In this episode I walk you through the five key conversion triggers that I use (and recommend) when launching an online course, membership or coaching offer. I explain what each trigger is, how I implement it, why it works, and what you’ll want in place for it to succeed.   

 

Key Take-away

These triggers aren’t sneaky gimmicks—they’re built on human decision-making and trust. When used authentically, they help people decide to say “yes” to your offer because they feel seen, convinced, and ready.

• Trigger 1: Reciprocity

I open by talking about giving first. Before I ask someone to invest, I give value: a webinar, a guide, a free training. When I do that, I’m showing up for them and they’re much more willing to engage later.

In practice I look at:

• What free or low-risk offer I can deliver now.
• How that offer really helps someone move forward (not just a promo).
• How to make sure they know I’m not selling yet—I’m helping.

• Trigger 2: Scarcity

Next I cover how limiting availability makes an offer more compelling. When I say “only X spots” or “this opens for a short time”, I raise the perceived value—and prompt decision. But I emphasise: the scarcity must be real. If it’s not, trust is damaged.

Here’s how I apply it:

• I define a clear limitation (spots, seats, version, etc).
• I explain why the limitation exists (for quality, for group size, etc).
• I stay genuine: if there’s no real limit, I don’t pretend there is one.

• Trigger 3: Urgency

Here I talk about using time-based pressure—not to scare, but to encourage action. I make clear there is a window, the clock is running, and when it closes things change.

My implementation methods:

• I set a deadline for enrolment.
• I send reminders as that deadline approaches.
• I frame what people will miss out on if they wait (and then close).
• I avoid making it feel pushy—instead I help them decide while the offer is fresh.

• Trigger 4: Social Proof

Claiming you can deliver results is one thing—showing that others did it is far stronger. I dig into testimonials, case studies, visible community results. When someone sees someone like them succeed, they feel: “If they can do it, maybe I can too.”

How I use it:

• I collect client stories (before/after, journey, outcome).
• I place those stories in the launch funnel (emails, page, live call).
• I show real people, real voices—not just polished marketing speak.
• I make sure the proof aligns with the promise (so I’m not overselling).

• Trigger 5: Price Anchoring

Finally I talk about how I frame price by first showing a higher “anchor” or reference point (what someone might normally pay, or the value they’d get elsewhere), then reveal my offer so it appears more compelling. This helps people see the gap between cost and value.

Here’s my approach:

• I define what the value really is (time saved, outcome gained, transformation).
• I show “regular” pricing or competitor pricing (or what someone might need to spend another way).
• Then I show my offer price and explain what they’re getting for that investment.
• I emphasise: it’s not about discounting—it’s about showing value-overshoot.

 

LINKS TO RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE

Connect with Teresa on Website, (Grow, Launch, Sell), Sign up to Teresa's email list,  Instagram, LinkedIn, or Facebook, Subscribe to my Youtube

 

Transcript

If you've ever looked at someone's launch and thought, wow, how did they get all those sales? How did they convert all those people? And you feel like you went through the same steps, but you didn't quite get the same results. And in this episode, I'm going to be sharing with you the five conversion triggers that help people make a buying decision and actually convert when you're selling your online offer.

If we've not met, my name's Terese Heath Wareing and I help course creators, membership owners, and coaches grow their online offers through effective launch strategies and knowing how to actually sell online. In this video, I am going to take you through the five psychological and marketing strategies that all the big players use in their launches to actually get people to make a buying decision.

I'm not only going to walk you through each one of them, but I'm also gonna share with you how the big players might use them and also how you can use them in your next launch, [00:01:00 ] and most importantly, in a way that feels authentic to you and doesn't feel like you are being sleazy or salesy. Before we get started, I just wanna make a note about these strategies.

When I first came into the online space, I used to think that these strategies were awful. I watched people use them and I watched them use them in a way that didn't feel good with me. And instead of just thinking, okay, how can I use these strategies in a way that works for me? I decided to completely ignore these strategies and almost tried to do like a 360 and do the complete opposite, and I'm telling you now, it didn't work.

These strategies work. They are good strategies and they are strategies that have been working in marketing for years and years and years. Way before the online industry became a thing. For me, the way I look at it is what is the intent behind the strategy and is it a real strategy that you are using or are you just using it to tick a box?

So if the intent is good and [00:02:00 ] they are real strategies that you are using, and you'll see what I mean as I go through them, then for me, I am more than happy to use these strategies in my own launches and when I support other people doing theirs. So let's get started with these strategies. Strategy number one is reciprocity.

This is giving value first so people feel compelled to give something back, and this is a strategy that has been used for a really long time. Imagine back in the supermarket where they would give freebies, that's reciprocity. I'm giving you something for free, and now I feel compelled to do something back, which might be to buy the product.

When I look at it in terms of big launches, what they tend to do is they tend to give away something at the beginning, so they tend to give away some kind of freebie or something, and also the content that they're giving, giving in a launch experience. Helps with that reciprocity thing. So basically they're giving something away in order for the person who's watching, [00:03:00 ] taking part in the experience for them to actually go, okay, great.

I want to give something back. An example of things that you can do in your launch are, one of the things that I recommend highly is giving away a bonus for people attending live. So this could be something that you have that you don't normally give away. This could be some kind of lead magnet, but I want you to create something or use something.

You don't always need to create something brand new. Use something that you can give away. And if I was doing it on a webi