Compelling

Copywriting
Risk-Reversal/Up-sell
© 2007 by Sean D’Souza. All rights reserved. Published by Psychotactics Ltd. No part of this publication may be
reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in ad database or retrieval system without the prior
written permission of Psychotactics Ltd.

The Author and publisher have used their best efforts in preparing this book and the document contained herein.
However, the author and publisher make no warranties of any kind, express or implied, wit regard to the informational
content, documentation, or files contained in this book or in any accompanying media files such as CDs or DVD, and
specifically disclaim, without limitation, any implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose,
with respect to program listings in the book, the techniques described in the book, and/or the use of files. In no event
shall the author or publisher be responsible or liable for loss of profit, or any commercial damages, including, but not
limited to, special incidental, consequential, or any other damages in connection with or arising out of furnishing,
performance, or use of this book, program files, instruction, audio or video connected with this information.

Further, the author and publisher have used their best efforts to proof and confirm the content of the files, but you should
proof and confirm information such as dates, measurements, and any other content for yourself. The author and publisher
make no warranties of any kind, express or implied, with regard to that content or its accuracy.

The Brain Audit Kit is available at special quantity discounts to use as premiums and sales promotions, or for use in
corporate training programs. This is part of the entire Brain Audit series which includes audio programs, on-line training,
etc.

For more information, please write to:

PsychoTactics Ltd., PO Box 36461,
Northcote, Auckland, New Zealand
Phone: 64 9 449 0009
Email: sean@psychotactics.com

ii  |  Compelling copy

Contents
The Up Sell Offer 1
Why it’s good for you as well for your customers
Multiple Opportunities to Up Sell 5
There are many doors: Which one will you take?
Risk Reversal 16
If you won’t take the risk, why should the customer do so

  psychotactics.com   | iii 
iv  |  Compelling copy
 Up Selling
How to create profit and happier customers though selling more

T
he up sell is legendary at McDonald’s all over the world. You ask for a
burger, and you get the inevitable question: “Will you have fries with
that?” In one second, you’re nodding affirmatively. And it’s not because
the pimply-faced teenager has cast a spell on you. It’s because you’ve
immediately figured out that the fries will be a cool addition to the burger. In one
second, McDonald’s totes up squillions of dollars around the world as gazillions of
heads nod in favour of the fries.

Yet look at most businesses around the world that sell services or products. They never,
if ever up sell the ‘Fries.’ Why? Beats me. It’s good for the customer, it’s good for you,
so why these business owners avoid up selling their product/service is the world’s
biggest mystery.

Then again, maybe it’s not. I know the real reason. They think it’s B-O-R-I-N-G! Like
zzzz, yawn, snore, snore. It’s far more exciting running after new clients and doing all
those exciting things instead of an up sell.

Yet an up sell can increase your profits instantly

When someone signs up for the Brain Audit, they’re immediately up sold to 5000bc.
The person hasn’t so much as read the first product, and already they’re being up sold
to the next level. You may think it’s pushy, but the customer doesn’t think so. In most
cases, the customer actually appreciates the fact, that they can get a special rate, if
they buy an additional product. Don’t you like it when you buy a CD and you get the
second CD at half price. That’s an up sell, and while you don’t have to put an up sell in
the copy itself, you sure have to plan for it.
Where you put an up sell
The client is most ready to buy at the point of purchase. We’re greedy little creatures.
We don’t want one thing when we can get two. So if we can get a nice little discount
on two things, we’ll go for two. But once we’re past the payment stage, we’re off in
the big wide world distracted by something else altogether. While we’re at the point
of purchase, all we want is what we’re going to get. And if you’re going to put some
‘chocolate syrup’ on top, yes, we’ll have that too, thank you.

So make sure you always do an Up Sell at the time of sale. Of course, you can always
come back and do the Up Sell later. And that works too. I mean, you’ve got to keep
asking the client: “Do you want chocolate syrup?” When the client has got chocolate
bubbles coming out of their ears, they’ll tell you to stop. You don’t even have to be
pushy. You can be kind and consistent. The client will tell you when they’ve had
enough.

The up sell comes from understanding sequential selling

Sequential selling is literally sales that stack up back to back. For heaven’s sake, stop
treating your product/service as a one-off thingy. If you have any concern for your
customer you’ll follow the system of care, guidance, and protection. And to be caring,
guiding and protective, you need to plan your customer’s future today. (See graphics
on next page)

  |  Compelling copy
Step 1 Step 2

Step 3 Step 4

Copywriting isn’t just about

words or selling a product or
service. It’s about strategy. It’s
about working out the entire
plan in advance. Once you get
the plan well worked out, then
the client moves in sequence--
the sequence you’ve earmarked.
And this enables both you and
the customer to get far greater
benefits. The customer buys and
consumes more. Your profits soar,
because now, instead of focusing
on each event individually, you’re
Step 5 actually caring, guiding and
protecting the customer. When
customers understand that you’re
following a sequence; a guideline,
they’re more appreciative than
ever before.   psychotactics.com   |  
Once you’ve considered the up sell and sequential selling
Consider bundling. When the Brain Audit sold at $67, we’d up sell PsychoBranding
at $30 (It was normally priced at $67) thus creating an up sell. About 70% or more of
customers took the up sell offer. But that still left us with 30% that didn’t take on the
up sell. So we bundled the offer. We offered the product as the PsychoCombo. You
couldn’t get one or the other. It was both or nothing. As a result, every single sale was
now $97 or more. Interestingly, our profits went up, without reducing the volume of
sales. So now, simply by bundling, we were able to take home a cool 30% more than
we did before we bundled the product.

Of course, bundling brings its own problems

Once the product is bundled, you have to then put in another up sell. It’s important to
remember that the bundling/up sell process is continuous. As long as your customers
keep buying, you can keep bundling and up selling in an infinite loop.

When Is Upsell the Most Powerful?

Traditionally the upsell has always been lumped in with purchase. If you’re in the
business of selling just one product or service, you’re actually stuck. Because you’ve got
just one chance to upsell. And you’re going to give that upsell your all. Which means
you can become a pest (much like those Internet marketers who pound you with
upsells).

The key to creating an upsell is understanding that you’re not an entree business
What’s an entree business? Imagine you went to a restaurant, and they served you an
entree. And then served you nothing else. So instead of the wine, the bread and dips,
the mains, the dessert and the coffee, all you get is the darned entree–and then you
have to leave.

Sounds silly, doesn’t it?

And yet most businesses are built in an entree style. You see consultants who’ll just do
one project and take their cheque. You see web designers who just build the website
and that’s it. You’ll see it all around you. Entree entrepreneurs, who seem to give the
client just one thing, and then move on to the next client, and the next, and the next.

But if you understand sequential selling

You are now a strategist. You understand that there’s life beyond the entree. You build
products/services/training (yes, all three) to allow the client to reach from the point of
entree to the point of dessert. And then get that client back to go over the process all
over again, many times each year.

Oooh, that’s kinda persuasive, isn’t it?

Is it? You go back to your favourite restaurant many times a year, don’tcha? And you
you go from entree to dessert almost every single time. So why should it be different
for a client who is interested in buying your products or services? Why would they too
not be interested in buying more products and services through the year? Why would
they not come back, if your products/services bring value to your client’s business?

I’ll tell you why. It’s because you don’t offer them anything past the entree. So how can
you upsell, and get the client to come back, when you don’t have a logical upsell?
  |  Compelling copy
Multiple levels of Up Sell
1) Upsell at the point of the sale.
2) Upsell after the sale using the Thank You Note.
3) Upsell via newsletter and education.
4) Upsell via bonuses given randomly.
5) Upsell via salesletter sent on regular basis.
6) Upsell via competitions and events.
7) Upsell at training/workshops/teleclasses.
8) Upsell in person.
9) Upsell in email signatures.

1) Up Sell At The Point Of The Sale:

The most effective up sell is always at the point of the sale. Whether you like it or not,
your profit figures will tell you that the point of sale is the most consistent up sell. In
fact, you can expect to see as much as 90%-95% of your clients buying into the up
sell at the point of sale. All other up sells fall dramatically once the client has moved
away from the point of sale. So it would be super-foolish (and there’s no other word to
describe it), to not put an up sell at the point of purchase.

But simply putting an up sell at the point of purchase is not going to work. As you’ve
already learned, you’ve got to stack up the up sell with bonuses. And it’s the bonuses
that cause the customer to opt for the up sell. You could literally put as much as
10%-30% on your bottom line, by making this one change in the way you sell. And
this course will pay off the moment you make this one change! From there on it’s pure
profit.

A simple up sell
system of Option
A and Option B
increases not just our
profit, but also the
client’s satisfaction
level. As a client you
like getting more for
less, and as you can
see, there’s a whole
more that a client
is getting when they
take Option B.

More than 95%

of all clients choose
Option B. Scary,
huh? Try it. And
you’ ll immediately
see results at the
point of purchase.

  psychotactics.com   |  
 Every single time you buy from Amazon.com, you get an additional bonus. You get an
opportunity to buy a product that’s similar. This up sell isn’t done some of the time or
most of the time. It’s done ALL OF THE TIME. Every time. And that’s the biggest
lesson. How do you up sell every single time to your customer?

Amazon.com not only gets you to buy two products, but also gives you a good deal. Plus
they throw in Free Super Saver Shipping (their words, not mine) on orders over $25.
Now yes, I know you don’t avail of the up sell all the time. Maybe you avail of the up
sell once in every ten or even twenty times, but hey, every time you do, they sell two
products just like that--adding to their profit.

  |  Compelling copy
Upsell after the sale using the Thank You Note
Hi Client Name,

I just noticed that you made an investment in the Brain Audit Pack,
and I want to thank you for that personally.

The content in these books looks simple and short, but be sure to look
beyond the obvious. They contain powerful techniques, which when employed,
will dramatically change your sales, presentations, websites and
most of your communication.

However, even the best concept is flawed without testing. When you apply
these rules, test, test and test again. You will be astounded at the difference
between one piece of communication and the other.

All the best in your business.

Here are emails we got from people who bought recently.

================================================
So the effects are dramatic and instant, once you understand the depth.
================================================
“We had already applied some of the problem based marketing messages
discussed in the brain audit and we got those ideas from Psycho tactics
anyway, but the books go into even greater depth. We’re already thinking
of more effective ways to get our message out. The beauty is we can
apply it to everything, websites, marketing literature and even simple
conversations with clients. A must have set of books for anyone
seriously thinking about improving business to business marketing.”

Steve Jackson, Web Strategy Director

Conversion Chronicles, UK

IMPORTANT:
==========
You should have been able to instantly download the ebooks.
If for any reason, this hasn’t happened, please email me right away.

Thanks again,
Warm Regards

Sean
P.S. You also qualify for membership to 5000bc. For an extremely tiny
sum, you get a whole lot of goodies worth $100 right away. Plus you get
access to secret pages, discussion boards etc. Don’t miss out.
Check out http://www.5000bc.com/

Straight off the blocks, you’re asked to subscribe to www.5000bc.com. And there’s no pressure.
We recognise that the cycle of attraction, conversion and consumption, so it’s important for
the client to read the Brain Audit before moving ahead. To increase this sign up rate, if I
changed the urgency factor, there would be more sign ups to 5000bc. But I like my customers
to consume (at least a bit) before moving them along to the next level.  
psychotactics.com |  
 
Upsell via newsletter and education

=================================
In Today’s PsychoTactics Issue
=================================

Article: How to Sell To Fact-Based and Big-Picture Buyers Simultaneously

To read online go to: http://www.psychotactics.com/artacc.htm

Note: You’re getting this newsletter, because you

or someone at your home/office subscribed to it.
If this newsletter bugs the heebie-jeebies out of you, simply
scroll right to the bottom and remove yourself from
the list. And we’ll be history.:)

========================================
This Week’s Product Offers:
=======================================

1) Applications of the Brain Audit: Double your flow of customers.

If you’ve read the Brain Audit, you’ll love the Applications.
http://www.5000bc.com/content.php?cid=xxxx

2) 5000bc Membership. Not for everyone!

No it’s not the same-same. Explore checklists, forums that actually filled with info,
hidden articles, website critiques and lots more. Judge for yourself at:
http://www.5000bc.com/content.php?cid=1030

Once you sign up for the Psychotactics Newsletter, you’re up sold on a regular basis.

But hang on a second before you slam each newsletter with a sales message.

In every newsletter, there’s an article–good one too ;)–that creates a higher level of
expertise. It’s not just sell, sell, sell. So would sell, sell, sell not work? Sure it would, but
over time, you’re bound to get people dropping off as they tire of your non-stop attempts
to sell. If however, you also have a big component of information, then customers will
stay on the list. Just like a magazine with ads, customers will put up with ads, as long
as they know that there’s content as well.

So content (and good content) is vital.

As you may have already noticed as a subscriber, each newsletter has an up sell, and is
based solely on what you’ve bought in the past. Which means that if you’ve bought the
Brain Audit, then you no longer get an offer for the Brain Audit. The newsletter you
see above, isn’t selling the Brain Audit.

It’s selling the Applications of the Brain Audit, which is a book filled with examples of
how the Brain Audit works with websites, sales letters, speeches, presentations etc. And
it’s a logical move upwards in the sequential sales model.

Learning how to segregate your customer database is a key to being able to make precise
up sells to precise audiences. Nothing is worse than someone buying Product A and
then being asked to buy Product A all over again. Your job is to get the Product A
buyer off the entree and into the main course and wine ;)
Upsell via bonuses given randomly

Resources
Psychotactics’ Sequential Training System
If you’ve bought a product from PsychoTactics or have read through a free report, you’ll be keen to
learn if there are more goodies in the Psychotactics collection. Heck, sure! Not only are there more
products and training courses, but here’s a little helping hand guiding you along the sequence you
need to follow to get the maximum advantage. On this page, you’ll find the sequence that has
worked best for most clients. On the pages to follow you’ll get other resources, training systems
and consulting options.

Step One: The Brain Audit

If you’re wondering why clients seem to back away at the last minute,
there’s a darned good reason why? You haven’t taken off all the bags off
the customer’s ‘conveyor belt’. Each customer buys (or doesn’t buy) your
product, because of a specific set of reasons. If you want to guarantee
sales time after time, you need to know exactly what’s going on in
the brain of the customer. The Brain Audit, helps you look inside the
customer’s brain and literally anticipate what the customer is going to
say or think next. Don’t struggle with declining sales and yo-yo profits.
The Brain Audit shows you exactly what you need to do to improve your
conversion rate. To find out more click here.

Step Two: 5000bc Membership

Imagine a place where like-minded professionals just like you meet
each day. Imagine where topics from consulting, Internet marketing,
speaking strategies, copywriting, direct mail, new technology, graphic
design are explained in great detail. Imagine where you can find detailed
and incisive critiques on websites. Imagine where learning is a whole lot
of fun. Well, you can stop imagining. If you have read the Brain Audit,
your next step is 5000bc.com. Membership is restricted to just 1200
members. When 5000bc reaches 1200 members, the membership will
be closed. If you’d like to find out how to get to 5000bc before the doors
close, click here to get to www.5000bc.com

Step Three: The Brain Alchemy Masterclass

Have you ever wondered how to get, keep and grow clients with a
very specific, step-by-step strategy? The Brain Alchemy Masterclass
shows you how to avoid the minefields that most businesses run into
-- and how to create a business that literally runs itself over time. It’s
no fun struggling day after day, week after week. Learn powerful core
strategies that will give you business structure and immense leverage.
And learn at your own speed with 19 Audio CDs + The Brain Alchemy
Comprehensive notes on how to implement the system. If you’re serious
about getting your business not just to the next level, but several levels
up, then then click here to read more about the Masterclass.

To view all Psychotactics Products

http://www.psychotactics.com/products.htm

An upsell doesn’t have to be at the point of sale. When you roll out your consumption
model (and this rollout takes some strategy), then you can offer really helpful advice,
and upsell your products within the helpful advice. For instance, when you buy the
Brain Audit, you get a series of autoresponders AFTER you’ve bought it. Each of the Psychotactics.com | 

autoresponders can contain different sorts of upsell AFTER you’ve given the advice.
  psychotactics.com   |  
 Books and Self Study
The Swipe File for the Brain Audit
If you’ve read the Brain Audit, you’ll want to take a very close look at the
Applications of the Brain Audit. The Applications book takes you deep into
the world of emails, speeches, websites, presentations, direct mail and dozens
of other applications, where you can see HOW the Brain Audit is being
used — and how you can use similar ideas for your own marketing material.
Judge for yourself, by clicking on this link and seeing how the Applications of
the Brain Audit can help you right away.
(Members get an obscenely special reduction in price)

Psychological Secrets of Successful Websites

Look inside dozens of strategies and tactics to increase customer traffic. Learn
about the:
1) Psychology of a Powerful Website;
2) The Psychology of Selling Products & Services Successfully
3) The Psychology of Creating Loyal, Raving Fans
To get almost nine hours of information on how to create a website that
customers love and buy from, click on this link.

Consulting and Live Training Programs

ConduCted via Phone, website, and email

Compelling Copy: How words get customers to buy!

Do you feel your marketing material could attract far more clients, if only
you could write more persuasive copy? Do you feel that you start, stop,
struggle and then just plain give up writing, because it’s way too hard? Do
you long for a mentor that you trust, who could show you EXACTLY what
you’re doing wrong, and how to fix your copy, to a high level of persuasion?
To find out more about the compelling copy course, click here to see more
details or register for the next batch.

To view all Psychotactics Products

http://www.psychotactics.com/products.htm

The core of your upsell success is the factor of giving a ‘bonus’ of sorts. So if you decide
to use the upsell at the point of sale, then the upsell should contain a very, very strong
incentive for the customer to buy.

Notice how the upsell in the graphic above has no incentives at all. No bonus, no
discount, nothing. So how is it possible that a client would be motivated to buy these
products. Aha, what you’ve missed is what comes before this upsell. The bonus was
placed before the upsell. So the client was given the bonus in advance and without
any conditions. That’s created a feel good factor in the client’s brain. Plus she realises
that she needs many of these products and services anyway. The combination of the
autoresponder (that gives the client the bonus upfront) combined with the need to eat
more than the entree, can create a constant upsell.

10  |  Compelling copy

ii | additional ResouRces
Upsell via salesletter sent on regular basis

Headline: Psychotactics: Special Offer Worth $127 With The Brain Audit Valid till
Feb 28th 2005

Dear Carly,

I don’t know if you read the newsletter last week.

Hidden in the text, was the offer of a F-R-E-E Brain Audit Rip
worth $127. This product consists of a complete rip of a
sales page in great detail. The Brain Audit Rip critiques
every single glitch on the salespage. Once the glitches
had been fixed, sales increased by over 800%.

If you have a website or intend to sell something off your

website, you can make sure you don’t make the same
mistakes. Mistakes that tend to drive customers away.

The Brain Audit Rip is complimentary with your

copy of the Brain Audit. If you’ve wondered why customers back
away at the last minute, both online and offline, you’ll find the
specific answers on the page below.

Judge for yourself at:

http://www.psychotactics.com/xxxx.htm

Sean
P.S. This offer is only valid till Feb 28, 2006. So don’t
wait till the last minute, and miss out. At least have
a look and judge for yourself.

You may personally think a blatant salesletter like the one above is pure pressure. You
may think it’s not-so-good to send out just a sales letter and no information. And
you’ d be wrong. Because a sales letter standing by itself with all the right components
of urgency and bonuses will garner as much as 300% or higher than your regular
newsletter.

Now, obviously you can get greedy.

And you may decide to send out this sales letter dozens of times each year. And you’ d be
making mistake numero uno. The reason this sales letter is so effective is because it’s an
ususual offer. It’s effective because it’s short. It’s effective because it has all the triggers.

But the regular newsletter, the products and services you sold before, are the precursors.
They’re the ones that give you credibility. If you simply sashay in and start pumping out
sales letters, you’ ll soon have customers fuming and throwing your stuff in the trash.

  psychotactics.com   | 11 
Upsell via competitions and events

How to win $100 worth of Psychotactics Products or Services

You’ve been attending the 3-Part Trigger Series over the last
few weeks. And now, three lucky folks among you can win
$100 worth of Psychotactics Products/Services each.

And every entry can win at least $50 worth of goodies, with
the winners taking an additional $100 in prizes.

How?

All you have to do is the following:

1) Tell us what you changed on your website or in your
business strategy, as a result of attending the 3-Part
Teleclass Series.

2) If you have any specific results, let us know about the results.

3) We’ll evaluate the entries. All entries get a special

bonus of $50. (Actually over the long term, it will be worth
over $500 or even $5000). And the best entries get the bonus,
as well as $100 credit for any Psychotactics product/service.

The last date for entries are: 30th April 2006.

To be part of the winning entry go to:
http://www.psychotactics.com/xxxx.htm

Our decision will be final, and the winners and their entries
will be posted on the Psychotactics website on May 1, 2006.

Warm regards,
Sean
P.S. Save $1000. The early bird for the Website Masterclass ends on April
23, 2006. Find out more at http://www.psychotactics.com/xxx.htm

P.P.S. Even if you don’t want to enter the competition above, I’d still love to
hear your feedback–good or bad :)

The competition is the magnet that draws the customers in. And there’s already an up
sell in the P.S. When the customer clicks on that link, or even goes to the competition
page, they get another chance to see the details of the workshop.

Cool, huh?

12  |  Compelling copy

Up sell at training/workshops/tele-classes or in person
Up selling at training/workshops and other such events are extremely powerful.
Because they’re live events, the customer is very keen to buy because of the enthusiasm
of the presenter. There is a psychological factor of peer pressure too. If there are others
in the room who are scrambling to buy your products, then the chances of up selling is
far greater. The core of the up sell is an offer just too good to resist.

Up sell in email signatures

What do you put in your email signature? Why that’s an easy answer. Whatever you’re
promoting. If you’re promoting a book, and want to sell the book, then put in the link
to the book in your email responses. If you’re selling a workshop, then promote the
workshop.

Your client has written to you with a query. So answer the query. And then put in a
little plug for the offer that you’d like the client to see. In many cases, clients would
be really happy to buy your products/services, but are aren’t aware that you have these
products/services for sale. Email signatures are a simple, effective way to up sell the
client in the course of day to day routine correspondence.

Some final words on Up Sell

Up Selling is better with a gentle nudge. Here are some tips.

1) Using statistics improves up sell:

Using statistics improves just about any darned thing on this planet (It even helps you
to win arguments on topics you know nothing about <grin>) So why not use statistics,
especially if you have them or can get them, to increase your sales? (See graphic on
following page)

2) Up Selling is better with an irresistible offer and a rock-solid deadline

Eg: A $75 product being offered for $10 is a very strong incentive.
A $75 product being offered for $65 as an up sell is a weak incentive.

The key to the up sell is creating enough excitement in the product being up sold. The
client has already bought the product/service, and is very happy with his/her purchase.
The up sell is literally like the dessert. It needs to have that extra sweetness and gooey
chocolatey consistency for the client to keel in. If you’re going to make a half-hearted
up sell, the concept of up selling isn’t going to work for you at all.

And deadlines. Urgency. If you don’t give me the reason to act now, then I’ll take
my own sweet time to react. Your customer needs a deadline. The more precise the
deadline, the better.

Eg: ‘Three weeks from now’ is a bad deadline. It’s too vague.
‘Sunday, 30th April 2006, is a good deadline, because it’s precise.

If structured correctly, 80-90% of your customers will take the ‘fries’. The up sell
depends on you and you alone. Roll it out, and see the results for yourself!

  psychotactics.com   | 13 
Notice how statistics have been used to up sell 5000bc Premium?

Now don’t get me wrong. This isn’t a ploy you can get away with. The Premium must actually be
better than the regular membership. Your Option B, must be better than Option A. It’s not like you
can pull the wool over your customer’s eyes with statistics.

So go ahead and use statistics, and be aware that you’ve got to deliver the goods, otherwise it might be
best to join the Witness Protection Program and disappear (yes, I am kidding!).

Note: If you’re not already a member of 5000bc, then you are missing an amazing resource of
information. I know, I know, it’s an up sell, but when you join 5000bc, you’ ll see for yourself.
  psychotactics.com   | 15 
 Risk Reversal
If you won’t take the risk, why should the customer take it?

Risk is on everyone’s mind. It’s what stops you customer from buying your product or
service. When you take the risk away from him, you create a world where he can’t lose.
That spurs him towards signing on the dotted line.

Recognise the fact that the customer is under tremendous pressure when he buys your
product. He doesn’t want to look like a fool if something goes wrong in the future.
The only way to safeguard his future is to take the risk upon yourself. That takes the
pressure away, allowing him to examine and fall in love with the product without the
pressure of getting stuck with it.

A money-back guarantee is only one of the many forms of risk reversal

Ask yourself what problem you solve for the customer. What does he stand to lose if
the deal turns to custard? Identifying the result he seeks is absolutely vital, because
he’ll measure his happiness and success level on that factor alone.

In many cases, a simple money-back guarantee will do, but often money may play a
non existent role in his decision making process. What do you care if a dentist has a
100% money back guarantee? You just want your teeth fixed, so that you never have to
go through that excruciating pain again. A money back guarantee is useless.

So weigh up the risk

What’s the real risk? Get in your customer’s shoes for a few days. Walk around in
them, and think about what the customer may be thinking. The customer is interested
only in the results, not in the money back. If they were interested in the money, they
wouldn’t have given it to you in the first place. So work on the results. What are you
promising? Are you promising results? Are the results specific? Can you make them
specific?

The biggest reason why businesses don’t offer a risk-reversal is because they haven’t
thought about it or because they’re too scared they’ll get ripped off. The statistics
disprove this supposition time and time again.

By reversing the risk, companies grow in leaps and bounds, often by 200% -300% or
more. What’s more, they rarely, if ever, even hit a 5% return rate.

Three steps to reduce risk

Step one: Identify the risk. How?
Step two: Reduce the risk? How?
Step Three: Going beyond 100% money back.

Step One: First you’ve got to identify the risk

When your computer crashes ten times a day, you don’t want your money back. When
your toilet is spewing nasty stuff, the last thing you’re thinking of is a plumber who’ll
keep working at the job till he gets it right.

The core of risk isn’t the money-back guarantee

That’s the guarantee we’ve seen more often than not, so we wrongly assume that
most clients would be more than happy with a money-back guarantee. But as clients
ourselves, we know that we want specific risk reversal.

With the dentist our risk is pain.

With a computer that crashes, our risk is loss of data.
With the plumber it’s the issue of charging per hour at an exorbitant rate.

Once we identify the risk, we can then move right along to reduce it.

Step Two: How to reduce the risk

Once you’ve identified the risk, it’s much easier to reduce the risk. The dentist needs to
put into place systems that will minimise pain, both during and after the visit. With
the computer, our basic risk is the loss of data, and the secondary risk is the need to
replace the defective hard drive. With the plumber, it’s a fixed fee, so that you don’t
have to take a loan to pay off the plumber.

Step Three: Going beyond the Money Back

The most boring reversal in the world is a 100% money back guarantee. Make your
money back guarantee visual. We have a lawn mower guarantee. We tell customers
they can literally put the product under their lawn mower, and trash it to pieces, if they
find it useless. This vivid picture causes the customer to realise, that they have nothing
to lose. That they don’t have to have kid gloves when handling your product. The risk
goes out of the window.

And when risk goes out, the mirage sale turns into a real one!
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 Why we look to reduce risk
Logically, not everything can be guaranteed. But there’s no logic in the world of the
paying customer. The customer wants what they want. And what they want, is to not
feel like they’re being ripped off. That’s the most important. Risk comes high on the
scale when you feel you may be paying way too much.

The other factor is one of goof ups. We’ve all bought the wrong stuff, in the wrong
colour, from the wrong place, at the wrong time. And we’ve had our friends, family
and spouses laugh at us long and hard. This memory of ridicule is etched in each of
our brains. So when we buy something, we want the assurance that we can reverse the
risk.

This makes us look very smart. And covers us nicely from any risk as well. Now, if
anyone laughs at us, we can simply turn round in our very smug tones and tell them
how the supplier, and not us, was carrying the risk.

The lack of risk causes us to buy with the enthusiasm of a child in a candy store.

Well not quite, but hey, every little bit of risk reversal goes a long way to reducing our
tension when purchasing a product/service.

Types of Risk Reversals Which Work

Longer risk reversals: The longer the risk reversal, the less stress you put on the client.
This makes clients quite happy to use your product and service, because they know
they’re not at the mercy of an extremely short time period. When put in an extremely
short risk-reversal period, most clients tend to keep a close eye on the days and weeks,
often asking to cash in their risk reversal before the due date. However, if your risk
reversal is long and extended, the risk goes down considerably, and encourages the
client to not only buy quickly, but also not return or claim their risk reversal in a big
hurry, if at all.

Conditional risk reversals: These reversals are based on partnerships. A course like
this requires the participants to do their part. If the partners don’t do their part, the
ensuing result is...um...no result at all. Often clients won’t take the blame for their
inertia, and demand that they be compensated. To avoid this negative turn of events,
it’s important to put together a conditional risk reversal. Eg: The guarantee only
applies if the participants attend 80% of the calls, and do 80% of the assignments.

Better than risk reversal: It’s when you’re so confident of your product or service that
you’re willing to not just reverse the risk, but offer an additional compensation. Eg: If
we don’t deliver the pizza on time, the pizza’s free. If we don’t finish the assignment
on time, the next project is free. If you aren’t able to install the software in fifteen
minutes, you get a free Starbucks $5 voucher. And so on. Better than risk reversal
makes you stand out in the marketplace as someone who’s very confident about their
products and services.

18  |  Compelling copy

Would you buy from a person who offered a risk reversal or one who offered nothing?
Your client likes to minimise her risk too. So offer a risk reversal and watch customers
not just pay closer attention, but actually buy from you time and time again!

  psychotactics.com   | 19 
 If you find anything that bugs you, please click on
the bug above to send me an email. Nothing is too
small or too big. And if I can, I’ll be sure to fix it.
sean@psychotactics.com

PO Box 36461, Northcote, Auckland, New Zealand

Tel: 64 9 449 0009 Email: sean@psychotactics.com