Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Product refund reasons

So now that you've finally decided to purchase that product and cannot wait to try it out , you have to find out that it does anything else but what you've expected. Don't worry, you still have a chance to take your money back with the following tips for getting an quick product refund.

1. Wrong advertizement

"Get 10.000 hits to your internet site in 24 hours". This such attractive promises might sure make you wanna flip out your credit card immediately. But when you apply the methods or use the software and have to find out that those 10.000 hits might really result in 10, then this is a legitimate reason for requesting a refund. Unfortunately it's not always that easy. Many vendors get around such wrong advertising by stating in the fine print that these results cannot be guaranteed. Therefore always keep an eye on such statements and if you can not believe what's advertised then search for product reviews using your favorite search engine.

2. Product outdated

Believe it or not, but I've seen products that were advertised and still happily took the money out of the customers' pockets but were totally outdated or did not work anymore. I once bought a product that could not be downloaded anymore but still had the sales page up and running, it even displayed the current date pointing the end of a special advancement. Every try to contact the creator of the software failed and after I read in a forum that I wasn't the only one not being able to download the software,I contacted the credit card processing company and got my money back.


3. Usability

Not every software is as user-friendly as Windows (you got the joke, right?!), which can be frustrating if you want nothing more than use it immediately. For most complex software products there exist written tutorials that exactly describe how to use them and sometimes even video tutorials that make the product handling had rather easier.If you've read and watched all of their tutorials and still cannot manahe to use the product, this to the creator and get your money back
If you've contacted the product creator and still were not able to take a refund despite some legitimate and acceptable causes, not all hope is gone. Most market places offer a refund guarantee for products that were sold through them (e. g. Clickbank offers its customers a general refund policy of 8 weeks after the product purchase, for a seller like PayDotCom you have to contact the credit card processor like Paypal which has a refund policy of 2 months).

It is always advised to clearly state the reason for your product refund and to keep a friendly communication style. Even if the product is not worth a single penny it doesn't make things better when you insult the creator. Try to show that you've really tried to use the product in an efficient way, maybe attach some screenshots, include suggestions what could be better, etc. The product creator might loose you as a client but still can benefit from your experience and will most of the time happily give you the refund.

Whatever you do, please be honest. It's just not good to purchase a product which you badly need and then asking a refund to take your money back but still continue to use the product. Most market places (Clickbank, PayDotCom) tolerate 2 or even more refunds, but after that you might not be able to purchase anything again through the specific company.



Order Letter Internet Marketing Techniques And RSS Feed Directory

Friday, April 3, 2009

4 Easy Ways to Get Free Marketing Exposure

Are there really ways you can get valuable marketing exposure without spending any money?

You bet there are. The trick to uncovering these methods is to think of creative ways you can get your products or services in front of, or in the hands of, your prospects. And that last part is critical. It is only valuable marketing if it is targeted at the people you have identified are most likely to buy your products or services.


1)Share Your Knowledge

If you have specialized knowledge or expertise related to your business, think of ways to share that knowledge. Consider writing a regular column for a website or publication that targets the same customers you target. Become a regular contributor to a magazine or radio or TV program.


2)Create Information Products

Package and distribute your knowledge in the form of an Ezine, Newsletter or Special Report. Build your contact list and distribute this valuable information on a regular basis. Use this as an opportunity to market your products and services and be sure to Include special offers or bonuses to recipients who act by a certain date.


3)Offer Seminars and Do Presentations

Do you offer a professional or personal service? Consider booking yourself for speaking engagements where you can provide valuable information in your area of expertise to groups of people. Make sure the groups are representative of the types of customers or clients you believe are most likely to benefit from your services. This tactic serves several marketing purposes.


First, it gets you out in front of your prospects. In marketing this is called “generating awareness” and it is the first step toward making a sale.


Second, it allows people the opportunity to get to know you and/or your services. And with a service business, where clients are buying “you” (that really is what they are buying when they purchase your services) it is crucial that they understand the services you provide and that they get to know you. People like working with people they like. Given the choice between hiring two people with the same skills and services, most people will choose the person they like or feel the best chemistry with.

Make sure to give attendees a special offer on your products or services at the end of your presentation. Give the offer a deadline to create urgency for them to take advantage of the offer on the spot.


4)Give Something Away

Find a way to give away samples of your products or services. Is there an association or group meeting or any other event that is looking for donations to be given away as door prizes?


Why not donate a package of your services or products? You will gain exposure (a free advertisement by the group leader) among the entire group when your package is either auctioned off, or announced and given away in front of everyone. You are also giving the person who wins the package the chance to sample your products or services at no risk.

You could further leverage this marketing by offering the “winner” an incentive to refer others to you. The “winner” might also be a great person to provide feedback to you, or a testimonial regarding how they felt about your product or service, that you can use in future marketing.


Yes, there may be a hard cost associated with the product you are giving away, or a “time” cost associated with the time you are donating, however when you weigh that cost against the number of people who are being exposed to your products or services, usually it is well worth it. And it certainly is cheap (and usually more effective!) in comparison to buying an ad.


My advice is to incorporate this sort of activity into your operational budget and simply consider it a cost of doing business.


There are all kinds of ways to generate exposure of your products and services without paying for advertising space. Yes, sometimes this does involve giving away product or service, but I don’t consider that a hard “marketing” cost. I have found that the benefits always outweigh the cost of my time or my products.

The trick is to target well, or in other words, locate where your prospects congregate or what media they read or view, and then find creative ways to get yourself, your products or your services, in front of them in those places.

(C) Copyright 2005 Debbie LaChusa, 10stepmarketing

About the Author

20-year marketing veteran Debbie LaChusa created The 10stepmarketing System to help small business owners and solo-preneurs successfully market their business, themselves without spending a fortune on marketing. To learn more about this simple, step-by-step program and to sign up for her FREE audio class and FREE weekly ezine featuring how-to articles, tips and advice, visit http://www.10stepmarketing.com


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