How Your “Actionizer” Can Change Behavior

If you’ve heard me speak on stage or on a Teleseminar, then you’re already familiar with my favorite “monetization” mantra: “Marketing changes minds. Promotion changes behavior.”

Read those six words again and again because they’re indelibly etched in your mind, you’ll dramatically improve the results of your presentations.

The key element to “monetizing” your marketing an “Actionizer.” A high value, dramatic action device that inspires, motivates and influences your audience to take physical action.

The $100 poker chip (above) was the “Actionizer” I tested at my Teleseminar Secrets Reunion on March 7th, 2009.

It changed behavior to get people to say “Yes” to the DoublingIncomeSecrets 5-Module Bookinar Series in less than 59 seconds. If you were there see if you can spot yourself. Click the video to see it now.:

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DnuzZ_fu_E&autoplay=0 320 240]

Key Point: Before you design any presentation curriculum, it’s important that you write down these 3 verbs:

Think (“mind”) <—— Feel (“heart”) <—— Do (“body”)

Then ask yourself these 3 critical questions:

1) “What do I want my audience to think ?”

2) “What do I want my audience to feel ?”

3) “What do I want my audience to do?”

Over the years, it has served me to to sequence these three questions in reverse order as I learned from Dr. Stephen Covey from Habit #2 in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: “Begin with the end in mind.”

Again, my preference is to reverse it in this sequence:

1) Do ——>>> 2) Feel ——>>> 3) Think

Whenever I visualize my desired outcome it’s much easier to figure out what I want my audience to DO, how I want to make them FEEL and what specifically I wan to influence them to THINK about.

I encourage you to go through the same process because whenever you present any message to a live audience, you’re really trapped between the two emotional dialogues.

The first dialogue is between you and them. The second dialogue is between themselves (self-talk).

In my experience, the second dialogue has far more influence on any audience’s buying decisions, so it makes sense to anticipate their self-talk and align yourself with it and never, never ignore it.

In my presentations, I consistently and repeatedly acknowledge my audience’s internal dialogues and sometimes I’ll even challenge them (if they’re giving me “push-back”) to explore if their core premises (what they believe) about my topic and wonder if they are no longer true, but used to be.

I’ve found that acknowledging and challenging what their thinking sets them up for the biggest breakthroughs. Plus, it’s the only way I can get my audience to know, like and trust me, and more importantly, understand and believe me.

My Target Niche: I teach micro-entrepreneurs who generate $50,000 to $1.5 million annually and have 10 or less employees or team members. AskAlexToday and VirtualSeminarUniversity are two good examples.

Because I favor prospect-centered presentations, and not product-centered ones, I spend the majority of my talks on my audience’s desires, wants and needs, and not on my product benefits, advantages or features.

Remember this: Your prospect or market has the wallet, your product or message does not.

If I can convince my audience to think that it’s possible that they too can do I do … and feel the hope that it can be accomplish rapidly and cost-effectively, then the next step is to fill out their “Priority Voucher” and turn it in at the back of the room.

Notice how I don’t call it an “Order Form” – because it is not. Those who complete their Priority Vouchers during a live Teleseminar or stage presentation are not yet students; they are candidate students.

Within 72 hours, one of my team members will call each of them and candidly ask if they’re still committed to my “continue education.” This shocks many of colleagues because they feel I’ll lose sales. And sometimes I do.

But I’ve organized “morning after” calls since 2001 for one reason alone – I seek only “committed” students, not fleeting ones.

If their answer is “NO” – they are not 100% committed to me, then we tear-up their Voucher and part as friends.

If they answer “Yes” – they are 100% committed to me, then we ask them who they want as an Accountability Partner and then immediately get them started by diving into our Quick Start program.

As I said, the “morning after” follow call process seems shock many of my colleagues who sell from the physical and virtual stage, but this method is really my most predictable indicator to find wholeheartedly committed students who have a burning desire to study, learn, teach and master my lesson plans.

It’s a lot less stressful for both my team and my new students because I’d rather remove students as early as possible to avoid dealing with the disappointment and frustration of accommodating a refund request deep into the training.

Wouldn’t you agree?

In my own experience after conducting hundreds of on stage presentations and thousands of Teleseminars over the past 12 years, the highest impact presentation is comprised of 80% marketing (changing minds) and 20% promotion (changing behavior).

If you market too much, you won’t capture sales and eventually lose your business. If you promote too much, you’ll lose your audience and gain a bad reputation of “no content, all pitch.”

Important: If you promote on a Teleseminar presentation, make sure you give your “Call-To-Actions” (CTAs) about three times between minute 15 and minute 45 of a 60 minute call.

(You can see the full time line here: Teleseminar Timeline)

What To Do Now: For your next presentation, ask yourself the 3 most important questions about your audience so you can anticipate their response.

It doesn’t matter if it’s children, spouse, vendors, JV partners or colleagues. As long as you know your intended outcome – what you want them to DO – you’ll experience wild succes most often.

As for time-tested Actionizers that can immediately elicit action, here are 5 I’ve utilized with success:

-> Preloaded iPod with the entire training (2,900 Value)

-> Recording rights transcripts to be read ($5,000 Value)

-> Mailing my online list first XX who say YES (Priceless)

-> Twelve person master mind meeting at my home ($10,000 Value)

-> Weekly Tuesday live Teleseminar Q/A sessions ($15,000 Value)

Now that you read this far, my only recommendation is this: If you want to boost the pulling-power and closing rates of your live or virtual presentations, begin with the end in mind and ask yourself these world-class questions:

1) “What do I want them to DO?”

2) “What do I want them to FEEL in order to take action on what I want them to DO?”

3) “What do I want them to THINK, in order they FEEL to take action on I want them to DO?”

You feedback about this post will be most appreciated.

Comments

comments

Search this Blog

Ask Alex Live!

Subscribe To This Blog

Background

Alex’s Marketing Courses

Contact Us

Recommended Blogs

Archived Posts