Last week I talked about the value+ technique:

Giving something of value, but then offering a logical paid next step.

One of the best places to use this is somewhere almost everyone avoids.

It's right at the start of your relationship.

We all have bad experiences with people pitching to us right from the off. No one likes that and it's a big mistake to make as a seller.

But it's also a mistake to do nothing.

If you think about the numbers, you'll often hear that maybe 90-95% of your new contacts won't be ready to buy when you first get into contact with them.

Those are numbers I've seen play out again and again.

They mean that if you just pitch at new contacts you're going to lose 90-95% of them. Not good.

But here's the caveat. 90-95% of people not ready to buy means 5-10%  are.

And 5-10% is a huge number. It's an order of magnitude higher than you'll find at any other time in your relationship.

Your job then is to meet the needs of both of these groups.

To begin to build credibility and trust with the 90-95% who aren't ready to buy (because they'll be your biggest buyers over time). But also to give the 5-10% who are ready to buy the opportunity (because they'll be your biggest buyers right now).

And you can do that with value+.

Value+ means offering a lead magnet or some form of value to get people to sign up on first contact.

And it means getting the most from that new signup by offering something related to buy,

Not in a pushy way. Not so aggressive that you put off the 90-05% who you're relying on for long term sales.

But clear enough that the 5-10% take you up on your offer.

That usually means offering something low-cost and easy to buy rather than something big.

Or an offer to engage in more depth like a free webinar or video after someone has signed up for something low-commitment like a checklist or template.

Because when people sign up to get something from you there's a good chance they're excited and interested in solving a problem. That's why they signed up.

Most will just want to get your free thing. Their issue isn't urgent enough yet and you haven't built up enough credibility and trust yet for them to be ready to buy.

But for some, the problem will be more urgent. And they may have seen enough from you already to be willing to make a small commitment to working with you.

So don't leave them hanging. Don't wait months to offer them something because that's when your “average” prospect is ready.

Make it easy for them to buy something right now. But do it in a way that doesn't jar for the people who aren't ready yet.

Use value+