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Love It or It’s Free: How to Write Compelling Guarantee Offers How to get your customers to believe your "satisfaction guaranteed" offer

Guest articles > Love It or It’s Free: How to Write Compelling Guarantee Offers How to get your customers to believe your "satisfaction guaranteed" offer

Edited By: Diana Pohly

The phrase “Satisfaction Guaranteed or Your Money Back” sounds commonplace today, but it is one of the most compelling guarantee offers in the history of marketing. It was created in 1875 by a traveling salesman named Aaron Montgomery Ward. With the power of that guarantee behind him, he founded Montgomery Ward, the department store and catalog retailer that was in business from 1872 until 2001.

That’s an example of how hard a guarantee can work to assure sales and success. But with so many companies offering satisfaction guarantees today, how can you write one that “tips the scales” and compels customers to buy? Here are some strategies to consider:

• Display your name and picture and offer a personal satisfaction guarantee. That’s what Alan Pattersondoes on the website of A&A Professional Heating and Cooling, his company in Colorado Springs. Next to his picture, he spells out his guarantee: “We will treat you with respect & honesty and you’ll be 100% satisfied with any work we perform for you. I personally guarantee it!”
  
• Say that customers don’t need to pay unless they are delighted. This strategy is applied by Canyons ski resort in Park City, Utah. The ski resort’s website offers this guarantee: “You’ll-Love-It-Or-It’s-Free-Guarantee: With all the amazing new improvements at Canyons this year, we’re so sure you’ll love it, we’re offering a full refund if you don’t! It’s our `You’ll-Love-It-Or-It’s-Free-Guarantee.’”
  
• Throw in a compelling extra. Newegg.com, an appliance and home products retailer in City of Industry, Calif., has taken the unusual step of offering free shipping on an exceptionally large selection of products. Thewebsite copy reads: “Try our free shipping store! Here you’ll find every product Newegg sells that features complimentary shipping service. Use the browsing and filtering tools to locate the perfect item, and then have it delivered to your door at no extra charge!”
  
• Offer a lifetime warranty. I often praise L.L. Bean’s exceptional customer service on this blog, and I will mention it again today. On the company website, you can read the company’s exceptional guarantee: “Guaranteed to Last: Our products are guaranteed to give 100% satisfaction in every way. Return anything purchased from us at any time if it proves otherwise. We do not want you to have anything from L.L. Bean that is not completely satisfactory.”
  

Diana Pohly is the founder and president of www.StepByStepMarketing.com, an online resource for owners of small and emerging businesses. With decades of experience working with world-class clients like Coca-Cola, Whole Foods, Continental Airlines, and Fidelity Investments, she is a recognized business leader who was named one of "America's Best Bosses" by Fortune Small Business. Featured in The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Folio, AdWeek, and on the CBS Early Show, Diana is a proven expert in the field of marketing

Contributor: Diana Pohly

Published here on: 05-Feb-12

Classification: Marketing

Website: www.StepByStepMarketing.com