Reverse The Risk And Boost Your Profits

As a business owner or marketer, if you don't reverse the risk in your product and/or service offerings, you're really missing out in what can be one of the most powerful weapons in your marketing arsenal.

Risk Reversal Defined

Risk Reversal, in essence, means that you, the business owner, assumes all the risks associated with the business transactions, and your customers none.

Why Reverse The Risk?

The main reason that you'll want to reverse the risk is so that you may boost your sales and profits.

Risk Reversal can easily be achieved by providing an Extraordinary Guarantee. An example would be an iron-clad, no-questions-asked money back guarantee.

Buyers, especially Internet Buyers, are generally skeptical. This is particularly so if they've never dealt with you or your business before. Your credibility is in question and the trust yet to be established. Even if they are your existing customers, it's imperative that you employ this powerful marketing concept of Risk Reversal by offering a strong and extraordinary guarantee...

... Here's Why:

Having a strong guarantee is one of the most effective ways to counter the skepticism and fears of the buyers in doing business with you.

If your customers or potential customers see a guarantee, especially an extraordinary one, they can be pretty certain that they'll get what they're after.

It shows them that you're confident about, and have a strong belief in, your products and/or services.

It also goes to show that you're reliable and trustworthy, and if they're not satisfied with your offerings, they've nothing to lose.

The end result is that you'll dramatically boost your sales and profits - sales and profits you would not have seen without the strong guarantee.

Here's an example:

Let's say in any of your promotional campaign, you normally sell 500 units of your product. Through a strong guarantee, you increase your sales by 8% or 40 units without spending any additional funds on advertising.

This translates to a total sale of 540 units for that campaign.

Let's say you later experience a 10% refund of the additional sale of 40 units, that is, 4 units (10% X 40 units), which you won't.

Even after the refund, you'll still make an additional sale of 36 units just by offering a strong guarantee. These are sales that you'll never get without the guarantee.

Now you can see how a strong guarantee will boost your sales and profits.

Then Why Are Many Business Owners Unwilling To Offer Such A Guarantee?

Many business owners have the misconception that people are only concern about the price of the product or service. Price, no doubt is a factor but only a minor one, and only to a certain extent. If the customers want something, and if you're able to address their concerns and fulfill what they want, they'll gladly buy what you have to offer.

Many business owners are also afraid that they'll be ripped off. Just in case you think that you'll be ripped off by offering guarantees, research have shown that this rarely happens as 99.5% of people are generally honest. Of course, there'll be a few moral rejects who'll take advantage of you but the additional customers that you'll gain will more than offset the few that'll take advantage of you.

Furthermore, very few people will go through the process of actually returning something that they've bought, unless of course, you've infuriated them. If you're a savvy business owner or marketer, you should know better than to infuriate your customers.

Think about this - the process of asking for a refund is a socially uncomfortable one; it takes confidence and self-assurance to ask for a refund even if you're openly offering one.

Now, I must add that in order for your guarantee to achieve the objective of boosting your sales and profits, you'll need to bear the following in mind:

1. You'll need to have a quality product and/or service
2. You'll need to address the customers' deepest frustrations
3. There shouldn't be any unreasonable conditions attached to it
4. It should preferably be for at least a minimum period of 90 days or more.

An example of a strong guarantee will be:

"Try out the product for a full 365 days! If it does not double your sales by the end of the 365 days, just return it and we will cheerfully refund your full purchase price."

I believe you can see the power of the above statement. It implies that you're so confident of your product that you're assuming all the risks, not the customer.

Once you've got over the fear of reversing the risk, you'll be ready to offer bold guarantees. A bold guarantee sends the message to your potential customers that "you're reliable and your offerings are of high quality". It takes away the risks associated with the purchase of your products and/or services, and it also lends you credibility.

As you can now see, risk reversal is one of the most effective ways to boost your sales and profits. Put this powerful marketing concept into practice immediately. Spend time on creating a sound and powerful guarantee, implement it, and you'll see your sales go through the roof.

About the Author

Copyright 2005 by Larry Lim, MarketingSphere

Larry Lim is a practising marketing strategist and tactician who dishes out highly effective marketing strategies and tactics that will enable you to successfully start and grow your business on the Internet.

His Internet Marketing Strategy website is jam-packed with internet marketing secrets and softwares that will skyrocket your sales, and shoot your profits through the roof.

In The News:

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/persystent-technologies-appoints-mary-maloney/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257BFC6565B0-222E-44E8-B57C-4186FC12B879%257D%26dist%3Dhpprcid=1257672755ei=RLT0SNDRK6iY6AOqtMSTDQusg=AFQjCNHAs6x2JbSP26_U_OvJh9zSgUb53QPersystent Technologies Appoints Mary Maloney Chief bMarketing/b Officer/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr2 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1As CMO, Mary is responsible for developing the company#39;s strategic bmarketing/b initiatives, building the Persystent brand, creating awareness in target b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/full-service-marketing-firm-mcc-adds/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257BA6674506-EB15-444C-9996-5D0144A574D4%257D%26dist%3Dhpprcid=1257699336ei=RLT0SNDRK6iY6AOqtMSTDQusg=AFQjCNGdp7QVCWXEn_BxLAfI8J6H6FwszgFull-Service bMarketing/b Firm M/C/C Adds Extra Seasoning to Market b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr1 hour ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The gourmet grocer chose M/C/C -- a Dallas-based bmarketing/b, advertising, public relations and Internet bmarketing/b agency -- to cook up some brand-new ideas b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/groundbreaking-book-presents-integrated-sales/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257BCEB0E2B4-9F8B-49E6-AC23-49803B923539%257D%26dist%3Dhpprcid=0ei=RLT0SNDRK6iY6AOqtMSTDQusg=AFQjCNEWYWWspARNzWMhKyCIdYy7mN0KdQGroundbreaking Book Presents an Integrated Sales and bMarketing/b b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr2 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Led by Pilcher, the Webinar will focus on the recent shift in business-to-business selling as bmarketing/b increasingly supplants sales, and how the new b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/ink-communications-president-founder-addresses/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B90ED4819-F82F-4C63-B9CE-A5655B081EF6%257D%26dist%3Dhpprcid=1257647934ei=RLT0SNDRK6iY6AOqtMSTDQusg=AFQjCNE_F7Z8kc-E2R_xiWkmFUtnB9Ltqgink Communications President and Founder Addresses Web 2.0 b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr3 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Hicks will join moderator Rebecca Fannin, international editor of Asian Venture Capital Journal, as part of a panel focused on bMarketing/b 2.0. ink b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/expertus-announces-most-effective-marketing/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B61B8F1E6-924E-4978-91AB-9A402C9D78D3%257D%26dist%3Dhpprcid=0ei=RLT0SNDRK6iY6AOqtMSTDQusg=AFQjCNFx7EbeNBM_y7fBs54XQ5bNRIUKrQExpertus Announces the Most Effective bMarketing/b Techniques for b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr38 minutes ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The study surveyed training leaders to understand how companies use bmarketing/b to promote participation in internal training programs. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/stratigent-speak-emetrics-marketing-optimization/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B0D295B33-201C-4283-B3D0-ECF3C1CF3724%257D%26dist%3Dhpprcid=0ei=RLT0SNDRK6iY6AOqtMSTDQusg=AFQjCNEYSwsrfGQuqJgNOm45X7zdJQSkqwStratigent to Speak at eMetrics bMarketing/b Optimization Summit/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr57 minutes ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1CHICAGO, IL, Oct 14, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Stratigent, the leader in web analytics and bmarketing/b optimization consulting, has announced that it b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/carrefour-selects-teradata-data-warehouse/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B29182061-109E-4DAA-ABB2-FD33FE505B8E%257D%26dist%3Dhpprcid=1257357817ei=RLT0SNDRK6iY6AOqtMSTDQusg=AFQjCNHkboDihTrFxGC1GdA_3Cx03WiNJQCarrefour Selects Teradata Data Warehouse Platform for Retail b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr16 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1b.../b the world#39;s second largest international retailer, based in France, has selected Teradata to support analytical business intelligence for bmarketing/b. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Database/Teradata-Eyes-Rivals-in-Data-Warehouse-Space-With-New-Appliance/cid=1257357817ei=RLT0SNDRK6iY6AOqtMSTDQusg=AFQjCNFutdqwyQkHV8iYPwg8tAxwRdEVtwTeradata Eyes Rivals in Data Warehouse Space With New Appliance/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobreWeek/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/teradata-petabyte-power-players-embrace/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257BF2181307-7DFA-4B9A-8219-11B508B329AF%257D%26dist%3Dhpprcid=1257357817ei=RLT0SNDRK6iY6AOqtMSTDQusg=AFQjCNFdkkajzX2AYYwRqAoP4Io3jix5gwTeradata Petabyte Power Players Embrace Growth in Enterprise b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMarketWatch/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/teradata-breaks-affordability-barrier-analyzing/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B41EFEC55-A305-45C1-AA17-03A84E264A78%257D%26dist%3Dhpprcid=1257357817ei=RLT0SNDRK6iY6AOqtMSTDQusg=AFQjCNG5W13GcoVgiKzYWqHzXJodH451IATeradata Breaks the Affordability Barrier to Analyzing Petabyte b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMarketWatch/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/sas-teradata-unveil-advantage-program/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B91595FA7-CADD-4905-9F50-6D7B73F2D56B%257D%26dist%3Dhpprcid=1257357817ei=RLT0SNDRK6iY6AOqtMSTDQusg=AFQjCNEzDcyv0Kwmrj9TJYZOCn0s9Q3EvwnobrMarketWatch/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1257357817hl=ennobrall 118 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/livemercialtm-taps-riemer-senior-director/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B7C9589DA-F360-4593-AA0B-1C2AC0E8BD76%257D%26dist%3Dhpprcid=0ei=RLT0SNDRK6iY6AOqtMSTDQusg=AFQjCNHPfILxUkOTJzcxN-wm7OsPYx-mQgLivemercial(TM) Taps Riemer for Senior Director of bMarketing/b b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr27 minutes ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1quot;Adam brings to Livemercial a depth of experience and bmarketing/b expertise that will open doors to new revenue-generation opportunities for our clients, b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.bizjournals.com/extraedge/consultants/winning_at_work/2008/10/13/column160.html%3Fmarket%3Dportlandcid=1257381355ei=RLT0SNDRK6iY6AOqtMSTDQusg=AFQjCNGLLqvj6U-yjh44u-5RPgUFoq1TaQbMarketing/b to women/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fBizjournals.com,nbsp;NCnbsp;-/font nobr19 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The show, which centers on a fictional Manhattan advertising agency, received 13 nominations for its portrait of American bmarketing/b in the 1960s. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0442706.htmcid=0ei=RLT0SNDRK6iY6AOqtMSTDQusg=AFQjCNHvrU9fiohdD5ik3dsmEw4SEhDQzwSmartCard bMarketing/b Systems Inc. (PINKSHEETS: SMKG) Continues b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fCNNMoney.comnbsp;-/font nobr25 minutes ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1SmartCard bMarketing/b Systems Inc.(PINKSHEETS: SMKG) announced today that their Prepaid Card loading, Pin Debit and Payment processing volume increased in b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
marketing - Google News


Wind Chimes and more...

Windchimes for great gifts!

Bridging the Chasm from Lead to Loyal Customer

Bridging the Chasm from Lead to Loyal Customer: A Step... Read More

4 Ways to Get a Prospects Attention Fast

Can you remember the last dozen advertising messages beamed at... Read More

The 5 Musts of Marketing

For most of the small business owners I work with,... Read More

Are You Attracting or Repelling Prospects?

There are basically two ways in which you can either... Read More

Your Marketing Plan - Prerequisite to Success

Marketing is a vital aspect of a business' operations. It... Read More

Break Even On Your Next Direct Mail Campaign...And Still Generate Huge Profits

With direct mail, you can break even and still claim... Read More

Sales and Marketing: Can One Exist Without the Other?

Simply put the marketing people and the sales people depend... Read More

Go Guerrilla

Jay Conrad Levinson coined the term guerrilla marketing, which I... Read More

One-Two-Three Punch Marketing

Printed material is just as important today as it was... Read More

How to Avoid the Line Extension Trap

If you follow the prevailing logic of most modern companies,... Read More

Six Secrets to Creating Successful Tourism Marketing, Websites, Ads, Tradeshow Booths, & More

If you want to substantially increase your tourism prospects and... Read More

Business Cards That do the Business

A business card makes a statement about who you are... Read More

10 Steps To Getting Paid For Your Marketing Materials

How many times have you heard the same sound bites... Read More

Mortgage Marketing - How to Write a Mortgage Marketing Sales Letter That Gets Results!

Have you ever sat down to write a sales letter... Read More

Make Your Mailing a Home Run, Not a Strike Out!

You can use great design and copy to get a... Read More

Why Instant Gratification Marketing Condemns Businesses To Losing 90% Of Their Potential Customers

Most businesses target only people "ready-to-buy". These hot prospects are... Read More

Work Backward And Make More Sales!

It goes against the grain, especially for those of us... Read More

The Beginners Mail Order Opportunity Guide

The "Mail Order" business is not a business of itself,... Read More

How To Get Your Prospect To Take Action

There's really only one thing that separates Image advertising from... Read More

The Dare-To-Be-Different In Marketing Checklist

There is a big payoff in being different. When you... Read More

Marketing Worksheet

Even the world's best marketing strategy won't work for you... Read More

Finding a Brochure Printing Company

A brochure can be a great promotional tool, whether it... Read More

Are You Guilty Of Interruption Marketing?

You muted the commercials on the TV last night because... Read More

The Name Game

Pop quiz! If you have to say goodbye to your... Read More

Online Communities - A Marketers Wildest Dream and Worst Nightmare!

Online Communities are all over the Internet and attract lots... Read More