Not into selling toilets? OK, I get that.
There’s the obligatory showroom, the painfully embarrassing demonstrations…not to mention the maintenance plans.
Then there are the accessories…toilet brushes, cleaning solutions, even knitted toilet covers! Heck, you might even build a whole blog around toilets like the guys over at Downtown Toilet.
OK, I might be kidding a bit. But the point remains that with enough focused blog traffic, you could sell toilets.
In fact, if your blog’s traffic supports your goals, you can pretty much sell anything, right?
Wrong. Here’s why…in my best Yoda-speak:
Hungry crowds do not customers make.
Yeah, that sounds a bit backwards if you’re not a Jedi. More simply put, just because you get a bumper crop of traffic doesn’t mean you’re going to sell an eBook, a site membership, a new training program, or even…a toilet.
That’s because it takes quite a bit of effort to sell anyone anything. Until your readers are ready to make three assumptions, your dreams of a porcelain business empire is out of reach.
The 3 Assumptions Necessary to Sell a Toilet…
…an eBook, a site membership, or your new training program.
And here they are…
Assumption 1: They know you.
OK, this is kind of a no-brainer – but there’s a larger point…
- People like to buy from people they know.
Going further:
- People like to repeatedly buy from people they know.
That means the more they feel they know you, the better the likelihood that they will ultimately buy from you.
Here are a couple of things to you can do aimed at allowing readers to know you better:
- Respond to your readers offline. Sure, responding to a blog commenter is cool, but responding offline is even more effective. It sends the message that you care enough to reach out. Simple and effective.
- Get personal. Every once in a while, throw into your blog a post about your real life. It makes you more human and it extends your persona; both result in a closer connection with your readers.
And that leads to the second assumption a potential buyer needs to make…
Assumption 2: They like you.
Likability is a huge issue when it comes to buying from someone. Now, this theory may go right out the window if we’re talking about buying romaine lettuce at a flea market, but we’re going to suppose that isn’t your gig.
How do you get reader to like you? It helps to give away money! OK, I’m kidding.
Being liked isn’t something you can predict with a high degree of accuracy because there are many people involved. Not everyone is going to like you. And that’s OK.
You only want certain people to like you…the ones with with the problem that your eBook, membership site, or training program solves.
Still, these 3 factors are important:
- Personality: It helps to have one and not be shy about presenting it on your blog.
- Solutions: When a reader knows that you’re serious about solving their problems, you quickly get a tick in the ‘like’ column.
- Photos: Pictures of you (those of you smiling and generally liking life) go a long way to getting your readers to like you. If the camera isn’t your friend, get some pictures of you doing fun things – people like that, too.
That brings us to the third assumption that customers need to make before buying from you…
Assumption #3: They Trust You
Trust is often underrated but shouldn’t ever be.Trust speaks to how comfortable a customer is with you. Trust is also a marker for the level of risk a customer feels. If there’s enough trust, and a low level of perceived risk, the sale goes forward. But without it, it goes nowhere.
How can you bump up your reading on a potential customer’s trust-o-meter?
- Testimonials: Especially reverse testimonials. When someone reads how satisfied existing customers are or have been, they begin to trust you. Testimonials can be a dime-a dozen and therefore ineffective. But when you sprinkle in some reverse testimonials, your trust-o-meter readings climb. (More on reverse testimonials later in the week.)
- Consistency: In your posting frequency, in the strength of your content, and in your commitment to solving their painful issues.
Summary – Selling, whether your product line includes information products or toilets, is a matter of people feeling comfortable. Making them feel comfortable around you is key to making any money from your blog.
Making people feel comfortable enough to buy from you is HUGE. It takes work, commitment, and perseverance.
But if you go about it in a consistent, systematic manner, you’ll have them standing in line witing to buy with an unstoppable sense of urgency. 
What Do You Think? Is selling toilets, eBooks, membership sites, etc., only a matter of likebility, trust, and being known? Is there more to it? Please share your thoughts below! 