The $7 Call: How a Pickleball Newsletter Unlocked a 30% Upsell Rate
đź“ž It's the "Sales Center" model in action. Here's how a $7 offer and a 5-minute phone call are building massive trust and achieving a 30% conversion rate.
The new "Sales Center" model sounds great for high-ticket products, but does it work if you're just starting out? What if you're only selling a $7 or $15 offer?
This week, Chad detailed a brilliant case study from his friend Armando that answers this perfectly. Armando, who Chad calls the "laziest marketer on the planet," is using this exact strategy to crush it with a niche pickleball newsletter.
The results are staggering: **over 30% of his low-ticket buyers are upgrading to his $27/month membership.**
Here is the simple, 2-step blueprint.
Step 1: The "Break-Even" Offer ($6.95)
First, Armando runs simple ads for a physical "free-plus-shipping" offer: a set of pickleballs. The customer pays $6.95, which just covers the cost of the product and the shipping.
He's not trying to make a profit here. He's simply breaking even to acquire a new, qualified customer.
This gets the new buyer into his world. They are added to his newsletter (the "American Pickleball Association") and enter his automated follow-up sequence.
But the real magic isn't in the automation. It's in what he does next.
Step 2: The $7 Phone Call
For every single $6.95 buyer, Armando personally picks up the phone and calls them.
He doesn't try to sell them anything. The script is simple:
"Hey, Dawn? This is Armando with the American Pickleball Association. I just wanted to personally call and make sure you received your pickleballs."
Chad explained that this one, simple gesture completely floors the customer. Many are so used to scammy online offers that they're shocked they even received the product at all.
When they hear from the founder personally, just checking in on a $7 order, it builds an insane amount of trust and goodwill.
This is when the sale happens.
After they chat for a minute, Armando simply transitions to his membership. Over 30% of the people he talks to take him up on his $27/month offer.
Why This Works (And Why You Must Do It)
This is the "Sales Center" model in its purest form. You are leveraging a low-ticket offer to fund your ad spend, and then using a high-touch, personal follow-up to build the trust necessary to sell your real offer (the recurring membership).
You don't need a team of 14 sales reps like Chad's friend. You just need to be willing to call your customers.
If you're just starting, this is your single biggest advantage. You have the time to build personal relationships. As Chad said, "When you get a sale, call up your customer... and I want you to be successful. And I believe that the little guy can be successful following my model."
Don't just hide behind your automated funnels. Pick up the phone. Thank your buyers. You'll be shocked at what happens next.
