The Power of the Reassurance Letter

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By:L A Parmley

OK, if you don’t already use something like this, you need what I call a reassurance letter. A what?

A reassurance letter. Seriously. Hear me out.

Let me ask you a question. When you buy something, have you ever experienced that nagging feeling or voice that questions whether you made the right decision? Sure you have. It’s called buyer’s remorse. The more expensive the product, the more chance your buyers will experience it and possibly act on it.

What you want to do is reassure them during what I call the “Critical Remorse Period”. This period of time generally begins after they whip out their credit card right up through the first few days after they’ve receive the product. Now, if you’re shipping the item out to them, this time-period is extended. It can take well over a week for shipments to arrive. This can be an agonizing time-period for your clients.

One obvious way to deal with this dilemma is to deliver your product as quickly as possible. Get it in their hot little hands immediately. Use 2-day shipping, send it out the door the day after they order, or deliver it electronically. Do whatever sounds reasonable to you.

Another method is to use the reassurance letter(s) (hey, don’t groan). It’s easy. Immediately after the customer places their order, you should send out a follow up email. This is very easy and can actually be automated for you especially if you accept orders over the internet. And no, you don’t need any special skills to rig this up.

This email should thank them for placing their order and congratulate them on making such a wise purchase. You can even be more specific and congratulate them on taking the step towards solving whatever problem your product attempts to solve. Just reassure them. Think to yourself … what would you like or need to hear to keep that nagging buyer’s remorse at bay?

If you are sending out a tangible product, include a short letter in the package that also thanks and reassures them. Include some testimonials or case studies. Resell your product. Remind them how others have benefited from it. You can even explain how they can achieve the same results (this can be called a quick-start guide and can even be mentioned in your sales letter to increase the value of your product).

Regardless of whether it’s a shipped package or a digital product, you want to send out your thank-you/reassurance email immediately. Then give your clients a little bit of time to look your product over. A few days, weeks, or if you’ve sent them something that takes time to look over or experience, perhaps even a couple of months. Then write to them again. You can use email or an actual letter. Regardless of which you choose, make sure to send this out.

You may want to ask them for feedback (hopefully you can get a testimonial from them), on your product. Hey, even if they don’t tell you how great your product is, constructive criticism can be of great use to you. Just try not to take it personally.

So get busy writing your reassurance letter!

Copyright © 2005 by L A Parmley. All rights reserved.

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