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How
to Use Guarantees to Increase Sales
Article by Michel
Fortin
While
the greater portion of my career has been in business development consulting and
professional speaking, I have spent many years (over ten) in Direct Marketing
and three years on the Web. My favorite marketing "guru" is Dan Kennedy, dubbed
"The Millionaire Maker" (see www.inner-circle.com).
And if there is one lesson he teaches from which I derive the most profitable
results (one of many from a system he calls "Magnetic Marketing") is the awesome
power behind guarantees.
If you offer a product or service without
a guarantee, you're losing a great percentage of potential sales. Obviously, the
Internet has opened many doors, including those to many unscrupulous entrepreneurs.
Scams on the Internet are rampant and, since there is no "official" police or
watchdog, I would even venture as to say that millions of dollars are lost to
these scamsters each month.
Guarantees Increase Sales
While there are many regionally accredited entities and watchgroups, it doesn't
stop many a crafty entrepreneur to bypass the system by going through some obscure
country/site to sell their snake oils. In fact, today on the news ("CBC Radio
Canada International") was reported a scheme in which a weight-loss drug, not
yet approved in Canada, has been bought by a company and sold in Canada on the
Internet. The matter is currently under investigation by the pharmaceutical manufacturer
and Canadian health officials.
Nevertheless, because of these
tricksters and the multitude of challenges presented on the Web, people are leery
and will increasingly seek out more secure means to benefit from offers on the
Internet. Guarantees are therefore powerful tools for the prosperity-seeking cybermarketer
and can do two very important things that will help grow one's profits: Increase
sales and reduce returns.
When you offer a guarantee, you reduce
the skepticism around the purchase of your product or service. Consumers are cautious
of making a purchase via the Web and guarantees give you almost instant credibility
with potential customers. If you have a professionally-looking Web site, an ethical
sales approach, and a proven product or service, the lack of a guarantee will
still, particularly on the Internet, cause most visitors to perceive your offer
as questionable in the very least least.
