You know the feeling.  The sinking feeling that starts in your chest and drops into your stomach.  The one you get when you realize that you paid hard-earned money for something that isn’t doing what you thought it would.  Maybe it was the pair of jeans that looked good in the store, but now that you brought them home, they just wouldn’t fit right.  Or maybe the electronic gadget that doesn’t make your life easier like the commercial said it would.  Whatever it was, you probably got a little mad, promising yourself that you wouldn’t be so stupid with your money again.

It’s important that you know that feeling well, because when you are in sales, every one of your customers is afraid of having that feeling.  At some point in your sales presentation, they are asking themselves this question, “Will I regret buying this?”

By being able to identify with that feeling, you can do everything possible to prevent it from happening for your buyer.  Here are a three ways to prevent buyer’s remorse:

1. Under-promise – Too many times we want to make big promises in our attempt to build value and get the sale.  Those over-extended promises can come back to bite you when the promise isn’t kept.  Deliberately underrepresent what your product or service can do so that when it over-performs, your customer is wowed.  This will make the product, and you, stand out in their mind.
2. Guarantee – Be willing to guarantee the work that you offer.  If your product or service has a guarantee, highlight that and use it to show the confidence the company has in its own performance.  If you don’t feel the company guarantee is enough, offer customers your own personal guarantee.  They are buying you as much as they are buying your products and services.  Be willing to stand behind anything you attach your name to.
3. Highlight negative possibilities – Is there a problem that might crop up down the line?  This might be the case when the customer is looking at a cheap solution that might not handle their long-term needs.  Tell your customers up front what might happen.  You aren’t selling them off of buying, but you are giving them the whole picture.  That way, if there is a problem down the line, instead of cursing you, they’ll be more likely to let you help solve their problem (because they’ll know it’s their fault, and not yours). 

When your customer is as happy months after their purchase as they are on the first day, you will see a lot of positive benefits.  This is how you can make referrals and repeat business a regular part of your business.  Remember, you don’t want to simply make a sale, you want to build a relationship.