January 10, 2025 • 12 mins
Want access to the book? go to PlatformGrowthBooks.com
Crafting a Super Simple Sales Page: The Ginsu Knives Model
In this episode, we delve into creating a super simple sales page inspired by the success of the Ginsu knives infomercial. Learn why simplicity, clarity, and engagement are crucial to crafting a compelling sales message. Follow a five-step formula to create an effective sales page in under 60 minutes, including identifying pain points, writing a compelling headline, using the 'Who, What, Why, How' script, highlighting key benefits, and incorporating a clear call to action with a risk reversal strategy. This hands-on exercise will help you connect with your audience and boost conversions.
00:00 Introduction: The Power of Simple Sales Pages
00:03 The Ginsu Knives Example
01:34 Why Simplicity Matters in Sales Pages
02:48 Three Key Elements of a Successful Sales Page
03:32 The Five-Step Formula for Crafting a Sales Page
07:47 Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your Sales Page
10:38 Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hello and welcome to the market.
(00:01):
Your message show.
I'm your host, JonathanMilligan.
And we are going through thethird book in the series.
Validate your offer.
This is an important bookbecause a lot of people will
start their business online.
And then they're trying tofigure out how do I create
(00:21):
something that people will wantand how do I do it without
wasting time?
And that's what this third bookin my book series is all about.
Now as a thank you for being aloyal podcast listener, I am
making the audio book availableone chapter at a time every
single week.
And as you're listening to this,we are currently going through
(00:43):
that.
Validate your offer.
Now, if you ever want the audiobook or you want the book or the
workbook, you can go to platformgrowth, books.com again, it's
platform, growth books.com, andyou could order one of those.
And of course, listen, as you gothrough the book or use the
workbook to implement what youhear.
(01:06):
In each episode.
So with that being said, let'sjump right in to today's
chapter.
Chapter 11, Crafting Your SuperSimple Sales Page.
Speaker 30 (01:15):
It's 1984 and you're channel surfing late at night.
Suddenly a charismatic pitchmanappears on your screen,
brandishing a gleaming set ofknives.
He then shows their sharpness byslicing through everything from
tomatoes to tin cans.
He does this while praising thevirtues of these miraculous
blades.
The Ginsu knives infomercialchanged how products were sold
(01:39):
on TV.
At the heart of the salesphenomenon.
was a simple but highlyeffective order form.
The Ginsu Knives campaign provedthat you don't need a fancy,
convoluted sales page toconvince people to buy what
you're offering.
Their plain approach resulted inover 2 million knives sold.
It showed the power of a wellcrafted, no nonsense sales
(02:01):
message.
That's what we'll focus on inthis chapter.
We'll make a simple butcompelling sales page.
It will help you validate youroffer and start earning money.
You can use it as a writer,coach, teacher, or speaker.
You might be selling a lowcontent book, a mini course, a
group coaching program, or avirtual workshop.
But the principles are the same.
(02:22):
You need to cut through thenoise, grab your audience's
attention, and persuade them totake action.
Just like the Ginsu Knivespitch, your sales page should be
sharp, efficient, and effective.
And impossible to ignore.
So let's dive in and learn howto craft a super simple sales
page that will have your idlecustomers eagerly reaching for
their wallets.
Speaker 31 (02:43):
Crafting your super simple sales page.
You've probably seen them beforethose endless scrolling sales
pages.
They go on forever and arepacked with dense paragraphs,
complicated jargon, and morebullet points than a military
arsenal.
It's like trying to navigate amaze, except instead of a prize
at the end, you're left with aheadache and a serious case of
(03:04):
information overload.
Here's the thing, when it comesto sales pages, more isn't
always better.
In fact, those overlycomplicated, text heavy
monstrosities often do more harmthan good.
They fail to engage your targetaudience, and they don't clearly
communicate the value of youroffer.
It's like trying to sell agourmet meal by listing every
(03:25):
ingredient in painful detail.
By the time you get to the end,you're done.
Your customers have lost theirappetite and moved on.
Complex sales pages are theequivalent of a boring, long
winded lecture.
They overwhelm potentialcustomers, making them feel like
they're drowning in a sea ofinformation.
And what happens when peoplefeel overwhelmed?
(03:45):
They tune out, click away, andleave your page faster than you
can say, but wait, there's more.
High bounce rates and lowconversion rates are the
inevitable results of a salespage that's too complicated for
its own good.
So, what's the alternative?
To create a successful salespage, you need to focus on three
key elements, simplicity,clarity, and engagement.
(04:08):
Strip away all the fluff and getto the heart of what your target
audience really wants.
What are their pain points?
What keeps them up at night?
And most importantly, how canyour offer solve their problems
and make their lives better?
When you focus on theseessential aspects, you'll be
able to craft a sales page thattruly resonates with your ideal
customers.
It's all about speaking theirlanguage.
(04:30):
It's about addressing theirneeds and offering a clear,
compelling solution.
Think of it like a well aimedarrow.
You avoid scattering yourmessage.
Instead, you focus on hittingthe bullseye.
You aim to convince youraudience to take action.
Speaker 32 (04:44):
The five step formula to creating a sales page
in under 60 minutes.
All right, let's break down thefive essential steps to crafting
your super simple sales page.
Step one, identify the painpoints.
Imagine you're a doctor and apatient comes to you with a set
of symptoms.
Before you can prescribe theright treatment, you need to
(05:06):
understand exactly what's ailingthem.
The same principle applies toyour sales page.
Before you start writing, youneed to identify your target
audience and their specific painpoints.
What keeps them up at night?
What are the challenges theyface day in and day out?
Once you've clearly defined yourtarget audience and their
(05:27):
struggles, you can craft amessage that speaks directly to
their needs.
Remember, the clearer you areabout who you're talking to and
what they're going through, themore compelling your sales page
will be.
Step 2.
Craft a compelling headline.
As the legendary advertiserDavid Ogilvie once said, On the
average, five times as manypeople read the headline as read
(05:50):
the body copy.
When you have written yourheadline, you have spent 80
cents out of your dollar.
In other words, your headline isthe most important part of your
sales page.
It's the first thing people willsee.
And it's what will determinewhether they keep reading or
click away.
To create a headline that grabsattention and draws people in,
focus on your audience's mainproblem.
(06:11):
What's the biggest challengethey're facing?
How can your offer help themovercome it?
Craft a headline that speaks toyour audience's needs.
You'll have a much better chanceof getting them to stick around
and learn.
Step 3.
Use the Who, What, Why, Howscript.
Once you've got your audience'sattention with a great headline,
(06:32):
it's time to structure yoursales page.
Do it in a way that's easy tofollow and engaging.
One simple but effective methodis the Who, What.
Why?
How?
Script.
Popularized by marketer RussellBrunson.
Here's how it works.
Who are you?
And why should your audiencelisten to you?
What is your offer?
(06:52):
And what will it do for youraudience?
Why should your audience careabout your offer?
And what makes it different fromother solutions?
How can your audience get theirhands on your offer?
And what do they need to donext?
Organize your sales page contentaround these four key questions.
This creates a logical flow.
(07:13):
It keeps your audience engagedand moving toward the desired
action.
Step four, highlight the keybenefits.
When it comes to selling youroffer, features tell, but
benefits sell.
In other words, don't just listout the specs and details of
your product or service.
Instead, focus on the tangibleoutcomes and transformations
(07:36):
your audience can expect.
How will your offer make theirlives better?
What specific results can theyachieve by working with you?
A 2012 study by the HarvardBusiness Review found that
customers are more likely topurchase a product or service
when the benefits are clearlycommunicated and aligned with
their needs.
So, don't be shy about spellingout exactly what your audience
(07:58):
stands to gain.
Paint a vivid picture of thesuccess and relief they'll
experience when they take you upon your offer.
Step 5.
Include a clear call to action.
Finally, don't leave youraudience hanging.
Once you've got them excitedabout your offer, you need to
guide them towards the nextstep.
That's where your call toaction, CTA, comes in.
(08:20):
Think of it like a GPS.
A GPS gives clear directions toreach a destination.
Your CTA should give clearinstructions on what your
audience needs to do to get youroffer.
Make your CTA specific,actionable, and impossible to
miss.
And remember, if you confuse,you lose.
Keep it simple andstraightforward, so there's no
(08:40):
question about what youraudience needs to do next.
To sweeten the deal and boostconversions, consider adding a
risk reversal strategy.
For example, you could add amoney back guarantee.
This will make it easier foryour audience to say yes to your
offer, knowing that they havenothing to lose and everything
to gain.
Speaker 33 (08:59):
Today's exercise, your 60 minute, super simple
sales page challenge.
All right, let's dive into apractical hands on exercise that
will help you craft your ownsuper simple sales page.
This is where the rubber meetsthe road.
So get ready to put everythingyou've learned into action.
Objective, create a draft ofyour super simple sales page
(09:20):
using the who, what, why, howscript and the strategies
outlined in this chapter.
Set a timer for 60 minutes.
This will help you stay focusedand avoid getting bogged down in
perfectionism.
Open a new document or grab apen and paper.
(09:40):
Whichever you prefer, make sureyou have a space dedicated to
this exercise.
Three, start by clearly definingyour target audience.
Who are they?
What are their pain points andchallenges?
What keeps them up at night?
Take 10 minutes to write out adetailed description of your
ideal customer.
Next, spend 10 minutesbrainstorming headline ideas.
(10:03):
Remember, your headline shouldgrab attention and speak
directly to your audience's mainproblem.
Don't worry about getting itperfect.
The goal is to generate a listof potential options.
Five.
Now, it's time to fill in thewho, what, why, how script.
Take 10 minutes for eachsection.
(10:24):
Introduce yourself and establishyour credibility.
Why should your audience listento you?
What?
Clearly explain your offer andwhat it will do for your
audience.
Why?
Highlight the key benefits andoutcomes of your offer.
What makes it different fromother solutions?
How?
Provide clear instructions onhow your audience can get their
(10:46):
hands on your offer.
What do they need to do next?
Six, once you've completed thescript, take 10 minutes to
review and refine your work.
Look for opportunities tosimplify your language, clarify
your message, and make youroffer more compelling.
Seven.
Finally, spend the last 10minutes crafting a clear call to
action.
(11:06):
Also think of risk reversalideas.
How can you make it easy and lowrisk for your audience to say
yes to your offer?
By the end of this 60 minutechallenge, you should have a
solid draft of your super simplesales page.
It may not be perfect, butthat's okay.
The goal is to get your ideasout of your head and onto the
page.
(11:27):
You can always refine and polishyour work later.
Remember crafting a compellingsales page is a skill that takes
practice.
Don't get discouraged.
If your first attempt feels alittle clunky or awkward, the
more you practice, the easier itwill become.
And who knows with a little timeand effort, you may just find
yourself creating sales pagesthat would make even the Ginsu
(11:48):
knives pitchman proud.
Key takeaways, simplicity andclarity are key to a successful
sales page.
Identify your target audience'spain points and craft a
compelling headline.
Use the who, what, why, howscript to structure your
content, highlight benefits,include a clear CTA and offer a
(12:08):
risk reversal strategy.
Hello and welcome to the market.
(00:01):
Your message show.
I'm your host, JonathanMilligan.
And we are going through thethird book in the series.
Validate your offer.
This is an important bookbecause a lot of people will
start their business online.
And then they're trying tofigure out how do I create
(00:21):
something that people will wantand how do I do it without
wasting time?
And that's what this third bookin my book series is all about.
Now as a thank you for being aloyal podcast listener, I am
making the audio book availableone chapter at a time every
single week.
And as you're listening to this,we are currently going through
(00:43):
that.
Validate your offer.
Now, if you ever want the audiobook or you want the book or the
workbook, you can go to platformgrowth, books.com again, it's
platform, growth books.com, andyou could order one of those.
And of course, listen, as you gothrough the book or use the
workbook to implement what youhear.
(01:06):
In each episode.
So with that being said, let'sjump right in to today's
chapter.
Chapter 11, Crafting Your SuperSimple Sales Page.
Speaker 30 (01:15):
It's 1984 and you're channel surfing late at night.
Suddenly a charismatic pitchmanappears on your screen,
brandishing a gleaming set ofknives.
He then shows their sharpness byslicing through everything from
tomatoes to tin cans.
He does this while praising thevirtues of these miraculous
blades.
The Ginsu knives infomercialchanged how products were sold
(01:39):
on TV.
At the heart of the salesphenomenon.
was a simple but highlyeffective order form.
The Ginsu Knives campaign provedthat you don't need a fancy,
convoluted sales page toconvince people to buy what
you're offering.
Their plain approach resulted inover 2 million knives sold.
It showed the power of a wellcrafted, no nonsense sales
(02:01):
message.
That's what we'll focus on inthis chapter.
We'll make a simple butcompelling sales page.
It will help you validate youroffer and start earning money.
You can use it as a writer,coach, teacher, or speaker.
You might be selling a lowcontent book, a mini course, a
group coaching program, or avirtual workshop.
But the principles are the same.
(02:22):
You need to cut through thenoise, grab your audience's
attention, and persuade them totake action.
Just like the Ginsu Knivespitch, your sales page should be
sharp, efficient, and effective.
And impossible to ignore.
So let's dive in and learn howto craft a super simple sales
page that will have your idlecustomers eagerly reaching for
their wallets.
Speaker 31 (02:43):
Crafting your super simple sales page.
You've probably seen them beforethose endless scrolling sales
pages.
They go on forever and arepacked with dense paragraphs,
complicated jargon, and morebullet points than a military
arsenal.
It's like trying to navigate amaze, except instead of a prize
at the end, you're left with aheadache and a serious case of
(03:04):
information overload.
Here's the thing, when it comesto sales pages, more isn't
always better.
In fact, those overlycomplicated, text heavy
monstrosities often do more harmthan good.
They fail to engage your targetaudience, and they don't clearly
communicate the value of youroffer.
It's like trying to sell agourmet meal by listing every
(03:25):
ingredient in painful detail.
By the time you get to the end,you're done.
Your customers have lost theirappetite and moved on.
Complex sales pages are theequivalent of a boring, long
winded lecture.
They overwhelm potentialcustomers, making them feel like
they're drowning in a sea ofinformation.
And what happens when peoplefeel overwhelmed?
(03:45):
They tune out, click away, andleave your page faster than you
can say, but wait, there's more.
High bounce rates and lowconversion rates are the
inevitable results of a salespage that's too complicated for
its own good.
So, what's the alternative?
To create a successful salespage, you need to focus on three
key elements, simplicity,clarity, and engagement.
(04:08):
Strip away all the fluff and getto the heart of what your target
audience really wants.
What are their pain points?
What keeps them up at night?
And most importantly, how canyour offer solve their problems
and make their lives better?
When you focus on theseessential aspects, you'll be
able to craft a sales page thattruly resonates with your ideal
customers.
It's all about speaking theirlanguage.
(04:30):
It's about addressing theirneeds and offering a clear,
compelling solution.
Think of it like a well aimedarrow.
You avoid scattering yourmessage.
Instead, you focus on hittingthe bullseye.
You aim to convince youraudience to take action.
Speaker 32 (04:44):
The five step formula to creating a sales page
in under 60 minutes.
All right, let's break down thefive essential steps to crafting
your super simple sales page.
Step one, identify the painpoints.
Imagine you're a doctor and apatient comes to you with a set
of symptoms.
Before you can prescribe theright treatment, you need to
(05:06):
understand exactly what's ailingthem.
The same principle applies toyour sales page.
Before you start writing, youneed to identify your target
audience and their specific painpoints.
What keeps them up at night?
What are the challenges theyface day in and day out?
Once you've clearly defined yourtarget audience and their
(05:27):
struggles, you can craft amessage that speaks directly to
their needs.
Remember, the clearer you areabout who you're talking to and
what they're going through, themore compelling your sales page
will be.
Step 2.
Craft a compelling headline.
As the legendary advertiserDavid Ogilvie once said, On the
average, five times as manypeople read the headline as read
(05:50):
the body copy.
When you have written yourheadline, you have spent 80
cents out of your dollar.
In other words, your headline isthe most important part of your
sales page.
It's the first thing people willsee.
And it's what will determinewhether they keep reading or
click away.
To create a headline that grabsattention and draws people in,
focus on your audience's mainproblem.
(06:11):
What's the biggest challengethey're facing?
How can your offer help themovercome it?
Craft a headline that speaks toyour audience's needs.
You'll have a much better chanceof getting them to stick around
and learn.
Step 3.
Use the Who, What, Why, Howscript.
Once you've got your audience'sattention with a great headline,
(06:32):
it's time to structure yoursales page.
Do it in a way that's easy tofollow and engaging.
One simple but effective methodis the Who, What.
Why?
How?
Script.
Popularized by marketer RussellBrunson.
Here's how it works.
Who are you?
And why should your audiencelisten to you?
What is your offer?
(06:52):
And what will it do for youraudience?
Why should your audience careabout your offer?
And what makes it different fromother solutions?
How can your audience get theirhands on your offer?
And what do they need to donext?
Organize your sales page contentaround these four key questions.
This creates a logical flow.
(07:13):
It keeps your audience engagedand moving toward the desired
action.
Step four, highlight the keybenefits.
When it comes to selling youroffer, features tell, but
benefits sell.
In other words, don't just listout the specs and details of
your product or service.
Instead, focus on the tangibleoutcomes and transformations
(07:36):
your audience can expect.
How will your offer make theirlives better?
What specific results can theyachieve by working with you?
A 2012 study by the HarvardBusiness Review found that
customers are more likely topurchase a product or service
when the benefits are clearlycommunicated and aligned with
their needs.
So, don't be shy about spellingout exactly what your audience
(07:58):
stands to gain.
Paint a vivid picture of thesuccess and relief they'll
experience when they take you upon your offer.
Step 5.
Include a clear call to action.
Finally, don't leave youraudience hanging.
Once you've got them excitedabout your offer, you need to
guide them towards the nextstep.
That's where your call toaction, CTA, comes in.
(08:20):
Think of it like a GPS.
A GPS gives clear directions toreach a destination.
Your CTA should give clearinstructions on what your
audience needs to do to get youroffer.
Make your CTA specific,actionable, and impossible to
miss.
And remember, if you confuse,you lose.
Keep it simple andstraightforward, so there's no
(08:40):
question about what youraudience needs to do next.
To sweeten the deal and boostconversions, consider adding a
risk reversal strategy.
For example, you could add amoney back guarantee.
This will make it easier foryour audience to say yes to your
offer, knowing that they havenothing to lose and everything
to gain.
Speaker 33 (08:59):
Today's exercise, your 60 minute, super simple
sales page challenge.
All right, let's dive into apractical hands on exercise that
will help you craft your ownsuper simple sales page.
This is where the rubber meetsthe road.
So get ready to put everythingyou've learned into action.
Objective, create a draft ofyour super simple sales page
(09:20):
using the who, what, why, howscript and the strategies
outlined in this chapter.
Set a timer for 60 minutes.
This will help you stay focusedand avoid getting bogged down in
perfectionism.
Open a new document or grab apen and paper.
(09:40):
Whichever you prefer, make sureyou have a space dedicated to
this exercise.
Three, start by clearly definingyour target audience.
Who are they?
What are their pain points andchallenges?
What keeps them up at night?
Take 10 minutes to write out adetailed description of your
ideal customer.
Next, spend 10 minutesbrainstorming headline ideas.
(10:03):
Remember, your headline shouldgrab attention and speak
directly to your audience's mainproblem.
Don't worry about getting itperfect.
The goal is to generate a listof potential options.
Five.
Now, it's time to fill in thewho, what, why, how script.
Take 10 minutes for eachsection.
(10:24):
Introduce yourself and establishyour credibility.
Why should your audience listento you?
What?
Clearly explain your offer andwhat it will do for your
audience.
Why?
Highlight the key benefits andoutcomes of your offer.
What makes it different fromother solutions?
How?
Provide clear instructions onhow your audience can get their
(10:46):
hands on your offer.
What do they need to do next?
Six, once you've completed thescript, take 10 minutes to
review and refine your work.
Look for opportunities tosimplify your language, clarify
your message, and make youroffer more compelling.
Seven.
Finally, spend the last 10minutes crafting a clear call to
action.
(11:06):
Also think of risk reversalideas.
How can you make it easy and lowrisk for your audience to say
yes to your offer?
By the end of this 60 minutechallenge, you should have a
solid draft of your super simplesales page.
It may not be perfect, butthat's okay.
The goal is to get your ideasout of your head and onto the
page.
(11:27):
You can always refine and polishyour work later.
Remember crafting a compellingsales page is a skill that takes
practice.
Don't get discouraged.
If your first attempt feels alittle clunky or awkward, the
more you practice, the easier itwill become.
And who knows with a little timeand effort, you may just find
yourself creating sales pagesthat would make even the Ginsu
(11:48):
knives pitchman proud.
Key takeaways, simplicity andclarity are key to a successful
sales page.
Identify your target audience'spain points and craft a
compelling headline.
Use the who, what, why, howscript to structure your
content, highlight benefits,include a clear CTA and offer a
(12:08):
risk reversal strategy.
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