I just got done with a Skype chat with Rob Toth going over some details of a Teleseminar we have planned for this coming Tuesday (6pm PST). I gotta tell you, this guy blows me away. He’s got a super-fast marketing mind.
We’ll be covering some great stuff about how to crank up your conversion rates with some of his ’secret weapon’ software tools.
But I have a question for you. When you hear the words “create urgency” what do you think? As a marketer, I mean. The reason I ask is many of my clients seem to immediately think in terms of “manipulative,” “sneaky,” etc. The marketing process has been so abused by over-hype, that I think we are all a bit biased.
But the bottom line is, even if it is in their best interest, Prospects usually need a really good reason to take action now versus taking time to mull it over (and then never returning).
What is your ‘comfort factor’ with the whole idea of ‘creating urgency?’
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As a marketing agency, we are often asked by our clients to put a call to action within a specific time period to create urgency. I think you have identified a key to basic human behavior - when prospects have time to mull it over, they are unlikely to return.
But I would argue that if you have a truly unique product that meets a real need, prospects will return. Maybe not in time to meet your clients quarterly sales objectives, but when they are ready to make the decision.
What is my comfort factor. Honestly, I don’t like doing it at all. I do my best to market with integrity - not always successful with that. I would say these are the conditions when ‘creative urgency’
1. Stick to the date outline. Do not offer extensions, otherwise people who did respond will feel ripped off
2. Incent your prospects to buy or register early - there should be real tangible benefit for being the early bird.
3. A footnote to point 2 - don’t make it sound like a stupid infomercial. Who needs that 2nd super shammy cloth, anyways? Prospects are a lot better informed nowadays, mostly because of the internet. Don’t insult their intelligence.
‘Tis bullsh*t. If a company needs to create a false sense of urgency in order to generate attention / buzz / sales surrounding their product / service, then that product / service must not be very attractive on its own.
Like anything else, too much manufactured urgency eventually defeats the concept; suddenly, everything is urgent, which means nothing is.
Justin brings up a good point - too much manufactured urgency is like crying wolf. Just as you need to choose which hills you want to you want to die on, choose which hills you want to call urgent.
See, that’s my point. “Creating Urgency” immediately sounds like some sort of false mechanism to trick people.
This is also something that is more intense when you are talking about info products. It doesn’t compute to a lot of people. How can you have a limited quantity of a digital product?
But one can really improve the appeal of their offer if it is limited in some way. I’m totally OK with it and even advocate building urgency into the offer. Just be real about it.
It’s OK to offer ONLY 200 copies of an eBook as long (As Caleb said) as the limit is enforced and real. Likewise, it’s perfectly OK to reward quick decision making by offering a great price or an extra bonus.
I think people are so jaded about this issue because 90% of urgency used in advertising is concocted and totally unbelievable.
Justin, do you ever use limited-time or limited-quantity offers? No question that they improve conversion.
Show me a company with high conversion and happy customers, and I can guarantee they are using urgency in their offers — and their customers are happy about it!
Ah well, how often is it real? How many times have I clicked away from a one-time-get-it-now-or-never offer only to to receive the self same thing in an email days later?
Very few IMers actually stick to these self imposed deadlines and those that do, in my opinion, have integrity.
I was left in a zone of discomfort recently on a teleclass when the presenter gave listeners just 15 minutes to respond to an offer having spent the previous 60 minutes putting the fear of God into them.
I was never in the market to buy her offering so could perhaps observe slightly more objectively and it left me with a very uncomfortable feeling. I would be curious to know the cancellation rate when the buyer’s remorse kicked in.
It may be a naive comment but I really do think that if what you are offering is something of value, then people will buy. It may be in their time rather than yours, but they will buy.
I also think that the consumers will smarten up and vote with their feet. People are not stupid. I cannot be the only one who now regularly un-subscribes when I am ‘duped’.
I really like Rob Toth and his new software tool. It really does work and it means what it says. Now, that has integrity because it is honest!
I copied and pasted these comments from Twitter Re this post:
ChrisD @dhudiburg if you’re an “unknown” in your field, but do a “limited offer” then the visitor sees it again & again… your credibility is shot 21 minutes ago from web in reply to dhudiburg
ChrisD @dhudiburg urgency is only as good as the reputation of the person serving it. e.g. dee’s comments… (cont) 22 minutes ago from web in reply to dhudiburg
samfreedom @dhudiburg Here’s where marketing got a bad name: “create a need” - I wrote about that tonight in critique. You hit the nail on the head about 9 hours ago from web in reply to dhudiburg
JustinKownacki @dhudiburg: “Create a need” implies that actual needs are irrelevant, while companies seek to sell worthless crap. Oh, to outlaw marketing. about 9 hours ago from web in reply to dhudiburg
JustinKownacki @dhudiburg: Everything is a matter of perspective. about 10 hours ago from web in reply to dhudiburg
Twitter is such a great ‘instant feedback’ tool. I wish I could consolidate Twitter comments in some cooler way than copying and pasting