When planning your retreat, your FAQ section of the sales page is much more than a way to reduce email questions or a place to list the stuff that doesn’t fit anywhere else.
Those frequently asked questions are crucial to answer before they become fires to put out. A well-thought-out FAQ section can overcome objections or hesitations your customers may have that prevent them from buying, and it can help you attract your ideal attendees.
A solid FAQ section is more than a nice touch—it’s a stress reducer and sales booster.
You may feel a twinge of annoyance when you are looking for an answer in a tech tutorial and it tells you to ‘refer to the FAQ section’…it makes me feel like they just don’t want to help, right?
This is not that!
So, what should you include in your FAQ section?
Think about three main categories of frequently asked questions.
- Objections to overcome
- Qualifying questions
- Policies and procedures
‘Frequently Asked Questions’ is not necessarily a literal term. You are not going to list every question that any customer has ever asked you, or even the most frequent ones. If your customers have the same questions over and over, you need to look at your messaging and work on clarity there.
Think of this section like a game of Jeopardy. What do I want my potential attendee to know (the answer), and then form a question.
Even if something is covered earlier in your sales copy, you can list it again in the FAQ section for added emphasis.
Objections to overcome
Objection questions can often be restated as ‘what if’ or ‘how do I’ questions. What if I have dietary restrictions? How do I get there? Is there wi-fi? Their logical brain wants to make sure this will not cause problems for them. State your answers in a detailed and positive way to put their mind at ease.
Example:
Q~ What about dietary restrictions?
A~ You will have the opportunity to let us know in advance when registering, and we are happy to accommodate you. We are familiar with strict diets, including gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegetarian. And we also honor preferences such as protein forward or frequent meals. Just indicate your preferences on the registration survey.
By answering this question in this way, your attendee knows you care about their needs, you are well informed about dietary selections, and you are organized by offering a registration survey. That’s a loaded answer!
Qualifying Attendees
Frame your answers in a way that affirms who this is for and gently nudges away those it’s not.
Start with your answer and then craft your question. I’ve hosted dozens of retreats, so I call these my ‘bargaining’ questions. This person is asking how much you will bargain with them, and most likely, this will be the person who will expect you to cater to them at the expense of your other attendees. Be as specific as possible. Clear is kind.
Here are two Q & A examples that are similar and will show the difference between attracting the right clients and heading off potential problems from someone who may not be a good fit. I use both of these in my retreat FAQs.
Example 1:
Q.~ Do I have to attend all of the planned activities?
A.~ The retreat has been carefully designed with group learning, relationship building, collaboration, creative and fun time, and personal quiet time included. Our extroverts may be challenged with the quiet time, and our introverts may be afraid of overwhelm.
We believe you will benefit from all of the planned activities but feel free to opt out if you need a break.
Example 2:
Q.~ Can I come early in the morning the 2nd day instead of the night before?
A.~The retreat experience begins with the welcome party before dinner and the evening ‘get to know you’ bonfire. It takes several hours to leave the stress and routine of life behind and get into a mindset of investing in ourselves.
We want to sleep well and be ready to engage in a full day of growth, so morning arrivals would be disruptive for the group that has already settled in. Perhaps another time would work better in your schedule to be fully engaged.
Both answers let the potential attendee know we want them to get the most impactful transformation out of the retreat while allowing others to do the same. The first example encourages a ‘yes, this is for me’ answer, the second answer gives a gentle ‘no’.
Policies and procedures
The third category of FAQ might be called the ‘fine print’, but you want to include the most pressing questions here even if they are listed in the Terms & Conditions (that single-spaced document with the tiny font that we agree to without reading the entire thing).
Q.~ What is your cancellation/ refund policy.?
A.~ Answer this question clearly and concisely but don’t sound like your lawyer.
Q.~ Do you have a payment plan?
A.~ You have probably answered this in the sales copy, but make it clear here and include when payments are due. You may want to include what happens if a certain number of payments are not made by a deadline so they can catch up or forfeit their spot.
Final Question
I like to wrap up my FAQ section and end it on a positive note with one last CTA in disguise if they still haven’t commited to that BUY button…
Q.~ Why should I choose this retreat over another one?
A.~ I’m a firm believer in investing in yourself. I searched for retreats and couldn’t find one that “fit” me. I wasn’t looking for a stay in a rustic cabin with four bunk beds and a mess hall, or a yoga retreat focused on enlightenment. I also believe in ‘trusting my gut’. While trying to answer all of your potential questions, my passion is to help you find your best fit for what you are looking for. Did your heart just jump a little and you found yourself shaking your head and whispering YES! under your breath?
Go with that.
Retreat FAQ are an essential part of your sales page, not the credits at the end of the movie. Use them to overcome objections, qualify your perfect attendees, and make your policies clear.
We’re wrapping up this series, but you can put all of the pieces together with my FREE GUIDE
HOW TO PLAN YOUR PROFITABLE RETREAT: The 10 Essential Decisions Workbook
A simple fillable guide to help you design your dream retreat without overwhelm, second-guessing, or costly mistakes.
(You will be prompted to make your own copy so you can fill it in with your own details and use it over and over. )
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