What does ‘transformation’ even mean

Transformation = The change your offer delivers.

The outcome it helps them reach.

The resolution to the problem they have.

The difference between Life Before Your Offer and Life After Your Offer.

Does that feel more down-to-Earth?

I’m going to use ‘transformation’ for the rest of this blog post for simplicity.

Sell The Sizzle Not The Steak

‘Focus on the benefits, not the features’

‘Sell the destination, not the flight’

‘Sell the sizzle, not the steak’

The advice to focus on selling the transformation a product delivers, rather than the product itself, is almost 100 years old, and was coined by a fella called Elmer Wheeler.

Elmer trained thousands of salespeople during the Depression, and is most famous for this sales advice, ‘Sell the sizzle not the steak’, from his 1937 book called Tested Sentences that Sell.

I’m not here to argue with a master.

It’s still good advice – to a point.

Your sales page needs to show the reader that you understand what they want (the transformation), and promise them that the thing you’re selling will get them there.

But whipping the reader into a frenzy of desire by relentlessly painting a picture of their glorious future after buying your thing is not the way to go, because:

#1 This advice was for people selling physical products the buyer can see, and touch. You are selling an invisible, intangible concept over the Internet. Before the buyer believes you can deliver the transformation, they first need to understand what they’re going to get for their money. 

#2 The way you sell sets the tone for the relationship you will have with the buyer – which is especially important if you’re selling something that requires ongoing contact like a 1-1 service, coaching or a group program. 

#3 If you feel like your sales page is a manipulative, sleazy, slime-fest, you won’t want to direct people towards it. Which means you either never share the link (so there’s no point having the sales page anyway) or you do force yourself to share it, and that’s not sustainable or great for your well-being.

3 ways to communicate the transformation on your sales page

The ‘sell the sizzle’ strategy works by connecting with the buyer’s emotions and taking their logic and reasoning offline, so they follow through on an impulse to buy.

If you want/need your buyer to make a decision from a calm, clear, well-informed state, here’s how you include the sizzle, but in a more balanced way.

#1 Features AND Benefits – yes, I did shout the ‘and’

You need both.

What’s in the box, and why did you include it?

List everything that is included in your offer – what will the buyer receive in exchange for their money.

Then provide descriptions if needed. ‘Telegram office hours’ might mean something to you, but if there’s a chance that 10% of the people reading that sales page have no idea what you mean, you’ll need to add an extra sentence to explain it.

Then ask yourself, ‘So what? Why bother including this? What does it enable, facilitate or achieve?’ That’s the benefit of each feature, and it belongs on your sales page.

#2 How will your thing get them to their desired destination?

You don’t need to unveil the details of your super-secret 3-step process to success.

But if you can outline how the buyer uses the features to reach the outcome, it will be much easier for them to trust your offer will deliver the transformation they want.

If you’re working 1-1 together, what does the workflow look like?

If it’s a coaching package, how do you get started, understand what they need, provide support throughout, and make sure the coaching is helping them get to where they want to go.

If it’s a course, how much time do they dedicate to it, how do they access the materials, do they need to do it all in one go, are there any exercises to help them

#3 Testimonials

Prove the transformation is possible by showing quotes from people who have bought your offer and made it to the promised destination.

Case studies work in the same way – use these in your content marketing, not on your sales page.

Bonus: Way to communicate the transformation during a launch

These three things belong on your sales page, and you can use them in your marketing too, especially during a launch.

You can have an email/social post about:

• here’s what’s included
• here’s what happens after you buy
• here’s some people that have already bought this.

It’s OK that you’re largely repeating what’s on the sales page.

A sales page is a lot of information, and repeating it in a different format makes it easier to process.

Do This Now-Ish

• Be clearer about the features and benefits
• Describe what it looks like after they buy from you
• Add any testimonials that mention the transformation the buyer experienced.

If you’ve enjoyed this blog post and want to say ‘thanks’, here are four things that would make my heart fizzy with happiness:

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What’s next

Make sure your offer, and the sales page communicating it are set up for success.