What makes guarantees work

Felicity, my miracle worker, makes a great point about guarantees as she explains here:

I was listening to a radio ad for an energy supplier the other day, which was basically the 2 radio presenters reading a script.

First point – how frustrating it is for people to have to sit around at home waiting for a tradie to show up.  Big tick – identify your target market’s problem.

Second point – the energy supplier guarantees their tradie will show up in a 2 hour window of time, nominated by the customer.  Another big tick – solving the target market’s problem.

Third point – what’s the guarantee?  If the tradie doesn’t turn up on time, you’ll receive a gift.  Cue the “FAIL” sound effect.

Up until the guarantee, this ad was going gangbusters.  I know I was sitting there nodding, agreeing that it was a major nuisance waiting for a tradie who may or may not turn up, generally without any idea when that’s going to be anyway.  So my ears pricked up when I heard the word “guarantee”.

But to say I’ll get a gift?  How vague is that?  A cheap pen with the energy supplier’s logo could be a gift, right through to an all expenses paid trip to Bali.

If you’re going to offer a guarantee, clearly define it and make it worth at least as much as what the customer is losing.  Otherwise you might as well not bother offering it.

If you want a comprehensive guide to making seminars work for you, purchase Winston’s great audio program How to run successful seminars – the Magic of Seminar Selling. Get great results for any business through Seminars and Workshops for both old & new clients. Whatever your business, you can use seminar magic to cultivate clients… and make heaps of sales too!