Got some GREAT feedback on the post on order forms the other day (see it here), so I wanted to run a follow-up post, to share some more common mistakes people make, related to your order form.

1.  Give multiple options to order from.

Regardless whether your order form is online or offline, give people more then one option to order.

At some point in time, you’ll have enough feedback so that you can probably eliminate one of these options (like faxing, for instance), but until that time comes, give people as many choices as possible.

2.  Make sure you include ALL charges.

If there’s shipping and handling, for instance, include it.

Taxes?  Include ’em.

And if these numbers are different for different locations (domestic versus foreign, for example), make SURE you let your buyers know.

And Lord knows if you’re selling something with continuity billing attached to it, let your buyers know this on the order form, as well.

This simple step saves you tons of time your staff will otherwise be spending on preventable customer support, and it also eliminates things like chargebacks and angry customers who won’t want to order again.

That last one (people not wanting to order from you again) will cost you a small fortune in a very short time, so don’t make this mistake.

3.  If you have some kind of a deadline, this is the place to re-remind your buyers about it.

If your order is conditional on a certain date… or if certain bonuses will only be included if you order before a certain time, or for the first “X” number of people… make SURE you remind your buyers about this on your order form.

In other words, include your scarcity on the ordering mechanism.

4.  Speak from your customer’s viewpoint on your order form.

Look, the order form is something your buyer fills out, where they’re telling you what they want, not the other way around.

So write your order form like, “Yes Craig, please send me the How To Make Maximum Money With Minimum Customers” bonus package, which includes your 360-page book, along with the 3 bonus cd’s, 3 dvd’s and a Special Issue of your Seductive Selling Newsletter.

And not…

“When you order now, you get my book, my this… my that, and the other thing.”

Remember, this is the customer’s acceptance of your deal, not your acceptance of their deal.

5.  Lastly, never call it an order form.

Remember, you are always selling, right?  So as much of your communication should be based around caring for your clients by letting them know the benefits of what you’re offering.

It almost doesn’t matter what you call it, as long as you include the word “Form” in there, so you can reference this “form” somewhere in your sales copy, when you’re telling your buyers what to do.  (As in, “To get XYZ rushed to you by U.S. First Class Priority Mail, simply complete the ABC Form…”)

You can call it an Application Form… a Try Before You Buy For One Year No Risk Form… a Maximum Money Form… the names are virtually endless — limited only by your own creativity.

If you want to see what order forms look like, go to any of the sales letters listed on my products page, and look at the order portion.  Almost all of them will have an offline order form mechanism after you click on the ordering link.

And if you want more information on how to make offers, check out the Bonus Chapter 23  called “How To Write A Sales Letter That Sells: All The Copywriting Secrets You Ever Wanted To Know, But Were Afraid To Ask!”  It’s over 50 pages of solid gold.

Now go sell something,  Craig Garber

P.S.  Advanced copywriting workshop now available.

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