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You can subscribe to his newsletter yourself, however in the latest newsletter he gave a few interesting tips that I have not spoken about for some time...I thought you would enjoy them, so here they are:
Some years ago, I bought a pair of charcoal gray Monsanto socks. On the sticky label that holds the socks together was a little guarantee written in tiny type below the company name. It informed me that if, at the end of a year, my socks had worn out, I could return them, along with the receipt, for a brand new pair.
Obviously, they believed in their product and their heart was in the right place. But who, I thought, would be compulsive enough to save their receipt, keep track of that particular pair of socks, re-examine them after a year, pack them up, and mail them off?
What really troubled me was the thought of the poor, queasy mailroom clerk who had to open all those pungent parcels. Can you imagine sitting there, day after day, opening packages containing nothing but year-old pairs of festering socks?
Not a pretty picture.
I don’t know how many extra pairs of socks Monsanto was able to sell using this specific guarantee, but I do know that guarantees are essential to direct mail success. They help overcome the skepticism and inertia that are our mortal enemies.
Here are six practical ideas that can help make your next direct mail package a winner. I guarantee it!
1. Don’t simply call it a “Guarantee.”
That’s flat and boring. If you’re the copywriter, give your guarantee a little personality or individuality. Call it an “Iron-clad, no-questions-asked guarantee.” Or a “No-risk (really!) guarantee.” Or a “30-day Unconditional Guarantee.” Anything to brighten it up a little bit.
2. Make the guarantee as strong as possible.
If you can live with a 30-day guarantee, why not consider going out to 45 days or 60 days? It definitely is worth testing. If you have few problems with returns, make the guarantee stronger and stronger.
3. Be clear. Be honest.
Your guarantee should spell things out in simple terms and should never scare people away with legalistic clauses or “fine print.” You know those T.V. commercials that local car dealers run? The ones with the eight sentences of unreadable type that flash on the screen for a nanosecond at the end? We want our guarantee to do just the opposite and make an unqualified promise of satisfaction.
4. Use a border around the guarantee.
Never, ever bury a guarantee in body copy! That’s a great way to lose one of the most compelling elements of your mailing. The guarantee should float as a separate element surrounded by a corny border, or at the least, a one-point ruled line. You want your guarantee to jump out and get read. Many companies ignore this rule and miss out. Don’t let yours be one of them!
5. Try to offer more than one guarantee.
Sometimes you can split a guarantee into several guarantees and thereby add value. For example, I wrote an ad for an Advanced Micro Devices chip that included a triple guarantee! The first offered a 30-day money back refund. The second offered a lifetime product performance guarantee. The third was a money back software compatibility guarantee. Now THAT?S an offer that overcomes sales resistance! In fact, I got a nice letter from Glen Burchers, the AMD marketing Manager, who wrote to tell me that “in terms of reader response, this ad has been the most successful that AMD has ever run.”
6. Include the guarantee on the reply device.
Don’t forget to make sure that your terrific guarantee is repeated on your Business Reply Card, coupon, brochure, wherever. Again, many companies fail to make the most of their guarantee, which is a pity.
Often guarantees and testimonials that should be an endorsement for your product of service are watered down to protect the company from too many claims, however, the passion and belief that you have in your product or service should be reflected in the quality of your guarantee. A great guarantee will always be rewarded by great response. What does yours say about the product or service you offer?
Posted on 09th April 2006