Some Wicked Thoughts On Creating Perceived Value For Your Products or Yourself. If This Article Doesn’t Help You Sell, It’ll Help Your Social Life

I like to keep things simple.

I think anyone can create complexity. You know, take something simple and make it complex, so people will will deify your knowledge.

I think it’s quite another thing to sort through complexity and find the inherent simplicity. I’ve always felt all the great ideas were simple ones.

Alexander the Great conquered the world based on the short sword idea, a simple weapon. I could go on and on. So let’s get back to basics and the inherence simplicity of this business. Here are the important things:

1. Targeting a group of people with common wants or needs.

2. Finding out what they perceive as valuable.

3. Offering that to them with a sales process that gets them to buy.

Step one is where most people falter traditionally. But what I’ve noticed more and more is that step two is a problem. People sell their product, service or information too cheaply.

Why? Because they don’t know how to create perceived value for it.

It cracks me up sometimes. So people wanna buy from the "guru" who gives them the whole ball of wax for next to nothing. Can you see how absurd that is? I don’t mean to criticize the teachers. I understand they’re lead generating and probably have back end products. My point is that a lot of people really don’t get it. They think that the best "guru" to buy from is the one with the mostest for the cheapest!

If someone doesn’t know how to create perceived value for their own products and services and get paid for that value, then HOW, pray tell, are they going to teach YOU to get paid a decent profit for what YOU are selling, pimping or marketing?

It mystifies me.

The question, then is, "How to you create perceived value?" I’ll tell you a story that illustrates it.

There’s this show on TV in the U.S. called "The Pickup Artist." It’s about this guy named "Mystery" who teaches guys how to get dates, meet women, etc. It’s an evergreen topic. Parts of the show are shown on vh1.com. I don’t know if it’s must me being a middle-aged guy and all, or if the show is really as engrossing as I find it.

Normally, I don’t watch reality TV.

Anyway, one of Mystery’s big themes is that a guy (or girl) has to know how to project VALUE. For example, Mystery says the #1 indicator of value for a guy is a big smile. I’d never thought about it that way. But a smile projects confidence.

He goes on to talk about other indicators of value. The show is kinda addictive to watch. I’m really not into TV other than sports and anime. But there are so many parallels to marketing, it’s uncanny. I NEVER thought about the points he makes about social value. It really makes you think.

Basically, the same things that apply to marketing a product or service, apply to marketing a person.

So let’s say you’re starting out. You’re a newbie. And you have a product or service to sell. You gotta create perceived value for what you sell. Otherwise, you’ll be selling $7.00 info products all your life. Not that there’s anything wrong with 7 bucks. But you know, there isn’t a lot of perceived value there.

You create value through packaging, appearance, presentation, the pitch. And just by being convinced you really ARE offering something of value.

The other thing I’ll say about the TV show is I never knew that guy Mystery from Adam. But by virtue of the fact he’s now on TV, you assume what? The guy must know what he’s talking about.

This is why books, publicity, writing articles, and speaking engagements are crucial parts of an info product business. They all create the perception of value.

Opinion leaders read more than the average person. And they attend more social functions, seminars and networking events than others. So by putting out articles, books, info products and then speaking at events, you’re reaching the opinion leaders.

And those are the folks who influence the opinions of others. This is something few people understand about the info product business. Now, you know. Now, you’re on the inside.

Speaking at seminars, having info products, books, articles — these all build SOCIAL VALUE and proof. Mystery would be proud. By the way, all of the above are great tools for recruiting affiliates.

Now, maybe you can’t write or speak. But when you understand the whole principle behind social value, you can find OTHER ways to build it that DO work for you. If you haven’t read the book Influence by Caldini, it’s a must read.

And if you’re in the U.S. and happen to be up late at night like I often am, then maybe watch that Mystery guy. And you’ll learn a thing or two about social dynamics, creating perceived value and packaging the offer.

I realize if you’re a newbie or just getting into "the game", this may seem a little over your head. Sometimes I have to talk about more advanced topics to give the people who aren’t newbies something to chew on.

Marlon Sanders is the author of "The Amazing Formula That Sells Products Like Crazy." If you'd like to get on his mailing list and receive tips, articles and information about online marketing, visit: http://getyourprofits.com/