Recently, I wrote an article about the awesome value of using guarantees in selling.

When properly crafted and communicated, they lower buyers’ perceived risks, making them inclined to agree faster, more often, and to purchase in larger quantities.

Very few people, statistically, will undo deals, so the advantages of guarantees tend to outweigh the disadvantages.

But there is a warning I should issue.

You have to make sure that your MESSAGE doesn’t backfire; that you don’t oversell the “out-clause” so much that you train your buyers to do the wrong thing, in droves.

Specifically, you never want to design your presentation so your CLOSE-LINE, the very last thing you say to induce an “OK” hinges on undoing the deal.

EXAMPLE: “So, what we’ll do is get this video program out to you and if you don’t like it, simply pop it back into the mail and that will be that; OK?”

By the way, the phrasing of that example is GOLDEN, but-for the poor placement of its guarantee language.

Here’s a much preferred way of phrasing it:

BETTER EXAMPLE: “So, what we’ll do is get this video program out to you and if you don’t like it, simply pop it back into the mail, but we’re sure you’re going to love it and want to add it to your training library; OK?”

Take a quick second to analyze the differences. What stands out to you?

In the first example we end on a NEGATIVE, so the client is saying yes to a no, so to speak. We’re training them to return the video, to expect to not like it.

The second version ends on a POSITIVE note. It says, you’re going to love it and want to keep it.

We tested both versions at Time-Life, famous for its 10-day trials and guarantees, and we found the second version has a HUGE impact on the proportion of people who keep and pay for their products.

By all means use guarantees, but above all, make sure to avoid overselling them!