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The other day I was reading that procrastination is the one thing everyone in the world suffers from. It makes total sense when you think about it as well. While there are plenty of people who are fit, healthy, rich and enjoying wonderful relationships... all of them have suffered from procrastination in some aspect of their lives.

I believe this makes procrastination the number one epidemic in the world. Because if we could cure procrastination then I’m sure we’d all be able to be fit, healthy, rich and enjoying wonderful relationships. If only we could get ourselves to do the things we need to do for success.

As Mark Twain so eloquently puts it… “Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow.”

While this is fascinating it’ll have to be an idea for another article because for now I want to look at...

How procrastination affects selling

Procrastination all comes down to our two friends pain and pleasure. We procrastinate in the moment because the perceived pain of doing a task is greater than the perceived pleasure we get from completing it. We procrastinate to avoid pain and gain pleasure... at least in our minds perception.

The same is true when we come to buy a product or service. All the pain associated with making a bad decision comes to the surface and we procrastinate. The trick is we need to give visitors a reason to do it right now rather than put it off till later.

You need a strong call to action

If you want someone to do something you need to create a strong call to action. Something that will move visitors over their procrastination hump so they take action in the moment. We need to avoid the all too common “I’ll think about it” even though everyone knows there’s nothing really left to think about.

Here are some quick ways to create a successful call to action:

Deadlines

A deadline simply means they have to take action by a particular date or time. If you remember back to your school days it was pretty easy to procrastinate on your assignments on a regular basis. That was until the deadline loomed and suddenly the pain of not finishing your assignment became a lot more painful than just getting it done.

Limited quantity

People hate to miss out on stuff. We love exclusivity and the significance it gives us. So if you’re selling something that’s only available in limited quantities you should let people know and increase their motivation to buy right now.

Special offers

Everyone loves a special or the chance of getting a great deal. How many times have people told you the sticker price and then what they really paid for it? And special offers don’t have to just be all about discounting... get creative with them.

Bonuses

If you can add a bonus for people that buy right away your sales will increase. Bonuses are like giving gifts with purchase and everyone loves presents. Some marketers even go as far to sell the bonuses rather than focusing on the actual product you’re receiving.

All of the above ideas can also be combined in various ways to increase your response. If you have a limited quantity of a product that’s on special and comes with a bonus but only if you buy before the deadline. Well I think you can see for yourself how powerful this can be!