But I bought the smaller one.The reason had to do with the salesperson. He knew I wanted to go to the big box home center and buy a no-name tank for $400.00, and somehow he needed to convince me that a smaller machine costing $650.00 was a better buy. He told me about Toro's legendary quality and dominance in the market. He told me I was buying emergency equipment, and that the Toro name meant this baby would start EVERY morning, when I needed it most. We talked about reliability, low maintenance, and resale value. And in the end, I was convinced the little snow blower was a better buy than the big mother. I believed it for several years, even when I watched my neighbors buzz through snow drifts with their big mothers while my little machine choked. Still, I never dreamed of returning the Toro that first year, and I never regretted making that purchase.
Are you setting up your customers to return what you sold them? You may need to read over your contract or review your sales pitch, but be honest with yourself. This one's important.
I've heard some salespeople actually tell prospects, "If you're not happy, you have three days to back out of the contract." Or, "Just sign up for a week and get the free gift, then you can cancel if you want." Or simply, "You can always cancel if you're not satisfied." These assurances are uttered as PART of the sales process. Think about the contradiction.
Buyer's remorse is a response most of us develop after we've somehow been burned once. From finding a slightly lower price a few days later to discovering we bought a piece of junk and can't do anything about it, it's a lesson quickly learned.
Those of us who market or sell know this. But rather than working to overcome this response, many embrace it as though we want the buyer to have second thoughts. Instead, we should prepare prospects to remember tomorrow how they felt today when we shook hands. If your product is expensive or has fewer bells and whistles, there's no hiding this fact. Instead, tell them today why it's such a superior value. Welcome them to the Club of Smart People. You might even say, "Tomorrow, when you feel like you spent too much, remember what I said about X."
This applies to written copy, too. Avoid giving prospects an easy out. It's hard enough to close the sale sometimes. You don't want to lose what you've gained.
So look at your offers, examine your fine print. Make sure everything you convey supports the purchase tomorrow as well as today.
