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This is part 4 of a 5 part series featuring information from Dean Rieck's Whitepaper, "Getting Responses in a Down Economy - 4 Key Principles to Boost Your Direct Mail Profits in Today's Difficult Market."

In a tight economy, making sales is hard.  You can have a great product, a great price, and an appealing message, but if the trust factor is missing, you won't make the sale. People don't want to risk losing their hard earned, and hard to come by, money.  They need a reason to believe that your offer is credible and trustworthy.  There are several ways to show credibility.

1.  Use testimonials.  It's human nature to take cues from others and let those guide our behavior.  It's the bandwagon effect.  In order for testimonials to work, remember these key points:

• They must be from people who are similar to your prospects.  Business owners will believe other business owners; Older people will believe other older people, etc.
• They must be real. The words of real people are always more believable and sincere than anything a writer can come up with.
• Many short quotes work better than one or two long ones, generally.
• Use full names, locations, and photographs.  These prove your testimonials are true and increase your credibility.

 
2.  Use indirect testimonials. You can list businesses that use your services, states or countries where you do business, industries you serve, the types of professionals who trust you, etc.

3.  Show pictures of people using your product or service.  Seeing is believing.

4.  Mention how long your company has been around. This is a subtle indication fo popularity.

5.  Tell the number of products sold. This is another indication of popularity.

6.  Display the number of customers or clients you serve. McDonald's built an empire doing this.

7.  Warn customers about a limited supply of product due to high demand. This is popularity plus scarcity, which is another powerful motivator.

8.  Cite favorable reviews. Third-party information is always powerful.

9.  Associate your product or service with respected magazines or media. "As seen in XYZ magazine," is a very public approval of your product or service.  "As seen on T.V." is also very credible.

10.  Stand behind your product with a guarantee. A guarantee is tangible proof that you're reputable and helps to lower the perceived risk your prospects feel when considering your offer.  There are a few points to keep in mind when you offer a guarantee:

• Spell everything out in the guarantee, including limitations, terms and conditions, time period, and what you will do if the customer is dissatisfied.
• Make your guarantee legal. Make sure your legal department approves it and it will stand up in court if it has to.
• Backup your guarantee fully.  Make sure everyone from sales to phone operators fully understand it and back it up as well.
• Avoid teeny-tiny legalese. Your guarantee shouldn't look like a legal document or it will scare your customers away. Don't use asterisks or list lots of exceptions.
• Make it short, sweet, and readable. Transparancy adds to credibility.
• Use strong terms in your guarantee. Terms like "Unconditional," "No-Risk," 100% Satisfaction," and "No-Questions-Asked," work well.
• Sign your name to it. For a bit more of a Wow factor, show your picture next to the guarantee, and your signature.  It shows you personally stand by it and adds even more credibility.
• Make it look official. Use certificate paper, complete with a seal or stamp to make it stand out.

Using testimonials and guarantees in your direct mail piece will add credibility to your offer and may be just what your prospect needs to hear to take action.
Stay tuned for our final part of this 5 part series, where we discuss how creating value is essential in getting your prospects to respond in a down market.

For more of Dean Rieck's copy and marketing tips, go to www.directcreative.com.