How Trainers And Mentors Can Use The 40-40-20 Rule To Explode Their Sales... Even If You've Got A Tiny List

Because this is not about an unproven "hack". This is not about a "unicorn" result that I haven't been able to replicate and I'm now recommending.

This is about a rule that has worked for the last 100 years. And I'm confident that it will work for the next 100 years.

What's the rule?

It's The 40-40-20 Rule.

By focussing relentlessly on this rule, Agora has built a $1 Billion revenue business selling expertise.

So with that introduction. It's time to tell you...

What Is The 40-40-20 Rule

The 40-40-20 rule is the success roadmap that every direct mail company has used.

The rule states that 40% of your sales success comes from Your List. 40% of your sales success comes from Your Offer. 20% of your sales success comes from Your Creative. By creative I mean the copy and design of your sales letter or web page.

The thing that shocked me the most about this rule is just how unimportant the sales page copy is. After all, I've said many times that "nothing in business moves until you write the copy."

After all, if you want to record a video. Nothing happens until you write a script or outline.

If you want to deliver a webinar. Nothing happens until you write the email and social media copy to promote the webinar. And nothing happens until you write the webinar presentation.

And...

According to The 40-40-20 Rule, copywriting only contributes 20% of your sales success!

If that's true... then why do top copywriters charge $30,000 plus royalties to write a sales letter?

And...

Why are huge companies like Agora happy to pay these fees?

Because nothing moves without good copy!

And there's the dilemma.

A persuasive message is everything to the right audience.

And...

A persuasive message is meaningless to the wrong audience.

So let's dive a little deeper into the first part of the 40-40-20 Rule.

Your List

The great copywriter Gary Halbert asked a seminar group what one advantage they would want to open a successful hamburger stand.

The audience started shouting out things related to the product.

A better tasting hamburger.

Or

A faster way to cook and assemble the hamburger.

Gary Halbert listened to the answers and then told his seminar audience that they were all wrong.

The one advantage that you want for a successful hamburger stand is...

A starving crowd!

With a starving crowd, you will sell hamburgers regardless of price or quality. If you have a starving crowd... and no competition. Then you will clean up.

Before you start to say that your email database is not a crowd so you can't sell a lot of workshops and online courses let me say one more thing...

The secret to selling anything is to create trust, weave a believable story, justify the expense and help fulfil a burning desire in your customer.

You've got to help fulfil a burning desire in your customer.

So you are not trying to sell ice to Eskimos. You are trying to sell water in the desert for a high price. You are trying to sell hamburgers to a starving crowd for a high price.

And...

You are trying to sell workshops and online courses to people that need your help.

This may be the people on your email database. Or it may be a tiny percentage of them. It all depends on how specific you have been with your lead generation.

The more specific you are with your lead generation. Then the more people will buy your high-ticket programs.

But...

Let's not dive down the lead generation rabbit-hole. After all, I promised to show you how to explode your sales with your existing database.

So, let's move on to the second part of The 40-40-20 Rule.

Your Offer

Your offer is what you can change today to explode your sales.

Here's why...

How many people do you know that will buy anything in the sales?

Especially if you are talking about something expensive. It could be designer clothes or shoes. It could be a car.

Imagine founding the car you've had your eye on for months. And there's an ex-display model with less than 1,000 miles on the clock with every extra... and it's £15K less than a new basic model. The only problem is that it's not the colour you want.

Will you happily buy the car?

Or...

Will you pay £15K more for a basic model, to get the colour you want?

The same is true for your offer. The right customer will grab an irresistible offer with delight.

Now, I'm not suggesting that you have to discount your core offer. This is something you can do. And that will appeal to people on your list that have seen you sell your product at the higher price.

But price is not the only objection. In fact, I don't think price is the biggest objection when it comes to buying an online course or workshop.

In my opinion, a much bigger objection is will this work for me.

So...

How can you answer that objection in your offer?

One way is to include a guarantee. Something like, if you do the work and you don't get the results that I promise then I'll give you all your money back. That's one way to make your offer more irresistible.

Another way to answer the biggest objection and make your offer more irresistible is to throw in some mouth-watering bonuses.

What's the most powerful bonus you can offer?

Your time!

What your customers want to know is that when they run into a roadblock that you will help them. That goes a long way to answer the will this work for me objection. Because you will hold their hand to make sure it works for them.

The good thing about this bonus is that the only people that will claim it are the people that take action. These are the people you will enjoy working with. The people that will get great results. The people that will be your next testimonials. The people that will refer others to you.

Yes, this could take a lot of your time. Yes, this could make a hugely successful sales campaign less successful because of the support work you've got to do.

And...

If you are happy with your current level of sales. Then don't offer this.

If you want to explode your sales without growing your list. Then you need to improve your offer. And giving your audience what they want most will increase sales.

Plus...

This is the best way to sell your mentorship.

Why?

Because you are giving it away for free for a given period of time. The people that take advantage of it are the people that will buy your mentorship because they know how you can help them.

What other bonuses could you offer?

Anything that will help your customers get results fast.

So you could throw in your book and some reports. You could throw in some of your other courses.

You could throw in support from a JV partner.

The point is that the bonuses must be relevant to your core offer. Your bonuses must help your customers get faster results. Or solve the next problem they will have when they succeed with your system.

So what can you add to your offer that will sweeten the deal?

What can you add to your offer that will answer your customers' objections?

What can you add to your offer that would make you buy your own product?

Keep adding bonuses to the point where anyone that wants to change their life will buy your workshop or online course or mentorship.

Now let's take a look at the final part of The 40-40-20 Rule.

Your Copywriting

When it comes to selling your workshops, online courses and mentorships. Nothing moves until you write the copy.

And...

The most irresistible offer will fall flat with your perfect prospect if you don't explain why they should listen to anything that you have to say.

You see, I'm assuming that you have a workshop or course that can transform your prospect's life. Something that can transform his life beyond what he expects. This makes your course or workshop appealing. And it makes your course or workshop a little too good to be true.

I'm also assuming that you are not a celebrity or household name. So until you tell your prospect your authority and why they should trust you... they won't.

It is slightly different when you are selling to your list. After all, if you send free information regularly, then they should know you. But don't expect this. Even if you have told your database your story 10 times, don't expect them to remember it. After all, you are not the most important person in their life.

That's why you should assume that they do not know your background and the struggles you went through to create your system.

That's why your perfect prospect wants to know who you are. What authority do you have to guide them in their life?

When you can show them what results you have enjoyed. And the results that you have helped others enjoy. Then they know why they should listen to you. Then they know that amazing results are possible. And they know that people just like them have changed their life with your help.

How do you explain all that to your prospect in a simple and entertaining way that keeps them glued to their phone or computer screen?

You tell your Epic Story. Your story of why you decided to make a change in your life and the steps you took to achieve your stunning results.

If you don't know how to tell your inspirational personal story then please let me tell you about my simple 5-step storytelling system. It's based on the system that Hollywood screenwriters use. I've simplified it to make it easier to tell an inspirational personal story.

If you'd like to learn how to use my simple 5 step system... then you need to download my book How To Turn Your Expertise Into Cash.

To download my book click the link below...

http://rebrand.ly/How-To-Turn-Expertise-Into-Cash-Book

Once you have told your Epic Story in your sales message. You will have earned your prospect's trust. You'll have shown...

1. Who you are
2. What makes you different
3. How you can help the reader

You are then in a position to make your irresistible offer.

Your offer must explain exactly what your prospect is getting. This could be as simple as a 3-day workshop in Huntingdon where you will learn how to sell workshops, online courses and mentorships to an email database.

You then must show your prospect what your offer will do for them. After all, they don't want to spend 3 days in a room with you just because you are funny. They want you to change their life.

So you must show them what they will be able to do when they use your system.

This could be as simple as...

With my system, you can turn your email database into a 6-figure campaign within 2 months.

Every irresistible offer will remove the risk from the reader. So you must include a guarantee. This can be conditional on them doing some work. Or it can be as simple as if you are not completely delighted with my online course this for any reason, then let me know and I'll give you all your money back.

With high-ticket workshops and online courses, I would suggest a conditional guarantee for a long period of time. The longer the time period the better. I've used 12-month guarantees and think you should do the same.

Then you need to tell your customer what they have to do to buy your workshop. Online, this is as simple as click the link below. When you arrive on the next page you need to enter your contact and credit card information to get instant access.

There are lots of nuances when it comes to writing a persuasive message. And at it's simplest level, you need to earn your prospects trust, make an irresistible offer and tell him how to buy. That's it.

If you would like to learn more of the copywriting nuances in writing a message that makes sales. Then please download your free copy of my book How To Turn Your Expertise Into Cash.

To download your free copy, click the link below...

http://rebrand.ly/How-To-Turn-Expertise-Into-Cash-Book

How To Explode Your Workshop Sales Within 30 Days

There are 3 parts to the 40-40-20 Rule...

1. Your List
2. Your Offer
3. Your Copywriting

It takes time, money and commitment to grow your list.

It takes time, money and commitment to improve your copywriting skills.

It takes a simple decision to improve your offer.

Your offer holds the key to you improving your sales in your next campaign.

Improve your offer and you will make more money. It's as simple as that. And you can decide how to improve your offer right now.

If you'd like feedback on your offer improvements then email me on roland.eva@rolandeva.co.uk

Please let me know...

1. What you are selling (workshop, online course, mentorship or retreat)
2. What market you work in (health, wealth, relationships)
3. Who is your ideal customer
4. What is your current offer
5. What changes you plan to make to your offer to make it more irresistible

I'll give you my feedback on your offer and any suggestions that I have to make it more irresistible.

If you have found this useful, then please leave a comment below.

If this can help another training company owner that you know, then please share this with them.

Until next time...

Carpe diem

Roland Eva

P.S. If you'd like to learn more about the system that I use to make multi 6-figures campaigns for my consulting clients. Then you need to read my book How To Turn Expertise Into Cash.

To download your free copy. Click the link below.

http://rebrand.ly/How-To-Turn-Expertise-Into-Cash-Book