A guide for consultants, coaches, and freelancers
Your website should be your top salesperson, a persuasion machine that never sleeps, always on, batting its eyelids at your ideal clients, making working with you seem essential and irresistible.
The big guns in your website’s sales arsenal are your sales pages. A sales page is any page on your site where you’re selling a service or a product.
Sales pages include:
Service pages.
Product pages.
Online course landing pages.
A sales page can also be considered any page where you’re convincing a website visitor to take action. E-newsletter and webinar sign up pages would be prime examples.
In this guide, we’re going to focus on pure sales pages that generate revenue for your business.
Elements of a compelling sales page
A sales page is carefully crafted to convince your potential clients that this service will help them solve their problem and reach their goals.
A strong sales page has 10 essentials:
Short intro to the service / product you offer.
Who this service / product is for.
Why this problem is a big deal to your potential client. Really mine their pain here. What effect is this problem having on your prospects’ lives?
More details on the results and benefits you deliver.
Your process. What happens when your client signs up to work with you / buys your product? What steps will their project move through? What’s it like to work with you?
Why you. How did you become qualified to solve this problem for your client?
Proof from happy clients. Testimonials and case studies.
Answer any FAQS you get and handle any common objections.
Pricing. If you don’t have a fixed price package, consider services start from $XXXX.
Calls to action.
In this guide we’re going to look at how you nail each element on a service sales page. As we go, I’ll be sharing examples of sales page copy from successful sales pages so you can see what I mean.
So, grab yourself a cup of tea and a notepad and buckle in for a revenue enhancing read.
Your introduction
Your sales page introduction needs to be emotive and to the point. This is the quick sales spiel that you hit people with when they want to know if your service is for them. Some people, this may be all they need to know to buy. For others, this is the teaser that hooks them in to learn more.
Your sales page intro should say:
The key problem you solve.
The key benefit you deliver.
How you deliver these results. i.e., what is your service?
You don’t need to go into too much detail when it comes to problem, benefit, or service, as you’ll be digging deeper into these three things further down your page. Simply tell people enough so they’re crystal clear on what your service can do for them.
Examples of powerful sales page intros
Get paid what you’re worth – without paying the price. Stop wondering. Stop second guessing. Stop pulling numbers out of a hat. It’s time to stop undercharging for your talent — and start quoting with confidence at a price that makes sense.
The Copywriter’s Ultimate Guide to Pricing, Michal Eisikowitz
How to write words that sell like a Florida Snow Cone Vendor on the hottest day of the year. A short, punchy, ridiculously-sweet guide that’ll teach you how to sell like hell with pretty words… in less than an afternoon.
Snow Cones, Cole Schafer
Learn to grow & monetize your LinkedIn audience. How I've used LinkedIn to go from zero to over 143K followers and over $1.4M in income with zero ads.
The Operating System, Justin Welsh
Who’s your service for?
Selling your services isn’t all about you. It’s about the problems, needs, and desires of your ideal customer. But that makes it sound too marketing.
Think of it this way. Every time you make a sale, a real human, someone who’s battling a line-up of distractions, along with being a bit hungry and needing the loo (I’m method acting here folks) needs to be convinced that you’re the answer to their current pressing problem.
Imagine this person. Give him/her/ they a name. Flesh them out in your mind. The more you know about your ideal client, the better you’ll be able to tailor your sales page to meet their needs.
How old are they?
What do they do?
Where do they live?
Why do they need your service?
How do they feel about this?
What do they want to know before they buy?
What will their life be like once they’ve bought your offer?
Every time you create a sales page remember the real human clutching their credit card in their sweaty wee paw who’ll be reading that page and deciding if your product / service speaks to them.
Selling always starts with knowing the person you’re selling to.
The more you can talk to your idea clients’ problems and aspirations, answer their questions, and ally their concerns, the more they’ll feel you get them, and the more likely they’ll be to buy.
sales page copy clarifying who a service is for
You're in the right place if you're a woman coach, course creator, author, speaker or service provider who wants to learn how to monetise you and create multiple revenue streams so you can make the impact and income you desire.
Snow Cones is a 10,000-word crash course in copywriting that has been purchased by 2,300 marketers, writers and startup founders all over the planet looking to write pretty words that sell like hell.
Snow Cones, Cole Schafer
I teach women in business how to drop the self-sabotage and take consistent, imperfect action to grow their biz AND their revenue with confidence.
Trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble
Once upon a time an old boss said to me. “Lizzzzzzzie …” he said, “No pain no sale, darlin.”
Now he may have been a bit of a wide boy, but he was also a bit of a wise boy. He had nailed the simple truth at the heart of the selly selly. Know the problem you’re solving because you want to find the pain you ease before you start writing your sales material.
So, get out your tweed deerstalker my investigative friends. We’re going to detectorise the snot out of your client’s angst. And because this ain’t my first time at the rodeo, I’ve prepared you some helpful questions designed to diagnose your client’s problem.
What is the nature of the specific problem you solve for your ideal client?
Is it physical, mental, emotional?
Is it painful, annoying, or just mildly irritating?
What does it feel like to have this problem?
When do they experience the problem?
How often do they suffer?
How long do they suffer?
What amount of time is wasted by the problem?
What ripple effects does the problem have on their life?
Now you’re starting to understand the problem your client’s facing, it’s time to absolve them of responsibility for this problem. This is important because of two reasons.
Lots of us are useless at taking responsibility for the consequences of our actions. This is a whole rant in itself, but I’ll refrain today.
We don’t want to make people feel ashamed they have a problem, so showing you understand that their problem is (at least partially) outside their control, makes you more sympathetic.
So, ask these questions.
What makes it inevitable that they’d have this problem?
How has it never been their fault?
Why does this happen to them and not others?
Why can’t they solve the problem themselves?
How have they tried to solve their problem and failed?
And finally, bring them out of the valley of the shadow of pain and show the light of deliverance.
Why is it going to be different when they work with you?
What will their life be like when they solve their problem?
Go diagnose some problems, folks. It goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyhow) that customer interviews come in mighty handy here.
sales pages milking problems like a Friesian cow
The wrong price = missed opportunities. If you’re a new copywriter, it’s your MOST common question. And even if you’ve got 2-3 years of experience, you still find yourself asking it too often: “What’s the going rate?” “How do I price this?” “But what do I charge for THIS kind of project????”
The Copywriter’s Ultimate Guide to Pricing, Michal Eisikowitz
Every single email you send can and should grow your business. As incredible as the opportunities are in email marketing, the challenges may seem just as big. That’s because there are so many types of emails you can send. And too often you learn the hard way that, say, a sales email on the last day of a launch shouldn’t be written like the third email in your nurturing sequence.
The ultimate email training program, Copyhackers
It just seems that no matter how hard you work, or how many clients you have, you just aren't able to pay yourself what you're worth.
And worse, you can't see when it's going to change...
You’re exhausted from working almost every evening and weekend, sacrificing your time with friends and loved ones, but still not having the reward you deserve in your bank account.
You're constantly second-guessing and changing your pricing - never really sure if you're charging too much or too little.
You're beginning to doubt you'll ever have the confidence to charge what you're worth.
You’re frustrated and anxious that you’re not earning what you need to but you’re not sure how to fix it.
You’re wondering how long this can keep going before you either burn out or have to go and get a “real job”
How to nail your pricing and pay yourself what you’re worth, Natalie Coombe
Sell those benefits
Ok. Right. This is a biggy. When you’re selling your stuff, make sure you focus on the benefits that your clients actually give a toss about.
So many consultancy businesses get this wrong.
A classic example I see all the time is web developers focusing sales messaging on their tech.
Darlings. Nobody cares. Most of your clients do not give a tiny rat’s fundament about your lovely clean code, your whizzy CMS, your hosting solutions, or your fabulous Agile processes. They want a good-looking site, that’s easy for their customers to use, easy for them to add content to, and sells their shiz real good. And they want the process to be pain free (maybe even fun) and affordable.
Writer and celebrated sales dude, Elmer Wheeler’s first principle of sales was, “Don’t sell the steak, sell the sizzle.” In other words, sell the thing your client cares about.
And for consultants and coaches, the thing your client cares about is rarely the service you offer.
Decent copywriting can transform a business.
BUT no one has woken up and said, “I really need to buy some copywriting today.”
Instead, they think … I really need content for my new website, and I’m never going to get round to writing it myself, plus the last time I tried that it was a bit crap, so I’d better find a good copywriter.
And if you dig deeper, not only do they want content for their new website.
They want content that will:
Attract their ideal clients.
Make them sound smart, fun, and trustworthy.
Sell more services.
So, when you’re writing about the service you deliver for your sales page, keep digging deeper to find the real reasons people buy what you sell. The benefits you deliver that resonate with them emotionally.
If you get stuck, ask yourself why does my client care about this? And if they don’t care, then don’t bother talking about it. Simple as that.
Examples of sales pages hot saucing those benefits
Led by the very copywriters behind huge six- and seven-figure launches and high-performing SaaS email sequences, 10x Email and Six Figure Emails will strip away the mystique of writing emails. Join us to skip past the guesswork. Inside this training, you’ll get the frameworks, formulas, processes and repeatable techniques to plan, write and optimize emails that gets results worth bragging about.
The ultimate email training program, Copyhackers
Snow Cones can be enjoyed in less than an afternoon and leave you with countless marketing and copywriting gems you can begin applying immediately like... how to craft a killer headline that hooks the reader, how to use the Hemingway Model to instantly 3x your writing's clarity and how to craft a brand's voice that your customers will obsess over.
Snow Cones, Cole Schafer
It IS possible to transform your business so that you
No longer have to work every spare hour of the day, every day of the week just to make ends meet.
Build your courage and belief in yourself so you can go out there and charge what you're worth with confidence.
Can pay yourself what you're worth enabling you to provide for yourself and your loved ones in abundance, without burning yourself out in the process
Build a thriving, healthy business that supports your dreams and the way you want to live.
How to nail your pricing and pay yourself what you’re worth, Natalie Coombe
What’s your process?
An important part of the successful sales page puzzle is sharing your process. Whether you’re a coach or a consultant, when you provide a service, you have a process. Well, I hope you do.
We often become oblivious to our own process. It’s the water we swim in, so we forget that:
Not everyone knows our process like we do.
Other coaches and consultants use different processes.
And we may not be aware of the biggy. Not knowing our process is a potential barrier to potential clients. People hate feeling uncertain, because feeling uncertain feels like being unsafe.
If you don’t tell people what happens when they sign up to work with you or buy your product, you’re creating uncertainty. And we’re wired to remove ourselves from uncertain situations, fast.
A sales page that outlines process converts better than a sales page that doesn’t.
So, share your process.
What happens after they buy?
What steps will their project move through?
Or what content will you cover in your coaching / course.
What’s it like to work with you?
Make sure people know what to expect.
The other reason sharing process is so powerful is because it helps people imagine what it’s like to work with you. And once they’ve made that imaginative leap, they’re far more likely to close the deal.
sales page copy breaking down process
Here's how it works... How To Nail Your Pricing And Pay Yourself What You're Worth is a six-week, online group experience, where we get your pricing sorted TOGETHER.
Together, I walk you through one pricing tool and technique each week, building up your knowledge and your confidence without the overwhelm. This isn’t just teaching theory - you need more than that! This is practical, real-world, proven business know-how, tailored to YOUR business.
I also share with you my proven “Plug And Play” Pricing Calculators I’ve spent 20 years developing and using every single day, enabling businesses across the world to nail their pricing and improve their profitability.
How to nail your pricing and pay yourself what you’re worth, Natalie Coombe
This is not just a list of numbers
For each listing, you get:
A clear definition of what that copy looks like
Pricing for new copywriters
Detailed notes advising you on HOW to best package the product, plus common pitfalls to avoid
Pricing for more experienced copywriters (2-5 years)
The Copywriter’s Ultimate Guide to Pricing, Michal Eisikowitz
This is an opinionated course. I only cover topics I have significant first-hand experience with. You won't find most of the knowledge I share here in any free blog post you can read online. Here's a free preview of the type of content you'll find inside of the course. No email address necessary.
Part 1: Course Intro.
Intro, objectives & outline.
Establishing your character
Part 2: Laying the foundation
Defining your niche.
Establishing your character.
LinkedIn Playbook, Justin Welsh (no longer for sale)
Why you?
At some point in this sales process, your potential client may start to wonder, well this all sounds great, but why should I trust you? How did you become qualified to solve this problem for me?
So, as well as offering social proof (more on that below) it can help to share a bit of your story to illustrate how you gained the experience and expertise you’re offering to share with your clients.
sales pages nailing those personal credentials
My name is Justin Welsh. I'm a former startup executive who went from 2,000 followers to over 143k and generated $1.4M in income without a single advertisement. All through LinkedIn. You absolutely do not have to listen to me but building on LinkedIn has been one of the greatest things I've ever done for my career.
The Operating System, Justin Welsh
Now, I know what you're probably thinking... why should I listen to this guy?
Well, while I'm not into chest-pumping, I understand I have to do it from time to time to gain some credibility. So, please don't judge me as I throw down a few slam dunks...
For one… I run a six-figure copywriting business called Honey Copy that works with brands all over the globe on writing words that read like poetry and sell like Ogilvy.
For two… I once wrote a crowdfunding page for an Israeli luggage company that generated $140,000 in funding in a week-ish. I also wrote a $500,000 landing page for the American Ultimate Disc League.
For three… I’ve been flown across the world to Minsk, Belarus to teach copywriting and marketing to Russian speaking startups (and I can't speak Russian).
For four (that sounds weird)… I’ve written viral articles like this one that have set the internet world on fire.
For five… I’ve written billboards for a protein company in an ad war, emails series for SaaS startups looking to bolster sales and advertisements for large media companies like The Hustle and I’ve even written copy for the American Ultimate Disc League.
Snow Cones, Cole Schafer
In my first 24 months on LinkedIn, I had...
Gained 100,000+ followers (after starting with just 400)
Generated over 1,000 inbound clients (without ads)
Quit my dead-end job, working for minimum wage
Built a successful, six-figure business
Now, I'm helping others to leverage the power of LinkedIn and change their lives for the better...
Making LinkedIn Simple, Lea Turner
Proof from happy clients
The other half of the trust equation is social proof. Humans are very influenced by what other humans do. Showing potential clients that lots of other people like them trust you makes them more likely to trust you. This is called social proof, and it’s the key to establishing trust when you sell.
Social proof can include:
Client logos.
Testimonials.
Case studies.
A portfolio of your work.
Recommendations on LinkedIn.
Google My Business reviews.
Facebook reviews.
Interviews with clients.
Numbers that prove success, e.g., number of clients worked with, percentage of revenue growth delivered, money saved etc.
Awards.
Publication credits.
Answering FAQs and handling objections
Pop quiz. What’s the role of a sales page?
.
.
.
If you said to persuade people to buy … can you hear that sound? That’s the whomp whomp klaxon.
As consultants and coaches trying to grow your business by selling your skills and stuff, your job isn’t to manufacture desire.
Nope.
Your job is to find the people who already need what you have to offer (whether they know it or not) and show them how you can make their lives better. See how that’s a different thing?
So, the role of your sales page is to take those people on a journey, where you show that you understand their problems and desires, that you have a solution that can help, and that you’re qualified to deliver that solution.
Enter FAQS. The role of FAQs on a sales page is to answer questions (obvs). But it’s also to pre-empt objections that stop people buying. And you couch these objections as questions because you’re sneaky like that.
Examples include:
I only have a small budget for coaching. Is this investment really worth it?
I don’t have much time. How long will this take?
I’ve done something like this before and it didn’t work. Why would this be any different?
FAQs also help educate. Because while some of the people giving your sales page their rapt attention will know they need the thing you offer, others won’t. So, the FAQ section of your sales page gives you a chance to take a step back to the very beginning of the sales process, and answer basic questions like, why do I need this anyway?
Pricing
Let’s talk about pricing. Specifically putting your prices on your service pages, and why you’re not doing it.
Yeah, yeah, I know. Back in the mists of time you were told it was a good idea to get people to call you to discuss pricing because it gives you an opportunity to build a relationship with them. And building a relationship makes it more likely your quote will convert.
Forget that shandy my friend. The world has moved on. And we’ve got content marketing for building relationships.
There’s three reasons why you should be out and proud with your prices.
Clients want to know straightaway.
It screens out people who can’t afford you.
It saves you time.
Let’s take a closer look at those bad boys.
The most important reason to pop your prices online is because your clients want to know. We live in a world of instant gratification. A world where people want to be able to communicate entirely digitally. A world where people are increasingly less inclined to pick up the phone. So, if you hide your prices, I will not call you. I will however go to your competitor who has got prices online.
Next up, let’s talk tyre kickers and time wasters. Insults that came into existence because people in the service industry got fed up with potential clients requesting information and estimates, then ghosting us hard. But the thing is, it’s not those people’s fault if you didn’t give them enough information to make an informed decision without taking up your time. You set yourself up for that situation. So put your prices online and never have to deal with an unqualified lead again.
And the third reason to get your prices on your website is because it’ll save you a heap of time. Does anyone actually enjoy preparing estimates? Can you use that time better doing something else? Package your pricing, and kiss farewell to tedious estimating.
The thing that stops many consultants putting their prices online is having too many bespoke services. Focus. You don’t need to do all the things to make a very healthy living. Streamline what you do. Offer two or three service packages. One’s even better. Put your prices online. And see your deal close rate rise exponentially (mine’s 88%).
Calls to action on sales pages
Calls to action (CTAs) are the bit where you stop wooing and ask for the sale. High performing sales pages tend to have more than one call to action.
One early on in the page after you’ve built your initial case. This is because some people don’t need a detailed sell. And other people are repeat visitors who’ve been considering your services and now want to take the next step without scrolling alllllllllllllllll the way to the end of the page.
One after you’re first chunk o’ social proof
One after your process.
One after your pricing. This is often a detailed CTA with pricing plans.
One at the very end of the page.
Some folks get all CTA slap happy and slap one after each section of their sales page. I prefer a more measured approach, including a CTA where it feels natural, as you tell your sales story.
Calls to action can differ wildly. Some are humorous. Some include pricing. Others include social proof. Some are benefit focused. You can use the same CTA throughout your sales page or change it up to tell a story as you move down the page.
Whatever works for you, try and steer away from the hoary old battle horses like learn more and buy now. I mean, they work, but you can do better. Unless you’ve A/B tested the snot out of your CTAs, and these really do work best for you, in which case knock thyself out.
Sales page success
Thanks for hanging on in there as we’ve meandered through the 10 essentials of a strong sales page. I recommend you keep a clippings file of great sales pages you come across. They’re the best tool there is when it comes to getting inspired to write your own sales page.
And if this all sounds too hard, or you haven’t got the time, talk to me. I’ve written many successful sales pages in my time, and I’d love to write a dollar delivering banger of a sales page for you.