SaaS Sales: How To Boost Response Rates With 3 Easy Actions (Image courtesy of Canva).
You could be doing everything else right in your marketing. But without this 1 thing, you can struggle mightily. What is this 1 thing? It’s the proper messaging.
Persuasive writing is critical for written messaging. There are 3 critical factors for persuasive writing.
I’ll cover #1, simplicity, in this article.
It is part of the S.U.V. Model that will take you to your promised land. Imagine it being like a real SUV that takes you to a dream destination.
The other 2 parts of S.U.V. are “U” for urgency and “V” for value.
The side of an SUV (Image courtesy of Canva).
Keep your writing simple, and your response rates will jump. This is especially key in the world of SaaS and software. Things can be complex in these areas.
“That’s been one of my mantras - focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex…” - Steve Jobs
Let’s gather around the virtual campfire for a quick story.
It’s the early 1960s. NASA just started sending astronauts into space.
An astronaut pulls out his pen to write a note. No ink comes out. He tries another pen. Still nothing! He goes through the entire pack. They’re all useless!
It turns out ballpoint pens don’t work in space!
Lunar module pilot Walt Cunningham performs flight tasks on the ninth day of the Apollo 7 mission in 1968. Image courtesy of Bing images with filter set to free to modify and use commercially.
NASA must create a pen that works in zero gravity. They spent 10 years and $12 billion to create such a pen!
The Russians simply used a pencil.
This is the power of simplicity.
Sadly or thankfully, the story itself is an urban legend. It spread like wildfire across the internet. The tall tale even made it into the TV show “The West Wing.”
The real story is complicated. Pencils can be messy and problematic in space.
An American inventor, Paul Fisher, came up with the Fisher Space Pen on his own. He sold them to NASA and the Soviet Union!
The Fisher Space Pen. Image courtesy of Bing images with filter set to free to modify and use commercially.
But even a fake story told simply can persuade your audience. The “simple” space pen tale also gets you to think “simple.”
When selling something, even a complex SaaS product, simplicity is powerful.
I’m a copywriter that has seen simple copywriting increase response rates. Copywriters aren’t writing mysterious poetry. We get people closer to a purchase.
Take complicated ideas and boil them down to simple thoughts. Customers don’t need or care about all details of your SaaS product. Simplify your message.
You might geek out about all the cool bells and whistles of your product. Customers want to know how you’ll make their lives better.
In every sentence you write, aim for simplicity. Shortening a sentence is one path.
Shorter words can help. Fewer syllables are also better. Did you write “high-speed” or “accelerated” to describe your product? Use “fast” instead.
“Write the way you talk.” – Joshua T. Boswell, master copywriter.Read your writing. Does it sound too robotic or corporate? Imagine you are talking with a potential customer in person. How would you say what you’re trying to write? Make it conversational and understandable. Finally, know the power of 1. Your written piece should have 1 big benefit or big idea. Scan over your paragraphs. There should be 1 idea per paragraph. Check your sentences. Have no more than 1 thought per sentence.
Have no more than 1 thought per sentence! (Image courtesy of Canva)
Here are 3 simple actions for writing simply and persuasively:
Action 1: F.K. Score your writing.
Get the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level score for your writing. Try your website to start and see your score. Aim for less than 7. No more than 9. A 4 or 5 is tremendous. Readable and Grammarly are great, paid tools that give this score. Free tools can also do this; search “Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level score for free.”
Action 2: Make your stuff conversational.
Read it out loud. Ask someone if it sounds natural. If robotic, fix it! People buy from other people. Be personable by being conversational! You can record yourself and transcribe. There are free voice dictation apps on Windows, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android, and more! Just search “Using Voice Dictation on…” and add where you want to do this. For example, on Windows 10, you just click a text field, type Windows-Key+H, and start talking.
Action 3: Use the Power of 1.
Check if your writing fits these rules: 1 big benefit. 1 big idea. 1 key message. 1 idea per paragraph. 1 thought per sentence.
Any of these 3 actions will increase the response rate of your written marketing.
“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” – Albert Einstein__________________ About Charles Polanski: I help people prosper through online marketing. Click this link to unlock a world of possibilities with online marketing.
Young Albert Einstein… (Image courtesy of Canva).