How to turn free software trials into sales

Ivan Levison —
Direct Mail, E-mail and Advertising Copywriting

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THE LEVISON LETTER
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Action Ideas For Better Direct Mail,
E-mail, Web Sites & Advertising

Published by
Ivan Levison, Direct Response Copywriting

Volume: 14 Number: 6
June, 1999

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How to turn free software trials into sales
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How do you get people to give your software a try?

Maybe you mail prospects a free CD so they can put a
time-bombed version of your software to the test. Or perhaps
they download a free "fully-functional trial version" from your
Web site.

No matter how you get them to give your product a try, the
rubber meets the road when you ask them to actually open up
their purse strings and BUY.

What's the best time to ask for the money?

Well, obviously you make a major sales effort at the time you
deliver the trial product. This means you go over all the benefits
of your product, make it easy for them to order immediately,
sweeten the pot with a price break or a special deal, clearly
explain how to order, etc. You know the drill.

But what happens to all those free trial prospects who don't
order after they take your software out for a trial spin? Do you
throw up your hands in despair, or do you have a well-designed
program in place that keeps on trying to turn the prospect into
a paying customer?

The good news is that e-mail is a fabulous way keep the selling
process going.

For starters, the costs involved are extremely low and you don't
have to worry about spamming issues. (Hey. These people "opted
in" when they asked for a free software trial. You have every right
to contact them with a friendly follow-up message!)

Of course, the trick is handling the e-mail message correctly, and
if you stick with me, I'll show you how to get started. To
make things clear, I'll be quoting from an e-mail that I wrote for
Adobe that was meant to convert free-trial downloaders into
paying PageMill customers.

Here are five points to remember next time you put an e-mail
together . . .

1. Handle the addressing correctly.

This means you should give some thought to the "FROM" line.
I often use the word "Team" in the FROM line. It makes it sound
as if there's a group of bright, energetic, enthusiastic people
standing behind the product. (In Adobe's case, there is.) It's also
important to put some real benefit in the "SUBJECT" line. The
SUBJECT line is like envelope teaser copy in a direct mail campaign.
Handle things right and your e-mail will get read. For example:

TO: NAME
FROM: The Adobe(r) PageMill(r) Team
SUBJECT: Adobe PageMill 3.0 limited-time offer!

2. Get to the point quickly.

No time for dawdling. You have to let the reader know that you
already have a relationship with them (so they won't think they're
getting spammed) and tell them what the deal is. Get to the point
quickly, then lay out the offer clearly. I like to set the specific offer
apart from everything else by placing it between fine-ruled lines.

3. Create a sense of urgency, then start selling with energy and
passion.

Just because it's e-mail, it doesn't mean you have to give up your
enthusiasm. Have five cups of coffee, sit down at your computer,
and let it rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrip. Here's a subheadline from the Adobe
e-mail plus a bit of the body copy that follows it:

"Why you need Adobe PageMill 3.0 NOW . . .

If you've put Adobe PageMill 3.0 through its paces, you've already
discovered that it's THE ONLY TOOL YOU NEED to design, build,
and manage your Web site. Forget about struggling with
complicated HTML code . . . (Our built-in HTML Editor lets you
add and format HTML directly.)" ETC.

4. Use bullets to communicate information quickly.

Don't just list features. Don't just list benefits. Make sure each line
combines features and benefits!

"Take a closer look at what Adobe PageMill 3.0 includes . . .

o Site management tools specially designed to make your life easy.
o Font face support that lets you choose the most attractive font
for any text.
o Interface enhancements that streamline your work environment
and save screen space. (What you see is REALLY what you get!)
o Full support for Java and ActiveX.
o Enhanced frame features that let you create attractive borderless
frames."

5. Make it easy to order and include your guarantee.

Just like in direct mail, you want to make the ordering information
extremely clear and to the point. Take a look at this example:

"Here's how to order risk free . . . It's easy. Just call 1-800-123-1234
or order from our Web site: www.adobe.com/pagemill. You can
use any major credit card. Either way, all you pay is just $99 (plus
$XX shipping and handling). What have you got to lose? Your
purchase is backed by our moneyback guarantee: If you're not
absolutely delighted with Adobe PageMill 3.0, return it within 30
days for a full, no-questions-asked refund (less shipping and
handling.) We look forward to hearing from you soon and urge
you to order now while this special offer is still in effect!"

Because e-mail is becoming an increasingly important part of
the online-marketing mix, I'll be back with more on the subject
down the road. Lots of the leading software companies are
paying a lot of attention to their e-mail marketing. Maybe you
should be doing the same.

Stay tuned. More next month!

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About Ivan Levison
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I'm a freelance direct response copywriter who works for high
technology companies like Adobe, Apple, Claris, Hewlett-Packard,
Intuit, Intel, Microsoft, Netscape, and many others. (Terrific small
companies too!) I write direct response sales letters, e-mail letters,
Web pages, and ads. If you need some affordable writing help, or
just want to say "Hi," give me a call. There actually IS a real person
behind all these bits and bytes!

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How To Get In Touch
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Ivan Levison
Direct Response Copywriting
14 Los Cerros Drive
Greenbrae, CA 94904

Phone: (415) 461-0672
Fax: (415) 461-7738
E-mail: ivan@levison.com
Web Site: http://www.levison.com

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