibility.

Don’t forget to commit to this process for at least ninety days. It will take time to see results, but with persistence and tweaking as you go, you’ll likely find success. If you’re ready to take your personal brand to the next level, start implementing these steps today.

For more resources, check out Personal Branding Using Content or visit my website for additional insights.

Raj Jha discussing personal branding

November 6, 2024
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