How a Guarantee Adds Value to Your Direct Mail Offer
Keep the guarantee short and to the point but tell the customer everything they need to know
. Run it past the legal department before it goes to print but steer clear of legalese in the guarantee. If there's legal language you can't avoid, work it into the letter copy on page two or three. And do not attach an asterisk to your guarantee. An asterisk is an admission that you haven't told the complete story.
Call attention to your guarantee
Position the guarantee where your customers and prospects will see it. Put it in the letter's closing and mention it in the postscript. Also, add the guarantee to the reply form and any brochure or freestanding insert. You may even want to consider adding a separate "Guarantee Certificate" enclosure.
To draw attention to the guarantee, surround it with a certificate-style border. In the letter copy, introduce the guarantee with a sub-headline and double indent the text to catch the reader's eye.
Add the guarantee to your collateral material, the item's landing page, your website and on the product's checkout page. Let everyone know that you're proud of your product and proud of how you take care of your customers.
Create a more powerful guarantee
The stronger the guarantee, the fewer reasons the prospect will have to hesitate or feel uncertain before acting.
If you're offering a "Money-Back Guarantee," it doesn't cost more to offer a "100% Money-Back, No-Risk Guarantee." Test a "Double-Your- Money Back Guarantee." And if you're offering a "1-Year Guarantee," see if a "3-Year Guarantee" will increase response.
Offering a strong guarantee makes it easier for the prospect to make a buying decision. And, as long as it's believable, the stronger the guarantee, the more convincing it will be better.
Keep it simple
The guarantee must be hassle-free for the customer. The customer needs to know that if they return the product, you'll promptly exchange it or issue a full cash refund. No questions asked.
Explain that if the customer wants to return the product, you pay the postage or shipping costs. You may even want to apologize for the customer's inconvenience by including a note with a small gift.
The added value of a guarantee
There's no question that a few people will take advantage of your guarantee just to make a few extra dollars. But most people are honest and you're going to find that offering a stronger guarantee will reduce buyer reluctance, increase sales and help build customer loyalty.
Like you and me, customers need to feel appreciated. They want to believe that they got a good deal and, if they do have a problem, they expect you to make the problem "go away."
Offering a good guarantee is little more than treating the customer with respect. Plus, it makes it's easier for the consumer to make a favorable buying decision. Take care of your customers and they will be much less inclined to turn to your competitioneven when they find a lower price.
And however much the CFO thinks the guarantee is costing the company's bottom line, the expense will be much less than the cost of replacing a disappointed customer.
I guarantee it.
How a Guarantee Adds Value to Your Direct Mail Offer
By: Hugh Chewning
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