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Do bonuses really work?

At least once a week we get asked about the common approach to offering bonuses -- has this technique been overused?

My answer is always the same...

Crappy, freely available, 3rd party bonuses are definitely overused and have become quite ineffective.

Bonuses that are different, relevant and of high perceived value will often double or even triple your sales - It has happened to me.

WHY BONUSES WORK

Since the beginning of time, bonuses have been used by advertisers to entice users to make a buying decision.

Bottom line is, they do work and here's why...

We make buying decisions based on emotions, you've no doubt heard that statement before.

However, being rational, thinking and logical humans, we also must justify our decision to buy we do that by convincing ourselves there is enough value to justify our emotional decision.

You read a sales letter, are intrigued by the headline. Your attention is kept through the first paragraph and you decide that you want the product or service based on benefit statements you relate to.

Now, you check the price - and it's somewhat higher than you anticipated.

Buyer's won't usually give up at this point.

They will actually attempt a value calculation by re-looking at what they get.

That's where your bonuses can make a big difference - they either justify the cost and click your order button, or they are gone forever.

5 EFFECTIVE BONUSES YOU CAN USE

It used to be you could throw just about anything into your offer and it would increase your response rate.

Not today though, today's customers look closely at the benefit they will get from their bonuses.

Select the right combination and you can still easily double or even triple your response rate.

So what can you bundle that will provide value for your customers WITHOUT taking months to create?

Here are 5 power-packed bonus ideas to increase your sales:

1. Work Sheet or Checklist.

This is one of our favorites, we've had terrific feedback using checklists in the past - some of which could have been sold on their own. If you have a product that explains a series of steps, processes, techniques or strategies to your customers, then pulling those into a checklist can be extremely simple and effective.

Use Microsoft Word's ability to insert a square symbol and a check mark - you will find both under the "Webdings" symbol options.

Checklists are also wonderful bonuses to use for tele seminars, coaching sessions, consulting services, seminars and other educational opportunities.

2. Short Summary.

You're ebook, audio or video may be 100's of pages long. Summarize the key points into 3-5 pages and you will have created a high-value bonus without having to create additional content.

3. Audio or Video clip.

Use a related audio clip to help communicate your point, cover a case study or example that is related to your ebook.

Interviews are a great way to quickly generate high-value bonuses. A 15-20 minute telephone interview will give you a 1-2 Meg audio file that can prove very valuable to your customer base - as long as it is directly related to your content.

Assume your ebook topic is exotic travel. Find a few people who have travelled to exotic locations and request a few minutes of their time to answer some questions over the phone.

If you need more information on recording telephone interviews - you can download our complimentary special report here:

http://www.infoproductcreator.com/freereportdown.html

4. Software

You are selling an eBook on how to make it big in the stock market. Imagine if you could bundle bonus software that makes it simpler and quicker to apply your techniques.

Software has a high perceived value.

You can find tons of free or trial software at sites such as http://www.download.com (Select "Advanced Search" link in upper right hand corner and select different License options in drop down list), http://download-soft.com/, or http://www.50download.com/

Another option is to hire a developer through http://www.elance.com or http://www.freelance.com to create a simple software application you can offer as a bonus.

5. Bundled service

I've had great success bundling relevant services with my products. For example, if you order "Ultimate Information Entrepreneur's Success Package" - http://www.infoproductcreator.com you will not only get an incredible package for creating your own income-generating infoproducts, but you get a complimentary 20-minute consultation with a top copywriter online.

Makes sense right?

You are creating a product to sell online, you will need to create a highly effective website.

Think beyond the specific problem/problems you are solving for your customer. What ELSE will they need solved?

Match that need up with a service professional and you have a very high-value bonus.

Most service professionals offer some form of gratis trial, that's what you can offer to your customers.

MAKE YOUR BONUS STAND OUT!

The final point on effectively using bonuses to enhance your sales is to stand out from the crowd.

What is everyone else doing - offering some crappy, resell rights, largely useless eBook.

The perceived value of such bonuses are less than zero - meaning they can HURT your sales more than help them.

Create a high-value bonus, and you will see immediate positive results on your sales and profits.