RISK – It’s the #1 reason that keeps people from making the decision to hire you.

Your prospects are risking that they’ll be making the wrong decision and they'll look stupid and waste a lot of money and then they'll get fired and their kids will go hungry - BESIDES!! You probably can't help them anyway!

It sounds pretty extreme, but things like this (most of it) DO go through your prospect's mind - especially if you're selling a fairly complex, fairly expensive service. The more you can do to reduce the perceived risk of doing business with you, the better your chances are of gaining more clients.

There are a number of things you can do ranging from providing a "sample" or free trial, all the way to a 100% money-back satisfaction guarantee.

As copywriter Michael Fortin mentions in his recent BLOG article, a guarantee has 3 purposes:

1. to communicate that the product or service has value
2. to make the buyer feel more at ease with their buying decision, and
3. to generate greater sales and profits.

Adding a guarantee increases sales because it also removes the risk from the buyer’s mind. It also increases perceived value and therefore overall confidence in your service or product and in YOU as well. You lose more sales than you realize by not offering a guarantee.

You know this story of 2 brothers. Read on and see how long it takes you until you get the "Ah-ha!" The two started a small business when they were in college to pay their tuition and other expenses. One worked the day shift and attended night classes while the other worked at night and went to school during the day.

After consistently losing money, after a year one brother sold his share of the business for an old car. The other persevered. In interviews Tom Monaghan said that, at the time, he wasn’t convinced his decision to put a guarantee on pizza delivery would change much. But history has proven his decision was indeed, on target.

“Pizza delivered fresh in 30 minutes or it’s free” - Domino’s Pizza became the multimillion-dollar franchise operation we know today.

The bottom line is that guarantees will increase sales. If you target your prospects effectively, if you are good at what you do and if you manage your clients' expectations, you’re leaving money on the table if you DON’T have a risk reversal policy. I guarantee it.

And remember - Be BOLD. It all starts with a vision - ...and ends with a guarantee.

Are you SERIOUS?
...about making 2007 your Best Year Yet? Spend one day (December 6) looking back, looking forward, looking inward. A holistic approach to business planning, Best Year Yet is a proven process that is the foundation of the BOLD Business program.

The Best Year Yet process will help you design your next year around what matters most. Join me for a day that will change your business and your life. December 6, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Cumberland Club. Space is limited and lunch will be served. Please RSVP in advance. $99

The Power of Vision
Someone once said we'd better pay attention to the future because that's where we're going to spend the rest of our lives. The Power of Vision - December 13.

Having a positive vision profoundly impacts our present and future. It works for nations; it works for organizations; it works for children and it works for you. Join me on December 13, 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Cumberland Club in Portland, Maine. Space is limited so please RSVP in advance. $49

Visit our website for for information on other upcoming Bold Vision Consulting programs and to sign up for the BOLD Bulletin, a monthly e-journal for solo-preneurs and small business owners.

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