I see a lot of ads in my business. I get to look at dozens of new ads every day, and it’s interesting to note the point at which an advertiser decides to introduce the price.
I’ve seen people disclose the price in the headline of an ad. I’ve seen people disclose the price in the opening paragraph of a sales page. I’ve seen people leave the price until the very last minute, and disclose it just before they ask for the sale.
I guess some advertisers think it doesn’t matter all that much. In fact, the reverse is true.
The point in the ad where you introduce the price is very important. The price can make or break a sale, and it’s essential to introduce it at exactly the right time.
The price is never a benefit
An advertiser that discloses the price at the start of an ad, has killed the sale before it’s even started. A potential client never regards the price as a benefit.
It’s easy for the seller to confuse the price with a benefit, because it is a benefit to him or her! It pays to remember that the reverse is true for the buyer.
Actually, there is one possible exception to this rule. If the product and its regular price are very well known, a massive discount may be viewed as an advantage. The problem is, you can’t be certain that…
- The prospect knows the product and its regular price. He or she may not understand the significance of the discount
- The prospect will accept the discount without getting suspicious about the reasons behind it
In my view, it’s far to risky to begin an ad with the price. The odds are overwhelmingly against your prospect seeing the price (or a discount) as anything like a benefit to get excited about.
It’s more likely that revealing the price too early, will kill the sale.
A price without benefits
A price without benefits, is like a pub without beer (i.e. pointless). For that reason, it’s best to leave the price until you’ve first had a chance to introduce your client to the benefits of owning and/or using your product.
The price of something is never good news. It’s a roadblock placed directly in the path of the sale. You must replace the issue of price in the mind of the prospect, with the benefits offered by your product. If the client doesn’t come to believe that the benefits are more valuable to him/her, than the money he/she will have to pay, the sale won’t occur.
That’s why it’s essential that the benefits of owning/using your product are described first.
The price signals reality
As soon as you introduce the price of your product, it brings a potential client back down to earth. It’s the moment of truth. The price forces a potential client to make up his or her mind. To decide whether he or she is truly interested.
You can imagine how disastrous this could be. The last thing you need, is to have your prospect make a buying decision before he/she knows what the benefits of ownership are.
The price forces the prospect to make a decision, and that means there’s only one logical place to put it.
Disclose the price just before you ask for sale
The best place to disclose the price is just before you ask the prospect to buy.
The price brings your prospect back down to reality, and this is reinforced by the request for the sale. It’s the make or break moment, which is why it belongs at the end of your ad.
Assuming the rest of your ad has done its job, only now will the prospect be able to make an informed decision. Specifically, does he/she want the benefits offered by your product more than the money it costs?
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