When a guarantee is more than a guarantee.

Dean Rieck, president of Direct Creative in Columbus, Ohio, calls the guarantee the Second Greatest Offer in the World.* Since most guarantees offer money back in one form or another, it is "specifically this 'money-back' guarantee that I call the second greatest offer."

But a well-crafted guarantee should do more "work" than just state the money-back offer. Rieck says, "Use your guarantee to sell copy. The whole point of the guarantee is to stimulate a response, so, whenever possible, include sell copy in the guarantee. For example, you might say, 'Fill out the order form and mail it today. Try your gizmo for 60 days. If you're not completely satisfied ...' and so on."

Rieck offers these additional tips on how to get the most out of your guarantee:

** Make your guarantee visible. If it's a direct mail package, it can appear in the letter (especially near the end), brochure, the order form or order form stub (for the customer to keep), even separated as a stand-alone insert that looks valuable--the more places the better.

** State your guarantee in the strongest possible terms. Unconditionally Guaranteed. No-Risk Guarantee. 100 Percent Satisfaction Guarantee. No-Questions-Asked Guarantee. As long as it's believable and you can back it up, the stronger your words the better.

** Go beyond money back. How about "Double Your Money Back"? Or maybe, "We won't cash your check for 30 days" or "We'll return your own check to you" to ensure that the customer will never have money at risk?

** Strengthen your guarantee with a signature. Rieck says he designed a brochure with the guarantee right on the front cover. "I spelled out the guarantee clearly, included a picture of the company president and surrounded the guarantee with a certificate border. Then I had the president sign his name to it. The headline even referred to the personally guaranteed offer."

** Extend your guarantee for as long as possible. Instead of 30 or 60 days, how about a one-year guarantee? Or a lifetime guarantee? Short guarantee periods can prevent cancellations, but the reverse logic often works better. Give your subscribers loads of time and most will never cancel.

** Make your guarantee look official. Certificate borders, special paper, watermarks, icons like eagles and flags, dollar values in the corners and other touches strengthen the look of your guarantee. You can even create a seal or stamp with your basic guarantee copy in it.

** Offer a valuable bonus or keeper. For example, "If you don't like TaxSaver Newsletter, cancel and get a full refund and keep the Day Planner and mouse pad as our gift to you."

** Be specific about cancelling. Include a phone number and the name of a contact person for subscribers who have complaints.

Excerpted from DM News.

Dean Rieck is a direct mail copywriter, designer and consultant whose talents are informatively and entertainingly on display in his website article. "Yogi Berra's Tips on Direct Marketing."

2102 Brookhurst Ave., Columbus, OH 43229, 614-882-8823, www.DirectCreative.com

* Rieck writes, "The only offer better than promising to give your customer's money back is to never ask for money in the first place. So the free trial is THE Greatest Offer in the World."