Posted by There is a secret ingredient found in every great product that is lacking in every poor product.
And no, it’s not great information that is super helpful to the user.
Yes, it’s awesome to give great info, but anyone – ANYONE – can do a Google search and likely get the same great info if they simply look long enough.
With this secret ingredient, you can crank out one hot selling product after another.
You can make mistakes in the products and people won’t care.
You can forget to include everything that should be there, and people still won’t mind.
You can even give mediocre information (although I don’t recommend this) and most likely get away with it unscathed.
But without this secret ingredient, you can give away the keys to Fort Knox and still be thought of as a mediocre product creator, at best.
I’ll get to that secret ingredient in just a moment. First, a look at the mechanics of creating a product…
Let’s assume you already have the topic for your product. What’s next?
Choosing the format. It could be a PDF, a video, a webinar, coaching, Facebook Group, podcast of whatever you want it to be.
In the beginning, I highly recommend you choose the format that YOU are comfortable with. There’s no sense in spending days or weeks trying to master a new format with a steep learning curve, because this will just slow down the process for you.
Later on, as you become more proficient, then you can experiment with other formats and even offer products in multiple modalities to make everyone happy.
For now, though, just keep it simple.
Your product does NOT have to be a 20 video set or a 200 page PDF, either. It only needs to be as long as it takes to successfully convey the information. Many best-selling products have simply been 50 page PDF’s or a 60 minute video.
The better your content, the better it is for you. If you’ve got just one piece of advice, trick, tip, etc., that can blow people away, you can build the product around that.
It doesn’t have to be earth shattering or revolutionary – it just has to be good enough that people feel satisfied with the content.
Rule #1 of product creation, if there is a Rule #1, is to NOT bullshit the customer.
Let’s say what you’re teaching them takes you 2 hours to accomplish, and you’ve been doing it for a year. Do NOT tell your customer that they will be able to do it in 2 hours like you.
The same goes for earnings claims, benefit claims and so forth. Keep it real, keep it realistic, and be honest.
If it’s going to take 60 days of staying on the diet and 30 rounds of exercise to achieve the goal, let them know this.
You might lose a few sales this way, but your refunds will be next to none and people will trust you enough to buy from you again.
Being honest with the customer might seem harsh. But your customers aren’t dummies and they’ve been around the block a few dozen times or more.
They WANT the truth.
They want to know exactly what’s ahead, and what price they have to pay to get the benefit they seek.
Offer them support and encouragement that they can in fact do this thing (whatever it might be) and let them know that if you can do it, so can they.
Think of what you would tell your kids – “Yes, you’re going to have to study hard to get into Harvard, and participate in extra activities and make a lot of sacrifices, but I’m here to support you every step of the way as you realize your dream.”
Be honest and encouraging and you’ll develop a reputation that ensures your longevity in your chosen niche.
Now then, let’s talk about that secret ingredient…
The most important thing about creating products is you’ve got to include YOURSELF in the product.
You want to add your own thoughts, ideas and opinions.
You want to talk about the things you tried that didn’t work and why they didn’t work.
You want to tell the story of how you found the thing that does work.
And most of all, you want to add in your own opinions and personality to the mix.
Anyone – ANYONE – can write something that is dry and boring and contains nothing but facts.
People don’t pay for facts; they pay for your view of the facts.
Doing this one thing will completely separate you from the amateur product creators. Having an opinion and STATING that opinion will make all the difference.
Think about what you’re writing. Formulate your own positions and then share it. Don’t be shy with your readers. Bare all and let them see you and the process you are teaching from the perspective of someone who is expert enough to share their personal thoughts on the topic.
“But I don’t know how to do that.”
Okay, let’s take something simple – a short video on how to tie your shoes.
You could simply film yourself slowly, step-by-step, tying your shoes. This is what an amateur would do. And it would be as interesting as watching paint dry.
Or, you could do any of the following:
Name the two sides of the laces Fred and Ethel, and then explain the ‘dance’ they’re doing to tie the shoe, being your own funny self.
Tell the story of how you learned to tie your own shoes, or tell the story of your son or daughter learning to tie their shoes.
Relate the process of tying shoes to something in your niche or in the news, complete with your opinion.
And so forth.
Inject yourself into the product and you’ll have people coming back time and time again to buy your next product and your next.
It really is that simple.