We discussed in earlier articles the subject of helping your customers to “consume” your information via use of autoresponders and a “Read This First” or “Getting Started” document. Both of these tools are designed to help people overcome the “overwhelm” they may feel when they first receive your product — especially if it’s a “Big Box” package.
These are just two of many things you can do to help people consume your product and reduce the chances of a product being returned for a refund. Obviously, it’s a given you should deliver high quality content to your customers. But there are a number of other “Stick Strategies” you should employ to help you to reduce refunds and get folks coming back again and again for your information products.
It’s all about overcoming buyer’s remorse. There’s typically a lag period between the initial euphoria of making the decision to purchase your product and the moment the product actually arrives at their door. Doubt begins to creep into their mind — “Have I made a good decision?” Thousands of products have been returned to our facility where the box was obviously never even opened. If you can’t even get them to open your box, how in the world are they going to consume it?
The first thing you should do to help your sales stick is to immediately deliver some content digitally. Get people started quickly consuming your information in some format. You want to avoid the inevitable decrease in enthusiasm for your product that can occur as they wait for the package to arrive. So give them access to some audio content or other component of the product to get the ball rolling.
When the actual box arrives, the first thing your customer should see is a big sticker on the box that says something like “STOP — Before you open this box, call this toll-free number for important information.” List an 800 number on the box that goes to a pre-recorded message. That message should reinforce the sale and get them excited about opening the box and digging into your information.
For a list of recommended, pre-recorded message services, you can visit www.50BiggestMistakes.com/Resources.
This box label is just one of many additional “Stick” strategies you should consider for your products. With appropriate kudos to Alex Mandossian and Joe Polish, here are a few other popular techniques that can help to reduce refunds and keep them coming back for more:
- Bonus gift request form — a printed document inside their box they must fax back to claim their bonus items.
- Postcard follow-up sequence — a great consumption concept from Alex Mandossian where they receive a physical postcard every week for a few weeks to keep drawing them deeper and deeper into your product, increasing consumption.
- Robotic personal coaching — a video or audio postcard message that covers frequently asked questions.
- Client newsletters by snail mail — a printed newsletter sent via the postal service that cuts through the clutter and increases customer retention.
- Non-relevant gifts — thank you gifts that have nothing to do with your “topic.” An example might be brownies, candy, or other consumables branded to you.
For much more detail about the concept of stick strategies, check out Alex and Joe’s excellent course called “Stick Strategy Secrets.” You can visit the Recommended Resources page at www.50BiggestMistakes.com/Resources to find out if this outstanding course is currently available.
