You’re out there every day working hard to funnel traffic to your website. But what if prospects aren’t ready to buy? If you’re not grabbing their email address with an initial free offer, you might lose them forever. In this 5-minute video, I share how to capture those leads and what to do with them to nurture them into future sales — on auto pilot.
Let’s Start Making Your Website a Conversion Machine with an Initial Free Offer!
IMPORTANT: I hope you’re still reading this because I want to make sure you don’t skip it thinking that the newsletter sign up button on your website is enough.
Its not!
People are OVERWHELMED with email and this is not a compelling CTA (Call to Action) for them to give up their precious email address in exchange for information from you!
You can have the best of both worlds when you create an initial free offer (IFO) that also mentions they will receive periodic news and updates.
So spend just five minutes with this video to learn:
- Why you need to have an initial free offer on your website.
- Components of what makes a high-demand IFO.
- Suggestions for types of free offer content.
- What to avoid with your free offer.
- How to maximize your contacts once they are on your list to move them from cold to warm to ready-to-buy.
Scroll below the video for the video transcript and additional related resources.
Watch the Video
Read the Video Transcript
Does your website have a free offer or are you not taking advantage of all that traffic that may be visiting your site, but they’re not ready to buy today?
They then have to somehow bookmark your page, remember who you are, or move on.
Having an initial free offer on your website is absolutely critical. Let me be clear that is not the same as having a sign up for my newsletter. It has the same goal, but if you’ve got that old dated, sign up for my newsletter block on your website, chances are people are skipping it today because they are absolutely inundated with email and don’t want any more.
You’ve got to give people a compelling reason why they want email from you.
You can do this with the initial free offer, or IFO.
An IFO is something you’re giving away on your site. Like when you go to the Career Directors website, we are actually offering our six ways to a six-figure income. It’s a combo checklist and I think it’s an 8-minute video. People can sign up for that, get instant access.
When they’re signing up, it actually says, “You’ll also receive CDI news.” So, you have to let people know they’re opting in for additional news and you really want that to be an option, because otherwise, how do you keep these people warm, and how do you stay in front of them?
So, here’s what I know about initial free offers:
- They don’t have to be big.
- They don’t have to take you a lot of time to create.
- But they should help your client, see the expertise you have to offer, help them understand why they need your service, what makes you stand out.
What’s one thing you can offer them, that doesn’t take from your time, that’s a done for you tool?
- Is it a map of, resume writer’s map, of how to write out their resume?
- Is it a list of the tools I use with my job-seeking clients that you can use too?
- Is it a video lesson?
- Is it a checklist of things they need to do?
- Is it a tip sheet?
Be careful with long things like a video series, or an ebook. They sound great, you can give lots of advice, but what can happen is they don’t get watched; they don’t get read because there’s too much.
Honestly, a small consumable, but high-value-packed resource that doesn’t give away all your secret sauce, is really where you want to land. And the example that I mentioned earlier about, the tools I use that you can use as well, that’s not like the tools for resume writing, but maybe there are some free tools, that you use to augment your expert service, like a salary site or a site you like to research job descriptions, an editing tool, a parsing tool for keywords. It’s okay to share those. Your clients still won’t be able to reproduce what you did for them. But a lot of times, people will be very eager to get hold of that list of the tools you use that they can use too. And it will give them enough reason to sign up, while also getting them on your list.
Once you’ve got your IFO, please have autoresponders.
That’s obviously a whole another video.
But once you get them on the list, you need to keep them warm. So that’s a series of emails: “Did you get the free tool that you signed up for? And did you like it? If not, grab it again here.” Then you’re sharing tips. You’re talking to them about client successes. You’re letting them know what you can do for them. You’re sharing industry trends.
It’s just a series of emails, so that you can be in front of them, really preferably once a week. But once a month would really be your minimum. You want to touch them regularly. There can also be specials like, “Just want to let you know our prices are going up on January 1st, so if you’ve been on the fence, now may be the time to leap.”
So, you maximize that list, but don’t let people show up at your site, and not have a way to start learning about you, if they’re not ready to buy today. You can light that fire and warm them up with a free initial offer, and then an autoresponder series.
Additional Resources (Free to Members)
Not yet a CDI member? You can access CDI’s entire library for as little as $97! Learn more now.
Does Your Website Have a Sexy IFO? (Core Lesson) >>
Your Career Business Website: Getting Started (Best Practice Tip) >>
Sample of the LeadPages Style IFO Report as Created by CDI >>
Ultimate CDI Member Resource Guide to Success >>
6-Figure Blueprint for Consulting, Sales, Packaging & Closing >>
Additional Resources (Free to Everyone)
Master’s Video Course for Resume Writers & Career Coaches Who Want to Close 4-Figure Sales & Create a 6-Figure Income >> (includes 17+ tip videos on packaging, consultation process, sales mindset, handling pricing questions, and more). Most relevant include:
- Easily Get Your Passive Email List to Buy Resume Writing & Career Coaching Services
- Newsletters are Dead — Do This Instead to Fill Your Pipeline with Resume Writing & Career Service Clients
Membership Taste-Test: 8 Free Lessons >>
Relevant Programs
Your Career Website Roadmap Strategy Session >>
