In direct marketing I’ve used one technique that has proven so effective that it is the only one that can double or even triple response.

The technique is what I call “Satisfaction Conviction.”

This is not to be confused with the typical trial period, “If you’re not absolutely satisfied with your purchase, return it within 30 days for a refund.”

A Satisfaction Conviction is simply saying something to your customers that completely removes any concern they might have about their purchase.

Let me cite a couple of examples.

  • When I was selling BluBlocker sunglasses in my infomercial, I told the audience, “If you’re not completely satisfied any time – a year from now, even ten years from now – you may return your BluBlockers for a full refund.”
  • Another time I offered a subscription for a discount product newsletter. My offer was simply that if the subscriber did not receive any benefit within the two-year subscription, they could request and receive all their money back. It went beyond the typical offer of “Cancel your subscription and get the unused portion of your subscription refunded.”

In both cases we tested the offers. In both cases, the ones with the Satisfaction Conviction doubled or tripled the response.

And here’s the best part: Our return rates were lower with the more outrageous guarantee than with the typical standard trial period. Rarely did anybody take advantage of us.

In times like these, it is important that you make every offer so outrageous, so tempting, so compelling that your customer may be inclined to say to himself, “How can they do that unless, of course, they truly have an outstanding product. I can’t lose.”

Joseph Sugarman has written several books on marketing,advertising, copywriting and selling. He is president of JS&A Group, a marketing company and BluBlocker Corporation, a sunglass company — both based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is the winner of the prestigious Maxwell Sackheim award for his career contributions to direct marketing, and was selected as the Direct Marketing Man of the Year by the New York Direct Marketing Group. His company was the first to introduce and take toll-free orders and one of the first to use infomercials selling over 20 million pair of his BluBlocker sunglasses in six years.