“Why can’t I sell this thing?” Let's look at 5 possible reasons

If you’ve got something to sell — whether it's a service, a product, or some combination — your first job is to put a really good offer together.

The offer, of course, is what you exchange for money.?

“I give you website copy and some promotional extras, you give me X copywriting fee.”?

At its core, it’s as simple as?

• What you’ve got
• What it’s going to do for your buyer
• What you’re looking for in return

It sounds simple, but there are a lot of ways it can go off the rails.?

Which you know all too well if you’ve ever experienced a bombed launch or a skimpy client list. (No shade, it happens to all of us eventually.)

In my observation, when an offer isn’t converting, there are just a few common reasons why.

Let’s get into it.

1) The value isn’t clear

This one seems obvious, but it gets overlooked all the time.

If your audience doesn’t see enough value in what you’re offering, they won’t move forward.

Most of us immediately assume that means we aren’t offering enough.?

We pile in more services, more time, more bonuses — a bigger box of stuff.

This often results in an offer that’s cluttered and confusing, and feels like more commitment than the buyer is ready for.

More commonly, the value is there but the potential buyer doesn’t see it.

You may need to clarify your copy.?

(Look for this if you tend to hem and haw when it comes time to say something nice about yourself.)

Or you may need to translate your idea of value into your buyer’s idea of value.?

(Look for this if you’re genuinely an expert in your topic, and you may have forgotten what life looked like at the start of the journey.)

When I started out as a freelance copywriter, I noticed how many of my potential clients were really uncomfortable with marketing.

At some point, I started saying,

"How about instead of marketing, we just let your audience know what you do, let them know how it will help them solve their problem, and then make it really easy for customers to move forward?"

This isn’t me being snarky.?

This is me translating a loaded term (marketing ??) into something that a certain set of buyers actually wanted to spend money on.

2) Your mic is turned off

Another one that seems obvious, but it gets overlooked surprisingly often.

Your offer may be just fine. In fact, it might be perfect.

But not enough folks can see it.

Your email list may be on the small side. Or it might look impressive — but you have a lot of subscribers who checked out a long time ago.

Your social media following (here on LinkedIn or wherever you find buyers) may be small. Or it might look large — but your content is only being shown to a fraction of that number.

This is why “A” is the first letter of most persuasion formulas. It usually stands for something like Audience, Attraction, or Attention.

If your message isn’t seen by enough people, you need to start implementing an audience-building strategy that works for you.

For some, ads are the way to go. (This needs guidance from a seasoned grown-up. My go-to ad expert is Andrea Vahl , if you’re looking for someone to show you the ropes.)

Lots of us use content, which is still tremendously powerful in 2023. Just make sure it’s part of a larger effective marketing system, so you can stay engaged and present your offers when it makes the most sense.

SEO, partnerships, joint ventures, and direct outreach are all excellent audience builders as well.?Each has pros and cons, and calls for a different set of strengths.

?? If I missed your favorite audience growth technique, let me know in the comments!

3) Your offer isn’t appetizing

Sometimes we’re selling something our people absolutely know they need.

They just don’t want it.

It’s always going to be easier to sell entertainment than it is to sell life insurance.

If you’re in the “something people need but don’t want” business, understand that you’ll need to work (a lot) harder for the sale than someone with a more appealing offer.?

Sometimes you can add something that makes the necessity more desirable.?

See, for example, the way Apple uses design to turn the necessary device in your pocket into an object of desire.

Or you may need to perfect your timing.?

Neither my son or I particularly wanted a cap and gown for his high school graduation. They’re ugly and wasteful.

But when the timing was right, of course we went ahead and did it. There was some desire there — to graduate on stage with his friends. And the timing meant we couldn’t put it off.

And that brings us to another common offer killer:

4) The timing is off

I don’t care how excellent your ice cream is — most people won’t buy it in winter.?

Conversely, yes, you should probably be thinking right now about what you’re going to offer for Black Friday.?

(Even if your country doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving in November — or at all. Black Friday has become a buying window that's independent of the U.S. holiday.)

Different offers have different buying windows. And very few people will buy outside that window.

Normally when they do, it’s because it was offered at a steep discount — like people who buy Christmas cards at 80% off on December 28.

The right timing depends entirely on your audience.

The only two things you can do about timing are:

• Offer the right thing (for your people) at the right time (for your people), and
• Keep the connection open until the timing works for them

I saved the most painful offer killer for last. (Sorry.)?

Luckily, there are good remedies for it.

5) They don’t trust you

If your audience has doubts about your ability to deliver the value you promise, they won’t move forward.

If your audience has doubts about their own ability to do the work that creates the value, they won’t move forward.

And, increasingly, if your audience thinks your values might fundamentally oppose their values, they won’t move forward.

Lots of businesses use content for audience attraction — and it’s great for that.?

But content is also superb for building trust and a sense of shared values.

?? For more specifics on how to do that, check out: The VESPA framework for business-building content

Your audience’s trust is the most important asset in your business.

I’ve said that for at least 15 years, and I’ll keep saying it for the next 15.

It’s a massive topic. (Maybe that’s the next newsletter? Let me know if you’d like me to write about building audience trust in the next issue here.)

But for a few quick tactical wins, consider these:

• Add a visual trust signal (like a security badge or Better Business Bureau logo) to your checkout page
• Make sure you have credible and relevant testimonials throughout your copy
• Credit and acknowledge the other experts in your field
• Share and celebrate your audience’s successes
• Cultivate your professional ecosystem to grow an environment of trust
• Focus on what you do exceptionally well, and refer out business that doesn’t align with that
• Avoid excess hype in your copy (the right level depends entirely on your audience)

And of course the big one is … Do what you say you’re going to do.

If your offers aren’t converting

There are other reasons offers don’t convert, but this covers some of the most common.

If you have solid skills but your offers aren’t converting like they used to, we should probably talk.

Shoot me a connection request here on LinkedIn and let me know your situation.?

If I can help, I’m happy to get on a quick call.?

And if I’m not the right person for your specific circumstance, I may know someone who is.

When you’re good at offers, you’re good at business and marketing.

Even persuasive copywriting isn’t as important.?

(You don’t have to be a copy ninja if the offer is valuable, well-timed, and desirable. However, the right copywriter can craft a package for that solid offer to make it even Easier to Want.)

Conversely, when your offer is off, it doesn’t mean anything about your skill or your capacity for success.?

It just means your offer needs adjusting. And that’s a normal thing that happens in business.

You’ve got this. If I can help, shoot me a connection request.

Keep your eyes on that prize. And stay fierce. ??

Sonia