THE SECRET TO ENROLLMENT FORMS

5:13 PM
THURSDAY
MARCH 31, 2011

Wow, I have to say, the year is really rolling by.
I'm working with a lot of doctors and business people
and things are just getting better and better.

So, what makes a great order form?

I’ve got three words for you.

Last things first.That's what one of my mentors
blogged the other day. I'm going to share his insights
today because you need to know what it takes to make
a great registration form, enrollment form, etc.

Lots of copywriters tackle the sales letter first.

I know I do.

Some start by writing pages of bullets and culling
the best for the headline. I don't. I like to write the
headline first, and then the subheads, but hey, that's
just me.

Other people prefer building an elaborate outline and
filling in the blanks as they go. Whatever works for you.

But I’m partial to the
“last things first” approach by starting with the order
form.

Why?

Not only do you wind up with a higher converting order
form when you focus on it FIRST, per my mentor, but
it makes the process of creating the sales letter a
whole lot more efficient... in his eyes.

IDEA YOU NEED TO REMEMBER!!

Think of the order form as your destination on a
commercial airline flight.

If your destination is Los Angeles, you can get
there many different ways. If you fly Southwest
Airlines, it might take stops through a half-dozen
cities (and several sodas spilled on you) but you’ll
get to L.A.

Same with your order form.

That’s the destination your sales letter is taking your
prospects, so it pays to know exactly where you’re going first.

But creating compelling order forms — called “coupons” in
space advertising — is an art form in itself.

I decided to take two examples from a company that sold
nearly $500 million worth of info products back in the
1980s, and give you six simple rules you can use for
better conversions, whether you’re online, offline or both.

Rule #1: Don’t call it an “order form.”

Call it a “response form,” an “enrollment form” or
better yet a “no-risk trial enrollment form,” if that’s
the case. This is one of those little semantic finesses
that eases the prospect into the sale verses telegraphing
that he’s reaching into his wallet.

Rule #2: Make your response form an affirmation and phrase the copy consistently in the first person tense of your prospect.

Like this: “YES! I accept your invitation to evaluate “YOUR OFFICE” without risk or obligation. You will send my first appointment time next week and subsequent ones the first Tuesday of each month.”

And, the reason for this?

The first person tense lets you harmonize with your prospect and is the equivalent of a remote handshake. So, if you’ve done your job in the sales copy, this helps consummate the deal. If, however, your prospect reads the offer first, this will get him into the body copy.

Rule #3: Restate the main benefit, so the prospect is clear about why he’s responding.

Example: “An easy way to take the first step toward amassing a fortune in real estate.”

Also, essential for those prospects, mentioned above,
who read the offer first.

Rule #4: Make the terms crystal clear.

This is, perhaps, the most important aspect of your order form,
especially if this is your prospect’s first purchase with you.

Tell the person exactly what’s going to happen and when… sans surprises.

And, if it contains a continuity or till forbid element, then here are three sub-rules to keep in mind.

* Say so.
* Say so.
* Say so.

This can’t be emphasized enough.

After the backlash against hidden continuity over the
last few years, it’s amazing some marketers still try to
pull this in 2011, but they do. If you’re a marketing chiro,
then you should be looking for more and better ways of building
continuity into your offers. Just be totally transparent about
it and never bury it in the fine print.

Acquiring and keeping a customer or patient for life is a simple
thing. Set the customer’s or patient's expectations… meet
(or exceed) them… sell them something else. (Rinse and repeat.)

This is the heart of the response form that let’s you achieve this.

Fulfilling what you say when you say sounds simple and mechanical,
yet it seems half the business world falls short on this. Just
setting and meeting your customers’ or patients' expectations
places you among the top 10% of businesses.

This example of clear terms comes from the Successful Real Estate
Investing coupon.

I understand this is a trial enrollment only. Shortly after I receive Lessons 1 and 2, you’ll send me Lessons 3 and 4, which I can review for 15 days before making my decision about the program. If I decide not to continue, I’ll return Lessons 3 and 4 at that time — and owe you nothing. If I wish to continue with the program, you will send me the remaining lessons according to the terms described above.
Rule #5: Don’t overload them with response options.

How many ways can customers or patients respond to your advertising?

* Phone
* Fax
* Online
* Direct mail coupon

Obviously, this is influenced in part by payment options but the rule is:

less is more.

When you give your prospects too many ways to respond, you’ll lose sales.

Give them TWO, maybe THREE, but never any more than that.

NEVER!

There’s almost always a predominant way customers respond
(when given a choice) and one other way.

If you sell with space advertising, then the telephone is
usually the primary way customers respond.

Ditto for television.

If by direct mail, depending on your market, fax may be the
primary way customers respond. It’s important to know this
and reign in the options on the order coupon.

Rule #6: Mention other important information.

If you know the HOT buttons of your market,
you’ve got additional ways to jack up response.

Is your product or service potentially tax deductible?

Then say so.

This can be the tipping point for many respondents.

Or how about this scenario?

“If I buy this DVD on Smart Investing, then maybe
telemarketers will hound me day and night about mutual funds.”

Valid concern.

The great Gary Bencivenga targets this in the response
form with this simple line of copy:

“No salesperson will ever call on me.”

So, that’s it for the 6 rules.

I suggest you print out these two print ad
coupons and put them on your desktop. I did
and I'm already creating my own. OH I forgot,
you can't print them out. I'm the only one that
has access to them.

Sorry.

Dr. Carney
Acupuncturist
Chiropractic Physician
Copywriter
Marketer
Coach


And remember, “last things first.”