10 Ways to Sell Expensive Affiliate Products and Make Huge Commissions

by: Anik Singal

One of the quickest ways to boost your affiliate income is to offer high ticket products. Commissions as low as 5% can still pay off handsomely, provided the item carries a big enough price tag. Plus some pay-per-lead programs offer hefty bounties of $50 and up for qualified leads.

So why don’t more affiliates build sites around high-ticket products? Because the higher the price, the more likely your visitors will experience “sticker shock.” It’s only natural. People’s internal resistance kicks in because they’re always a little uneasy when it’s time to shell out big bucks online. This is true no matter how badly they want what you’re selling.

But if there’s one thing super-affiliates know how to do, it’s overcome buyer resistance. So here are 10 never-fail techniques I’ve been teaching my clients and students. Apply each one to your affiliate business, and you’ll soon see skyrocketing conversion rates on higher-priced products and lucrative upsells.

#1 - Turn your pocket calculator into a salesman.

Numbers can almost always support of your selling proposition, so put those numbers to work! Ask yourself how many ways can you MONETIZE the benefit of your product or service. Then put those numbers on the table.

For example, if you’re selling a $1499 teleclass that teaches people options trading, calculate the LOWEST possible profit they will make from your system in one year’s time. Say that even if they got the most mediocre results, they’d still make an average of $300 per day.

That means in a 5 day work week they’d make an average of $1500. In a 4-week month they’d make $6000. In a 50-week year they’d make $75,000. Now ask them to compare that to their current salary or hourly wage. Don’t hype it up, just let the numbers speak for themselves.

#2 – Break the cost into easily digested chunks.

Ask yourself, what sounds better: “$29.95 a month” or “$359 a year?” Even if the prospect has to pay the entire sum up front, show them how that big price tag isn’t so big after all.

A variation of this is comparing the price of your item with some commonplace or routine expense: “For less than the price of your monthly double-lattes, you could be learning the secrets of billion-dollar investment managers...”

#3 – Word the price to make it seem tiny!

A $197 annual subscription sounds like a lot of money. But gaining access to business-critical information for just 54 cents a day sounds like, well... peanuts!

#4 – State the value of each component, then add ‘em up for dramatic effect.

This works best for information products, but if you’re creative, you can use it with almost anything, especially consulting services.

If your investment course sells for $599, make a list of everything your buyers get: digital reports, videos, workbook, telephone hotline, private site access, software, etc. Put a price tag on each - make it realistic, please – then show how they add up to much more than $599.

Or let’s say you’re offering to install, configure, and customize an off-the-shelf software package for a total price of $699. Simply show how many hours you spend on each element, multiply by a realistic but high-end hourly rate... and show how buyers are getting $2500 worth of services for only $699!

#5 – Bundle in bonuses or add-ons that your prospects can’t easily price.

This takes some extra work, but I really love it because so few affiliates are doing it.

Let’s say you’re an affiliate for high-ticket digital SLR cameras. Tell your buyers that when they purchase any camera over $599 from you, and they send you a copy of their receipt, they’ll get a bonus CD-ROM packed with digital photography tips, imaging freeware and shareware, and your handpicked online resources for supplies, accessories, and photo printing.

Sure, you’ll need to contact freeware and shareware authors to get their permission to include their software on your disk. (Guess what? Almost none will refuse – you’re promoting them via direct mail for free!) And yes, you’ll have to write up some tips and find photo resources.

But you can pack this CD with affiliate links. And you’ll be saving your prospects a boat load of time. Your buyers can’t compare it to anybody else’s bonus CD, since nobody’s offering one quite like yours. You can put any realistic value on it, promote it heavily, and get endless viral marketing value out of it.

And best of all, it’s a way to get buyers to VOLUNTARILY give you both their email and snail mail addresses! Nice.

#6 - Show a huge return compared to the purchase price.

Spell out, in dollars and cents, how the cost of your product or service is a drop in the bucket compared to the returns it generates.

Let’s say your $799 workplace safety review course helps businesses pass inspections. Then calculate the exact cost of failing an inspection. List fines, penalties, cost of business shutdowns, etc. These will literally add up to five figures, a huge expense compared to the price of your course.

#7 – Make your prospects relieved that you’re charging so little!

This one’s so easy, I’m amazed more affiliates don’t do it. Show higher prices for other products... then tell them your price, which of course is much, much less!

Are you selling an investment course? First talk about $1 million private investment accounts... and the huge commissions investment managers charge. By the time you tell them about your $599 course, your prospect will breathe a sigh of relief!

Sure, it’s an apples-to-oranges comparison. That’s the whole point. You’re showing your prospect why your $599 course is the least expensive choice for them... and maybe the only affordable one.

#8 - Preempt price objections.

Most sales pages for expensive products and services play on emotions and benefits. They build desire and perceived value over several thousand words and literally “sell” the person BEFORE price is even mentioned.

But sometimes you can do the opposite -– and reap big rewards by pre-qualifying visitors. That’s right, tell people the price up front. Then play on the drama and exclusivity of a big number to weed out the tire kickers!

Here’s an example: “This course is for serious investors only. It costs $1299. If you’re scared by that price, or if you’re unwilling to invest in your ability to create wealth, then our course is not for you.”

Sure, this approach is based on snob appeal. But it’s also very powerful reverse psychology: the more you tell a prospect they don’t qualify, the more some people will insist that they DO!

If you don’t believe this approach works, some of the greatest direct response copy of all time has taken it all the way to the bank. One fund-raising letter that generated millions for a bird-watching expedition stated: “It will cost you $10,000 and about 26 days of your time. Frankly, you will endure some discomfort, and may even face some danger.”

#9 – Use a “false close” to create suspense.

It’s a classic... and it still works. Establish the value and desirability of your product without a doubt, but delay gratification for a few more paragraphs while piling on even more benefits.

The most common false close is the old “But wait, there’s more...” tactic. Even though your case is made, you don’t stop and mention one or two more irresistible benefits.

This is also a great place to meet possible last-minute objections by pulling out the “Warning! Don’t buy any investment course unless it meets these 8 criteria.” If your prospects have gotten this far, they WANT the product. So give them 8 or 10 or 20 more ways to justify that big expenditure!

#10 – Sound like the leading expert in your field.

Price resistance diminishes in direct proportion to trust. If your visitors believe that you’re an unchallenged expert in your niche, they’re much more likely to make that big-ticket purchase.

How do you establish this aura of expertise. Offer UNIQUE solutions they can’t get elsewhere. Show PROOF that your product or service works as promised. Display prominent TESTIMONIALS and ENDORSEMENTS from respected authorities in related fields.

And avoid hype at all costs. It’s far better to sound low key -- but confident –- than to scream for attention.

And remember, prospects aren’t stupid. If you back up your claims with hard facts and data, they’ll gladly plunk down hundreds to thousands for your affiliate promotions. But if you don’t, they’re smart enough to look to your competitors!