| |
| |
|
Marketing Information |
|
|
|
Writing Guarantees that Sell
"This offer is good but can you guarantee it." Why write a guarantee for your product or service? It reduces the risk in the eyes of your customers, enough to turn a cynical customer into a convinced customer. So, what makes a good guarantee? Besides the obvious, "I guarantee it," strong guarantees include elements that not only ease the customers' fears but also reinforce your offer. Before you put your guarantee in writing, here are some tips to keep in mind. * Emphasize the benefit in each guarantee. Say you're selling an energy supplement. Write a statement saying, "If you're not drinking less coffee, skipping down the street, or simply more energetic after thirty days, just ask for your money back." * Offer objects other than money. If you simply can't afford to return your customers' money or hesitant to offer that type of guarantee, offer to correct the problem at no additional charge. Send them another product. Contribute to the charity of their choice, in their name of course. Use your imagination and think of ways you can ease your customer's fears. * I'm sure you've heard of the 30-day guarantee. Have you ever considered giving a 60-day, 90-day, or even a 1-year guarantee? When you offer longer terms, you take on more risk. When you take on more risk, your guarantee becomes stronger. A strong guarantee = Confident buyers. * After you've finished laying out your guarantee, don't forget to restate your main offer. This is also a great place to include write another call-to-action phase. Ask for their business right after you've dissolved their reluctance. Now, let's think about what type of guarantee should you have. Before you decide which guarantee is right for you, think like your customer. Why aren't they buying? Are they worried about price? Afraid the product isn't exactly what they're looking for? Afraid the project won't be completed on time? Guarantees fall into five very overlapping categories: 1. The Money-back guarantee - This ensures that you customers won't waste their time or money. It also protects customers if the product breaks or fails. You can also offer a prorated money back guarantee after the originally guarantee's terms have lapsed. 2. The Satisfaction guarantee - This ensures that your customer will be and remain happy with your service or product. This promises your customer happiness with the benefits your services. 3. Price protection guarantee - This can either lock in the price, ensuring the price and payment terms won't change or increase -- think life insurance. Alternatively, ensure that they won't find a lower price - think office supply superstores. 4. On-time guarantee - This helps subdue the fears in time-crunched patrons. Businesses like printers, car repair shops, and cable companies could benefit from this type of guarantee. 5. Absolutely No Question Asked guarantee - This can be applied towards anything. A major problem: You'll probably never learn your weak spots, if you never have the opportunity to ask questions. Include a guarantee in your next copywriting project. Whether you're writing web copy, a brochure, or a sales letter, a strong guarantee will dissolve your customers' reluctance and help spur sales. I guarantee it. Vanessa Selene Williams is an independent writer for businesses and corporation. To learn more about her, visit her online at http://corporate.vswilliams.com or email her at info@vswilliams.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Your Secret Marketing Weapon As a professional service provider, you're paid for what you know. People come to your firm for the expertise you offer, first and foremost. Up Your Income Next Week: 13 Ways to Have a Sale Nothing gets people buying products or programs like a special promotion in your e-zine. Now, I know right now you're thinking, "I can't have a sale on my products or services. Attracting Clients With Incremental Marketing Do you ask prospective clients to go too far?Must your new clients take a "leap of faith" when they engage you?Or do you gradually draw them closer using a series of pre-planned contacts designed to address their concerns and build their trust in you.Too many service providers wait for potential clients to take that leap of faith. Referrals - How to Get Them Referrals are an extension of Networking. If people like you and like the sound of your product or service, then there's a good chance they'll tell other people about you. Market Your Identity One of the most critical but overlooked parts of business success is using your identity. If you want to build a successful business you have to strike the word image from your vocabulary right from the start. Future of Marketing Part 2 In Part 1, I discussed how traditional marketing is no longer working the way it used to. This is happening for a variety of reasons -- people have too many mass media choices, they're bombarded with way too many marketing messages, the Internet is adding accountability to advertising, etc. Develop Your Curiosity And Increase Profits If anyone was to ask me what my greatest strength was I'd say curiosity. The reason I would say that is because curious people learn a lot. Why Referral Business Is So Valuable With so much money invested on innefective advertising, it's time to look at some good old fashioned ways of generating new business. One tried and tested way is by referral. Pamphlets and the Money They'll Put in Your Pocket People are making a fortune on pamphlets. If you go into an airport you can purchase a pamphlet for around $6. Helping Your Prospects Overcome "Buying Fears" By Using Testimonials You DO use direct marketing for your small business? right? If so, you're taking advantage of the most cost-effective means of advertising available. (Yes? I'm biased? I admit it!)Let's talk for a minute about how you can make your sales copy and direct marketing more effective. Color Part 1: Accuracy Color is one of the most difficult parts of a design to show accurately to a client.Color perception can be affected by many factors, including:Human perception:The way each person sees color can vary, depending on the structure of the individual's eye. 50 Unbelievable Benefits Of Joint Venture Marketing What Is A Joint Venture?A joint venture is an agreement in which two or more businesses work on a project for a set period of time. Joint ventures can be long-term, like promoting a product together, or some can be short-term, like bartering (trading) products and services. Marketing Secrets #101- Your Most Important Sale Which sale is the most important one you will ever get from a client?I'll bet you're thinking it's your first sale with a new client. Well, it's not. Marketing, Lead Generation, and Research: A 3-in-1 Solution I Hate Cold CallsLong before I started my business, I realized that I wasn't good at telephone sales and that I would need to generate leads in another way. I developed a sure-fire way to generate those leads, interest in me, and my business, through the use of telephone market research. Mail Can Make You Money Are you still waiting for business to turn around before you start direct mail marketing? Waiting around won't get you any business. The time to start is now. Produce More Sales from your Email Promotions Five Ways - Part 1 Do sales come from your ezine regularly? How many well-written articles do you submit per week to opt-in online ezines? How often do you send thank you's and follow up messages to your different email groups? If you answered not many, then you need to re-evaluate. The answer to online success is the same as traditional success--promotion, promotion, promotion. Who Is Your Market and Where Are They? An important part of planning your business is to know who will use your products/services.The vast majority of small businesses will rely on their communities for sales. Whats Your Marketing Weak Link? Your marketing weak link could be undermining the rest of your marketing. It is vital that each link in your marketing system supports and builds upon the previous link. Open Doors by Building Relationships "You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get others interested in you." - Dale Carnegie -"The same could be said for increasing your professional network. Top 10 Ways to Create and Manage Opportunity Most of us are used to the concepts of risk management or time management. Many of the same principles can be applied to creating and responding to opportunities.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
