Hello, dear readers! The ability to argue an opinion is a very important aspect when negotiating in business. And in general in communication, when we strive to achieve success, or simply gain recognition. Very often, brilliant ideas remain unrecognized only because their owner was unable to correctly convey their relevance and peculiarity to others.

Basic nuances of dialogue

1.Listen

Yes, yes, paradoxically, but first it is worth understanding what the opponent’s position is, what arguments he gives. Hear it, and only then there is a chance to be heard in response. Why am I talking about this? Yes, because by listening to another person, we show that we value his point of view and we are interested in his thoughts. This builds basic trust and reciprocal respect for your thoughts. If this does not happen, you can simply point out to the person that you listened carefully, and now it is important that he also be patient and show sensitivity towards you.

2.Give him the opportunity to talk

That is, don't interrupt. This will allow you to correctly understand the meaning that he is trying to convey. In addition, while he is formulating his point of view, you have the opportunity at this moment to carefully think through your arguments, which you will then give in response. This behavior will show others that you are a reasonable person who knows how to control yourself and is worthy of respect. After all, you must admit that by interrupting and reacting emotionally to his words, you will only bring the beginning of the conflict closer. Then both sides will take a defensive position, aggressively trying to prove their point, and the whole point of the dialogue will be lost.

3.Ask questions

With their help, the chance to understand your interlocutor correctly increases. And sometimes even lead him to believe that he is really mistaken. That is, noticing some inconsistencies, we ask direct questions, answering which, the opponent’s gaps and shortcomings become clear. And just at this moment you can begin to express your ideas, which at the moment, against the background of it, will have an advantage.

4. Clarity and clarity

This method can be used in the form of manipulation, talking to the opponent in order to confuse him and achieve recognition that he is right. But this is only in the case when you don’t have to intersect in the future or you don’t have an established relationship. Otherwise, this method can very easily ruin them.

5.Gestures and facial expressions

To give the desired message to the subconscious of your interlocutor, use open poses. I talked about them in the article. Then you will be able to influence him, recognize his true attitude to what was said and strengthen the trust that arose thanks to the manifestation of tact.

Sometimes it happens that two opponents try to defend their opinion and point of view, without hearing each other and without noticing that they are talking about the same thing. At the same time, they are both right, but they are so carried away by the dispute itself that they do not see the similarity of views. Now I will explain in more detail why this is so.

The fact is that, under the force of emotions or some other factors, a person perceives a picture, an event one-sidedly, in a plane, not noticing and rejecting the fact that in fact it is three-dimensional, in 3D format. And the same picture looks different from different sides.

For example: for someone on a sheet where a circle and a triangle are drawn, the circle is at the bottom, but for the person on the other side of the sheet, everything looks different, and for him there is a triangle at the bottom. So pay attention. Sometimes the truth is in each of your words, and such points should be taken into account before accusing them of ignorance or misunderstanding.

Don't get personal

For example, by insulting or giving negative characteristics. This will only increase the conflict and unwillingness to hear you. This only activates a completely natural impulse to defend. You want your interlocutor to come to a certain conclusion after communicating with you, and not just get angry and not want to have anything in common with you anymore?

Every person has the right to be different and have their own point of view

It arose as a result of life experience, any events and knowledge, the environment in which it is located. And if you do not respect his opinion, it will mean that you are devaluing all that past, thanks to which he came to such a conclusion. So pay attention to your words, how you start and address sentences. Words such as: “I heard you, but mine is a little different”, “I understand what you mean, it’s just that everything looks a little different for me, because...” "Thank you for explanation"…

Show your interest

If you are trying to be tactful and attentive, but the interlocutor does not do this, before you break down and “go into anger”, or zealously begin to prove your point, ask why he believes that the truth is only on his side, and he values ​​only his own opinion . After all, how can you understand why you are absolutely not heard if you don’t try to clarify it?

There are situations when the interlocutor is simply unpleasant and evokes negative emotions, so you want to provoke him into aggression. Sometimes, for various reasons, mainly due to the lateness of adolescence, a person chooses the position of always going against, and no matter what you say, he will support the opposite point of view.

Self confidence is very important

Because for your arguments to achieve their goals, it is important to believe not only in them, but also in your right to declare them. By intonation, when the speech is quiet and hesitating, it will be easy to “read” your uncertainty, and then they won’t even want to listen. Have you noticed that there are people in whose presence everyone around them becomes silent, and even thoughts do not allow them to interrupt their speech? Train your confidence, my article here will help you with this.

Technique "Yes"

Gradually, without being directive or aggressive, you can win your opponent over to your side with the help of one technique, a very simple one. Ask closed questions that have no way of answering other than “yes.” Just paraphrase each of his statements into a question, as if wondering: “Did I understand you correctly?”, “Did I hear correctly, you said that...? And the more he confirms your words, the sooner his subconscious will be rebuilt, and he will not perceive the information received from you so negatively. And when you feel the moment that he agrees with almost everything, present your point of view in the same way, different from his, then he will have no choice but to agree on this too.

Preparing the Arguments

If possible, prepare in advance and find options for arguments for each of your thesis. Just fantasize about what kind of doubts you can subject them to, and prepare answers to them, then you will cope brilliantly with any criticism, and will not be taken by surprise.

Classical rhetoric method

It can be especially useful when a dispute develops into a conflict. To do this, we agree with everything that has been said, and at the end, when the situation calms down a little and becomes more or less relaxed and calm, present your most powerful argument in opposition to what was said.

Practice arguing as often as possible

This will develop your skills in conducting constructive dialogue, as well as develop your intelligence. Indeed, at such moments, the so-called “brain storm” occurs, when all the energy is directed to the processes of thinking, searching for creative solutions and ideas. You develop and become more flexible in communication, receive new information, learn to see in 3D format and objectively assess various situations.

Conclusion

That's all for today, dear readers! Finally, I would like to recommend an article that describes interesting techniques on how you can influence the opinion of another person in order to persuade them to achieve the desired result. If you liked the article, add it to your social media. networks, the buttons are at the bottom. Bye bye.

4

Argumentation is the presentation of evidence, explanations, examples to substantiate any idea in front of listeners (readers) or an interlocutor.

Arguments are evidence given in support of a thesis: facts, examples, statements, explanations - in a word, everything that can confirm the thesis.

There are different types of arguments (logical, psychological, illustrative).

Logical arguments are arguments that appeal to human reason, to reason. These include:

Scientific axioms;

Provisions of laws and official documents;

Laws of nature, conclusions confirmed experimentally;

Eyewitness testimony;

Statistical data;

Examples from life or fiction.

Psychological arguments - These are arguments that evoke certain feelings, emotions in the addressee and form a certain attitude towards the person, object, or phenomenon being described. These include:

Emotional conviction of the writer;

Examples that evoke an emotional response from the addressee;

An indication of the positive or negative consequences of accepting the author's thesis;

Appeal to universal human moral values ​​(compassion, conscience, honor, duty, etc.).

Illustrative arguments. An important element of argumentation is illustrations, i.e. examples to support the argument.

Argument 1 Illustrations for argument 1 Argument 2 Illustrations for the argument 2

A person’s speech is an indicator of his intellectual and moral development. Indeed, sometimes speech “says” more about a person than his face, clothes and much more. For example, among my close friends there are no people whose speech is peppered with rude words. I am convinced that every such word carries a “negative charge”. And who would want to hear something offensive to the ears from a loved one? Let us at least remember Porfiry Golovlev, the hero of the novel by M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin “Lord Golovlevs”. Judas (that’s his nickname!) doesn’t use foul language at all; on the contrary, he uses “affectionate” diminutive words at every step (cabbage, lamp, butter, mama). However, throughout his speech, the hypocritical soul of a man for whom there is nothing more valuable than money and property is revealed. Thus, nothing characterizes a person better than his speech.

When refuting argumentation two options are possible:

1) you select two arguments that refute the truth of the author’s position, and in conclusion formulate a counterthesis (a thought opposite to the author’s);

2) formulating his own position on the problem, the writer puts forward a counterthesis and proves its truth with two arguments.

In this part of the work you must strictly follow the rules for constructing a reasoning text

The purpose of argumentation is to convince of something, to strengthen or change an opinion. For this, a logically coherent system of evidence is used.

A typical (complete) argument is built according to a scheme in which three parts are distinguished:

Thesis (a position that needs to be proven);

Argumentation (evidence, arguments);

Conclusion (overall).

However, you should remember that you are required not only to formulate the author’s position, but to show his opinion on the issue you have highlighted and commented on.

The thesis is the main idea of ​​the author of the text, which must be substantiated, proven or refuted. Arguments are evidence given in support of a thesis: facts, examples, statements, explanations - in a word, everything that can confirm the thesis. From the thesis to the arguments, you can ask the question “Why?”, and the arguments answer: “Because...”. There are arguments “for” (one’s own thesis) and arguments “against” someone else’s thesis. Thus, if you agree with the author’s position, then his thesis and your thesis coincide. Please note that you should try not to repeat the author’s arguments used in the text, but bring your own.

A typical mistake of all essay writers is that if you support the author’s position, then there is no point in analyzing his arguments. Such work is not provided for by the terms of the assignment, which means there is no need to spend precious time on it. The arguments in favor should be:

Accessible, simple, understandable;

Reflecting objective reality, consistent with common sense.

Criterion 4 states: The examinee expressed his opinion on the problem formulated by him, posed by the author of the text (agreeing or disagreeing with the position of the author), argued it (gave at least 2 arguments, one of which is taken from fiction, journalistic or scientific literature)

Citing arguments from the lives of others, you can write:

I remember once my mother (father, grandmother, friend, acquaintance, etc.) told how...

It seems to me that this case convinces us that (remember what author’s position you outlined, show that this example is proof of it).

If you use your own conclusions and observations as an argument. You can use these phrases:

Of course, my life experience is still very small, but nevertheless, something similar happened in my life:

OR: Despite my rather modest life experience, I remember a similar situation when I (my friend, classmate, acquaintance) ...

Traditional historical experience allows you to refer to the authoritative opinion of some outstanding person, which will make your argument quite strong.

Links to authority. It is often beneficial for the persuader to turn to a “third party” - to refer to the opinion of an authoritative public figure, scientist, specialist in any field, to mention a proverb, a saying, appealing to folk wisdom. The strength of such arguments is that by using them we appeal to the collective stock of knowledge, which is always greater than that of individuals.

A “third party” may be a specific or general person, or a group of persons. The name of a person is usually accompanied by additional characteristics: famous Russian writer, outstanding scientist, philosopher and so on. For example: Prominent civil rights activist Martin Luther King taught that...; The brilliant Russian scientist D.I. Mendeleev once said that...; Peter 1 also said that...; Any historian will tell you that...; Most doctors believe that...; As established by Japanese scientists... etc.

Now about the reading experience.

Appeal to the reader's experience is the strongest argument of an essay. But you need to refer to it if you remember well both the author of the book and the work itself, in order to avoid factual errors.

For example: What does it mean to be a highly moral person? It seems to me that a moral person is one who strives to become better and not hurt other people. There are many examples of the desire to “be quite good” in Russian classical literature. Let us remember the heroes of the novel “War and Peace” by Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy. Andrei Bolkonsky, Pierre Bezukhov, Natasha Rostova... They all strived to become better, kinder, cleaner...

When will you contact to Russian classical literature, remember this rule: do not allow expressions like Alexander Pushkin, or, speaking, let’s say, about

M.I. Tsvetaeva, you can’t call her Marina; speaking about the heroes of a literary work, call them as the author does (Evgeny Bazarov, but not Zhenya, Tatyana Larina, but not Tanya, Katerina (from “The Thunderstorm”), but not Ekaterina. Correctness and accuracy must be observed, otherwise you will lose points according to criteria K 11, K 12.

When working with that part of the essay in which you will argue for your opinion, you can use the following scheme:

Indeed, everyone _________________________________________________________________

Since, firstly, ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________

Secondly, ___________________________________________________________________.

And finally, ___________________________________________________________________.

Thus, ________________________________________________________________

Use introductory words and sentences in your essay that reflect your point of view: n and my opinion, I am convinced, it seems to me, in my opinion, undoubtedly, is beyond doubt; perhaps I am mistaken, but I will allow myself to express my own vision of the problem, etc.

You can also use the following expressions:

NNopened for me a new perspective on the problem..., helped me take a new look at....

As if he repeated my thoughts about..., expressed feelings close to me about... etc.

Having finished that part of the essay in which you presented your own argumentation, expressing agreement or disagreement with the position of the author, DO NOT FORGET TO Draw a CONCLUSION, WRITE A CONCLUSION TO THE ESSAY.

Various composition options are possible. However, it is best to organize the work in accordance with the criteria by which it will be checked:

1. Introduction.

2. Formulation of the problem.

5. Your opinion (agree/disagree with the author’s position).

6. First argument.

7. Second argument.

All parts of the work must be interconnected and flow smoothly into one another. To do this, it is necessary to determine the course of development of thought, to think through the logical transitions between parts. Each part should start on a new line. The lack of connections between paragraphs is a typical shortcoming in essays, for which points are deducted according to the K5 criterion. In addition, typical errors include deviations from the Topic, disproportion of parts, violation of the sequence of presentation of thoughts, lack of connection between sentences.

We are working on the introduction

It is important to remember that the main purpose of the introduction is to lead to the formulation of the problem. This can be done in various ways.

Argumentation of your own opinion on the problem.

What is an argument?

In the essay, you must express your opinion on the formulated problem, agreeing or disagreeing with the position of the author, as written in the assignment of part C. In your answer, you must give two arguments, based on knowledge, life or reading experience.

note

It is not enough to just formally state your opinion: I agree (disagree) with the author. Your position, even if it coincides with the author’s, must be formulated in a separate sentence.

For example: Thus, the author seeks to convey to the reader the idea that nature has long been in need of the help of each of us. I completely agree with the author and also believe that humanity should reconsider its consumer attitude towards nature.

Your position must then be supported by two arguments. In this part of the work, you must strictly follow the rules for constructing a reasoning text. Argumentation is the presentation of evidence, explanations, examples to substantiate any idea in front of listeners (readers) or an interlocutor.

Arguments are evidence given in support of a thesis: facts, examples, statements, explanations - in a word, everything that can confirm the thesis.

Illustrating the argument

An important element of argumentation is illustrations, i.e. examples that support the argument.

Argument collection:

Arguments worth two points

Types of arguments

There are different classifications of arguments. For example, there are logical arguments - these are arguments that appeal to human reason, to reason (scientific axioms, laws of nature, statistical data, examples from life and literature), and psychological arguments - arguments that evoke certain feelings, emotions in the addressee and form a certain attitude towards the person, object, phenomenon being described (the emotional conviction of the writer, appeal to universal human values, etc.).

The main thing that the essay writer should know is that the arguments you use “have different weights,” that is, they are assessed with different points.

Some arguments are worth one point, while others are worth two.

Please note that arguments worth two points always include a reference to the author and title of the work. In addition, when talking about a literary text, it is not enough to simply mention the author and the title of the work ( L.N. Tolstoy reflects on the problem of patriotism in the novel “War and Peace”), you must also indicate specific characters, their actions, words, thoughts that demonstrate the connection of the work of art you mention with the problem discussed in the source text.

For example: M. Gorky wrote very emotionally and expressively about the problem of humanism in his story “The Old Woman Izergil.” Danko, the hero of one of the legends, sacrificed his life to save his people. He appeared just when people needed help, and led them, desperate and embittered, through the forest to freedom. The feat of Danko, who tore his heart out of his chest to illuminate the path to freedom, is a stunning example of true humanism and boundless love for people.

Proverbs, sayings, and aphorisms can be considered as an argument, worth 2 points, but only if they are accompanied by explanations and your reflections on their content. For example: It is no coincidence that folk wisdom affirms the unconditional value of friendship: “Do not have a hundred rubles, but have a hundred friends”; “An old friend is better than two new ones”, “Look for a friend, and if you find him, take care of him”... Indeed, true friends are ready to share grief and joy with you, to come to the rescue in difficult times. It is friends who make us understand that we are not alone in this world.

It must be said that any example from fiction, scientific or journalistic literature should be “framed” by your reasoning, emphasizing the connection of the given example with the problem you are considering.

When giving an example from journalistic literature, also do not forget, in addition to the author’s surname, to indicate the title of the note, article, essay and, if possible, the name of the publication in which this material was published.

TV journalist Oleg Ptashkin reflects on the problem of the influence of television on modern Russian society in his article “Trash-TV”, published on the website www.gazeta.ru. According to the author, modern television in Russia is experiencing an acute crisis - a crisis of ideas and meaning. Those who create television programs do not think at all about the public benefit. The journalist is concerned that modern media propagate lack of spirituality and immorality, teaching people the idea that a normal life for the sake of family, children, and success at work is the lot of losers. The author is convinced that the main task of modern television is education: it should teach people to honor family, parents, and cultural traditions. Only then will television contribute to the revival of spirituality.

Everything that was said earlier also applies to examples from the scientific literature.

People who do not give in to life's difficulties, who boldly face the truth, are the masters of their destiny. Historian Lev Gumilyov in his work “Ethnogenesis and the Biosphere of the Earth” called such people passionaries. Among them are many great historical figures, famous military leaders, fighters for freedom and human rights, and each of them contributed to the development of society.

In search of compelling arguments, some students boldly come up with the names of “famous publicists” or the titles of non-existent works, sometimes attributing them to famous writers. For example: In one of his works, “Nature,” the Russian writer I. S. Turgenev reflects on the relationship between nature and man.

The critic Belinsky in his article “On Humanity” wrote that people should help each other.

You can also cite as an example the story of A. Pristavkin “The War of Russians and Chechens.”

Rest assured: all such “opuses” will be classified as factual errors, which means that you will not only not earn points for argumentation, but will also lose 1 point for violating factual accuracy.

Arguments worth one point

Arguments rated 1 point are, as a rule, easier to select, and therefore their “specific weight” is lower. Most of them in one way or another rely on our life experience, our observations of our lives, the lives of other people or society as a whole.

Examples from life. Despite the fact that the graduate’s life experience is not yet very great, in his life or the lives of others you can find examples of good or bad deeds, manifestations of friendly feelings, honesty, kindness or callousness, selfishness.

Be careful with this type of argument because, in our experience of checking essays, most of them are simply made up by students and the persuasiveness of such arguments is highly questionable. For example:

I have seen from my own experience the dangers of cheap literature. After one of these books, I got a severe headache. This a book about a failed thief. Terrible nonsense! Indeed, I was afraid that I would get brain cancer after reading this book. Terrible feeling!

Let me give you an example from my personal life: people are sitting on the street without shelter, without food, absolutely without anything. They sit and ask for money for some food.

Unfortunately, my limited life experience does not allow me to express my broad opinion on this issue.

Especially often in such grief-arguments, various relatives, friends and acquaintances appear, with whom extremely instructive stories happen. For example:

I know one person who ignored (?!) the illness and death of his father. Now his children are not helping him.

My grandfather told me that his dad was in the detachment in 1812 (?!) when troops under the command of Napoleon began to attack Moscow.

A good example of the problem with this text are some of my classmates. Obviously, they were raised too little, and they were not accustomed to work from childhood, so they do nothing.

Much less common are examples from life that can be considered suitable arguments:

I became convinced that there are not only indifferent people. Two years ago, trouble came to our family - there was a fire. Relatives, neighbors, acquaintances and even just people who knew about our misfortune helped us as best they could. I am very grateful to everyone who did not remain indifferent and helped me and my family in difficult times.

Observations of the lives of people and society as a whole look more convincing, since individual facts in such examples are generalized and drawn up in the form of certain conclusions:

I believe that empathy and compassion are instilled in people from childhood. If a child was surrounded by care and affection, then, as he grows up, he will give this goodness to others.

However, arguments of this type may look curious and not the most convincing:

Probably all mothers and grandmothers are fond of women's novels. Women read all sorts of books, and then suffer from why theirs is not the same as in the book.

Speculative examples are thoughts about what might happen under certain conditions:

I can’t imagine my life without books: without textbooks that help us understand the world, without fiction, revealing the secrets of human relationships and forming moral values. Such a life would be incredibly poor and boring.

“Blind faith has evil eyes,” the Polish writer Stanislaw Jerzy Lec once accurately remarked.

Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky reflected on the essence of literary talent: “Talent is the ability to say or express well where mediocrity will say and express poorly.” “For others, nature is firewood, coal, ore, or a dacha, or just a landscape. For me, nature is the environment from which, like flowers, all our human talents grew,” wrote Mikhail Prishvin.

Remember that the persons whose statements you refer to must actually be authorities in a particular field. For example, the Dutch philosopher Benedict Spinoza generally doubted the significance of such arguments and believed that “a reference to authority is not an argument.”

At their core, proverbs and sayings are a type of reference to authority. The strength of these arguments lies in the fact that we appeal to the authority of folk wisdom. Remember that a simple mention of proverbs, sayings, and catchwords, not accompanied by your reflections on their content, is scored 1 point.

It is no coincidence that Russian proverbs affirm the value of the experience of older generations: “A parent’s word is not spoken to the wind; He who honors his parents will never perish.”

References to films, which have recently been frequently found in essays, most often indicate a narrow outlook and little reading experience. We are convinced that examples of friendship, humane treatment of people or heroic deeds can always be found not only in the films “Avatar” or “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” but also on the pages of works of art.

It seems to me that the fate of the heroine of V. Menshov’s film “Moscow Doesn’t Believe in Tears” can serve as an excellent confirmation of the author’s idea that a person should strive to realize his dreams. Katerina worked in a factory, raised a child herself, graduated from college in absentia and, as a result, achieved success - she became director of the plant. Thus, each of us has the power to achieve our dreams. It is only necessary to bring its implementation closer with every step, with every action.

(It may be noted that confirmation of the author’s thoughts could be found in the fate of Alexander Grigoriev, the hero of V. Kaverin’s novel “Two Captains”, or cite the example of Alexei Meresyev from the work of B. Polevoy “The Tale of a Real Man”, or recall Assol from story of the same name by A. Green.)

Argument structure

When writing an essay, you should remember that between the thesis and two arguments confirming your position, there should be a clear connection, which is usually expressed by so-called “logical transitions” - statements connecting known information in the text with new information. In addition, each argument is accompanied by a “micro-conclusion” - a statement that sums up some thoughts.

Failure to comply with this structure (in essence, any paragraph of coherent text is built according to this scheme) often leads to logical errors.

Typical Argumentation Errors

What does the expert check?

The expert highlights that part of the essay text that performs the function of argumentation. Then he establishes the correspondence of the argument to the asserted (the argument must prove exactly what is asserted), assesses the degree of persuasiveness, which can manifest itself both in strict logic and in emotional evaluation and figurative expression.

The expert determines the number of arguments, as well as the correspondence of the argument to the semantic function: the given example should not just act as a vivid narrative or descriptive microtext, but prove or disprove this or that statement.

The maximum score (3) for criterion K4 is given for work in which the examinee expressed his opinion on the problem he formulated (agreeing or disagreeing with the position of the author), gave reasons for it (gave at least 2 arguments, one of which is taken from fiction, journalistic or scientific literature).

Denis Kaplunov Chapter from the book “Effective commercial proposal. Comprehensive Guide"
Publishing house "Mann, Ivanov and Ferber"

Working with price is a very important element of a commercial proposal, because the price is measured in money, which at the time of reading is in the client’s pocket. He decides whether he should say goodbye to them. Regardless of which offer you use, you should clearly understand that any price needs to be justified.

When you leave a reader with a one-on-one price, there is a high risk that you will lose him. Because with such a step you force him to figure it out on his own - is this thing worth that kind of money? Any person prefers not to make unnecessary purchases, because everyone has a limited budget.

If we buy something, it means we will have to give up something. Reasoning for the price is important because you yourself suggest why the purchase is profitable and attractive. Your direct task is to explain to the client why this thing costs exactly that much. Argumentation is often also called “selling” the price.

Is price necessary in a commercial proposal?

Price is one of the key elements of an offer. It shows how profitable the deal is and gives food for thought. And I asked this question because I often came across commercial offers that completely lacked information about the price. Then what is this proposal? This is a kind of Effective commercial proposal with a noble intention, which can be presented in the form of the following humorous structure:

1. Hello!
2. We are serious guys, we have a lot of clients, and we have the most highly qualified employees.
3. We have a cool product and we want to offer mutually beneficial cooperation.
4. Because we have good prices and discounts for regular customers.
5. If you are interested in our offer, call us.

Businessmen prefer specifics. Without a price, they can’t make a decision, but call you and ask - what did you do to deserve it? Your “nice prices” are nothing to the client, because, sorry, it’s not up to you to decide how pleasant they really are.

People don't list prices because they're afraid. This is fear, and fear is always felt. That's what the reader thinks - if they didn't indicate the price, then something is wrong. What fears am I talking about? First of all, the fear is that customers will find the price unaffordable. That is why it should be justified.

The second fear is that indicating a price in a commercial proposal may lead to competitors finding out about it. Funny. If a competitor wants to know the price, he will find a way to do it. The simplest and most common option is to call you and introduce yourself as a potential client.

Such authors believe: a commercial offer needs to interest the client so that he calls himself, and already in the process of negotiations he will be made happy with the price. Why call him if he hasn’t read anything specific? If he calls on every such offer, it will take half his working day. Don't be afraid of your prices. It is a myth that people prefer to buy cheap goods. Think about how to present the price as effectively and convincingly as possible so that the client is satisfied with the purchase.

Lack of a fixed price is a problem

Sometimes I come across companies that like to veil the price behind the phrase “it depends on...”. How then to make a commercial proposal? So should I write to the client? Remember the car dealerships where they give us a price list, where several prices are set for the same car model depending on the configuration. The buyer immediately sees what is included in this or that version - he has food for thought.

The most telling example is repair crews. They have a fixed fee for a specific job. But the cost of all repairs is affected by construction and consumables. Some people want expensive tiles, while others are happy with a cheaper option. But this does not affect the price of repair work.

If you have a complex tariff schedule, where the price depends on many parameters, simplify it as much as possible, otherwise you will someday get confused and lose revenue. Remember this expression - “transparent prices”? This is when everything is extremely accessible and understandable. I was once offered to consider one office option. When I arrived, I noticed that the layout of the room was exactly the same as in my office. Even the linoleum is almost the same.

And when they named the price, I was surprised. Twice what I paid in rent. The buildings are a kilometer apart. At the same time, the word “exclusivity” was uttered: they say, the building is new. If I had been offered a room on a high floor with a beautiful panoramic view of the river and a small balcony, I would have understood, and then the “exclusivity” would not have been so jarring.

But let's return to fixed prices. If you have floating price tags, develop several versions of the product or several types of tariffs for your services. And argue what the difference is. It will be extremely clean, understandable, and transparent.

And if you also indicate which option is in greatest demand, you will increase your sales figures. People like to make choices based on the majority principle. Some cunning people even develop additional versions for the “dummy” in order to sell a more expensive (or cheaper) version.

Don't be afraid to quote fixed prices. On the contrary, their absence will arouse suspicion among the client. He will think that you want to get more money from him than from the other buyer.

Everyone has their own $100

Some earn them in a month, some in a day, and others in a couple of hours. Some people have a lot of time to search for goods at a lower price, but others don’t. Reasonable people understand that an hour of searching for a product a couple of dollars cheaper robs them of an hour of work during which they could earn ten dollars. Economic efficiency does not come into play here. Therefore, it is easier and more profitable to pay here and now.

Sales practitioners will confirm that the buyer makes a decision about the objectivity of the price based on how you argue and present it. Initially, it might seem overpriced to him, but after talking with you, the client understands that the price is actually good and he needs to buy this product today, otherwise it will suddenly become more expensive tomorrow.

Remember - the concepts of “price” and “value” are nearby. Price is just a number, but value is your skill as a seller. Returning to the topic of the office offered to me: the sellers could say that it is always quiet there, the entrance is guarded, there is convenient parking, the building is set to alarm at night, office salespeople are not allowed on the floors, and much more useful things to show the value. If you offer a product that others have, the customer may already have an opinion on how much it should cost. The main guideline is the price of competitors. A simple example: in all restaurants in the city the cost of a cup of Americano coffee is between $1–1.5. And then you offer it for $10. The client’s first question: “Why is it so expensive?”

Notice that he does not turn around and leave, but only asks. And his “expensive” means “more expensive than others.” This suggests that he is ready to buy coffee if you prove to him the value of your offer.

The cheaper the better?

Many people believe: the cheaper it is, the worse the quality. The opposite point of view is that the cheaper, the better. Let's take an example - Chinese cars. Yes, their price is lower compared to European, American, Japanese and even Korean cars.

If you follow the logic “the cheaper, the better,” then every second car on the roads would be Chinese. But if you look closely, there are no more than 10–15%. Are you still not rich enough to buy cheap things? How often do you see expensive cars on the roads? Much more often than Chinese cars, right? A low price results in an equally low value. Yes, there are always people for whom low price is the main criterion for purchasing. But does such an audience attract you? The main guideline is different: affordable price - good quality.

The only way is to offer a lower price than your competitors. Then your price has attractive value.

What if the price is the same?

This is an interesting question. It is much more difficult to successfully sell products at the same price as competitors. Even cooler - more expensive. This is where competent copywriting is important.

A simple example is minibuses. The fare is the same, but people prefer to board a brand new bus with comfortable seats rather than lumber around in a falling apart GAZelle with a smoky interior and a chanson of two hundred decibels. Passengers are willing to wait at a stop for several minutes, just to avoid getting into such an “armored personnel carrier,” which could break down somewhere along the way. What to do if the price is the same? Let's return to our “hot spots”. If you remember, price is only one of the criteria for making a decision. There are others. For example, you could offer:

• a little more product;
• faster service;
• shorter service delivery time;
• additional service;
• a more convenient form of payment.

And if you offer all this together, your offer will become mega-attractive. Try it and you will immediately see the result. I somehow came across a commercial offer for a taxi service for corporate clients.

Read:

1. Only comfortable foreign cars under 5 years old.
2. Car delivery within 15 minutes.
3. Professional drivers with a minimum of 7 years of experience.
4. Any music to choose from - rock, chanson, jazz, disco and even classics.
5. Silent drivers who don’t ask unnecessary questions.
6. The cars are equipped with navigators to take you to the desired point as quickly as possible.
7. Drivers drive carefully and do not violate traffic rules.
8. Smoking or non-smoking salon - your choice.
9. Cashless payments are possible.

That's all. Here is a ready-made commercial offer for you. Add a title, develop a lead, introduce our taxi service, insert the specified numbered list, enter the price. For effect, you can use an additional offer: “Every tenth kilometer is free.” Or: “Each passenger gets a bottle of mineral water.” And your commercial offer already has special value.

How to justify a high price?

Many marketers and copywriters often cite David Ogilvy as an example: “The higher the price, the more desirable the product becomes in the eyes of the buyer.” Who said people don't buy expensive goods? Expensive is a confirmation of level and status. We have expensive things in our wardrobe. We love to visit expensive establishments at least once every few weeks.

It is in this segment that an unbreakable stereotype has settled: expensive means high quality. We buy expensive shoes so that they last us as long as possible, and not fall apart in a month. But there is one nuance here - we do not buy the most expensive in principle, but the most expensive that we can afford. The concept of adequacy has not yet been canceled.

A high price attracts attention and makes you want to buy. A person may even save money for several months to afford such a purchase. An expensive product is not a household necessity, it is a goal. And to achieve it, the buyer is ready to go to great lengths. But he must make sure his sacrifices are worth it. Many entrepreneurs are stopped by the idea of ​​selling expensive goods; they prefer selling small items. For what? In the market for expensive goods there is always a client, there are fewer competitors - it is easier to stand out among them, and your status as a seller will be strengthened.

Beginning copywriters often come to me asking how to earn more. They are unable to raise prices for their services; they think that by doing so they will scare away customers. Now that I work in a high price range, I can say that the phrase “every product has its own buyer” was not said in vain. Only here the question is one of desire - how much do you want to earn more? And what are you ready to do for this?

When I asked novice copywriters a counter question: “Why are you ready to work for N rubles?”, they answered me: “Almost everyone works at that price.” That is, instead of thinking about how to stand out and how to confirm their price, they only had a desire. Yes, not everyone is great at marketing and personal branding, but if we didn’t know how to tie our shoelaces as children, we learned to do it. Why don't we want to learn the art of price justification? I can imagine a customer asking the authors a similar question. What intelligible answer will they give - with justification for the price? Especially if the price is above average. Desire alone will not get you far; you need to look for arguments.

Here are a few factors that help justify high prices for a copywriter:

1. Rich work experience.
2. Extensive experience in a particular genre or topic.
3. Special knowledge and experience in a specific field of activity.
4. Excellent examples of work.
5. High positions in the ranking of authors.
6. Victory in competitions.
7. The result that his texts brought to clients.
8. Work in tandem with a professional editor.
9. Money back guarantee if the client finds an error.
10. Agreement to revise the text if the customer considers that adjustments need to be made.
11. Special bonuses - for example, recommendations for the design of text on its medium, an audit of other texts, or several texts for contextual advertising ads as a gift.
12. A detailed explanation of what is included in the work - for example, studying the product, competitors, finding differences, creating an offer.
13. Offering several options for the same text so that the client tests them and chooses the most effective one.

Even from this list you can see how you can work on justifying and justifying the price. Imagine a client asking you: “Why this particular price?” And make the rationale in advance, without waiting for questions. Write down all possible arguments, and then organize them, and then your arguments will look mature.

Joke:

A man comes into a children's toy store to look for a gift for his daughter. Having carefully examined the assortment, he asks the consultant:

Why does a simple Barbie doll cost 300 rubles, and a divorced one - 900 rubles?

This is understandable: divorced Barbie comes complete with Ken's house and Ken's car!

I noticed one thing - when you start arguing your price, pressing the right “levers,” customers and clients begin to treat you more respectfully. It happened that when a client mentioned the name of a competitor, some would throw mud at him, thereby proving that they were better. Is this professional? This behavior is repulsive.

And now we will look at specific tactics for justifying the price in order to create in the client the value of your offer.

Show cost effectiveness

For many people, the purchasing process is associated with costs. Your job is to change their minds from “cost” to “investment.” Costs are losses, investments are gains in the future. Did you buy this book with the cost or investment in mind? You expect that the investment will help you hone your skills and create more effective commercial proposals that will bring you money. Purchasing this book is a one-time investment to gain access to knowledge that will help you in your work.

A businessman understands that you can make money if you invest money. Therefore, look for opportunities to frame the purchase of your product or service as an investment in the future. Go beyond simple assurances and paint a clear picture of a brighter tomorrow.

Businessmen who attended my seminars and master classes wrote me letters of gratitude. This means their investment was worth it. They no longer hire a copywriter; they themselves learn the intricacies of preparing selling texts. As they say, whoever wanted it took it. Let's consider a service such as accounting support for private entrepreneurs. Representatives of medium and small businesses do not always need the services of a full-time accountant to make an effective commercial proposal.

But if we do accounting ourselves, then we will encounter, for example, this:

• filling out and submitting reports;
• monitoring the latest innovations in accounting;
• visiting various foundations and waiting in queues (sometimes you can spend a whole day on this);
• payment of fees and taxes in banks;
• changing old documents to new ones.

I also did all this on my own, and then I decided that this could not continue. Today I delegate the entire amount of work to a specialist: I have a remote accountant working for me for a nominal fee, and I am sure that everything is filled out correctly, paid on time, and changed in accordance with the new rules. And I devote time to direct work. And I earn much more than I pay for accounting services. Why did I make this intro? To lead you to a text block that justifies the price.

$30 per month.

1. Your accounting documents are compiled in accordance with all necessary rules.
2. We promptly respond to all changes and innovations, adapting your documents to the new rules. Recently, many entrepreneurs paid a $55 fine for forgetting to file a small report that was entered by the tax authorities. A number of documents were not accepted simply because they were drawn up in violation of the rules. And this is all a waste of time and money. With us you will never have such troubles. Just calculate how much time and money you will save if you delegate this work to us. For only $30, that is for $1 per day.

The phrase “The cost of our services is $30” is much more effective. The price argument looks more convincing if you are talking about savings. It is enough to show in figures the effectiveness of investments and calculate the payback period. And then the price will appear to the client in a more attractive light.

Split the price to a minimum

People like it when the price is minimal. Your task is to split the main figure in such a way as to reach its minimum level. Let’s repeat the text block for the accounting firm’s commercial proposal: Such troubles will never happen with us. Just count the time and money. You will save money if you delegate this work to us. For only $30, that is, $1 per day.

Now the client is not thinking about thirty dollars, but about one. And as practice shows, it is easier to convince a client to part with one dollar than with thirty. Let's consider another example - a commercial proposal for lingerie stores for the purpose of advertising in a women's magazine:

From 5,000 rubles we dropped to 1 ruble or less. Ultimately, our store does not need advertising, it wants to attract new customers. We are talking about the advertising effect: less than 1 ruble per potential buyer, and we have 7,000 of them. Such a commercial proposal can safely begin with the phrase: Are you willing to pay 1 rub. for one new customer?

Decipher the price in detail

Remember about the car wash, where we leave the car and don’t know exactly what the procedure involves? We see the end result and pay for it. But this is a household necessity - and costs ridiculous money. When large sums are involved, people do not part with money so quickly.

Do you know situations when a client, after announcing the price, asks: “What does it include?” The client wants to understand what he is paying for. He doesn't know what is included in the service. Or he knows from the words of your competitors and wants to clarify. He needs to weigh and decide whether the price is adequate.

For example, the service “registration of a private entrepreneur” includes:

1. Initial consultation.
2. Preparation of the necessary package of documents.
3. Obtaining a certificate of registration of a private entrepreneur.
4. Registration with tax authorities.
5. Registration with funds.
6. Making a seal.
7. Assistance in opening a bank account.

A completely different effect is when you accompany the general phrase “The cost of registration will be _______” with a decoding of the entire scope of work.

By the way, in this case you can also show how important it is to arrange everything correctly, that you can speed up the registration procedure. The client understands that if he does the registration himself, he will lose a lot of time. It’s much easier to pay and get everything turnkey in a few days.

Somehow I came across an interesting example of detailing. A document from the private clinic “Ladisten”, which (in principle) can be called a commercial proposal. Newborn baby care program. It involves monitoring the child’s health during the first year of his life. The price of the service is 12,000 hryvnia per year, which is approximately $1,500, that is, $125 per month. A detailed breakdown of all procedures for each month is given.

Look at what is included in the third month's observation.

1. Examination and consultation with an orthopedist.
2. X-ray of the hip joints.
3. Examination and consultation with a neurologist.
4. Examination and consultation with a surgeon.
5. General blood analysis.
6. 6. General urine analysis.
7. General stool analysis.
8. Examination, consultation and conclusion of a pediatrician based on the results of examination and laboratory diagnostics, recommendations.

Isn't that a great example? Young parents keep this document in their hands and turn it into a kind of checklist, where they will tick boxes for completing a specific procedure so as not to forget anything and do everything in the correct sequence. If a client wants to create an online store, then the price of, say, $2000 may surprise him (especially if he is not familiar with these issues). And you decipher what is included in creating an online store.

1. Website home page design.
2. Design of the internal catalog page.
3. Product description page design.
4. Layout.
5. Development of a horizontal menu.
6. Creation of a catalog and heading of goods.
7. Option to sort products according to required characteristics.
8. Creating a registration option.
9. Creating the "Cart" module.
10. Development of an order management system in the administrative panel.
11. Creating a quick product purchase module without the need for registration...

When you outline the scope of work, the opinion about the price of $2000 becomes different. Let me give you an example from the book “Copywriting of Mass Destruction”: detailing the work of the Deaction design studio. The cost of creating a website for them is 30,000 rubles. They valued each individual part at a specific amount. For example, developing a logo - 3,000 rubles, filling a website with information - 2,000 rubles. and so on. They wrote down 30,000 points, and the customer understands why creating a website costs “so much money.”

Use indirect comparisons

Comparison is a powerful persuasion technique. Representatives of NLP especially love him. When a potential client makes a decision about the profitability of your offer, he always compares something with something:

• price with its capabilities;
• price with competitors' prices;
• in the “investment - profit” system;
• to save time.

The client has countless similar comparisons, because everyone is used to thinking in their own way. Our task is not to wait until the client thinks about something that is not in our favor. I have often met sales managers who immediately compare themselves to their competitors by naming specific names. There is no need to do this: it is at least unethical, at most unprofessional. Try to approach differently.

The first option is to compare the cost of your product or service with an alternative offer and show that your option is more acceptable:

The cost of the “mystery shopping” service is 7,000 rubles.

This is even less than the wages of workers whose results you are dissatisfied with. They don't earn their wages. One month.

Second... How long will you wait?

On the other hand, a mystery shopper will give you a clear idea of ​​how clients see you from the outside. What turns them off from making a purchase? Why are they visitors but not buyers?

The example is simple, but very illustrative. On the one hand, the employer can continue to employ employees who do not produce results. On the other hand, he can find out once and for all what is preventing them from providing quality service to customers and increasing sales figures.

Show your client a hero

I transferred this technique to copywriting from direct sales, from experience working with clients one-on-one. I tested it several times in sales texts and commercial proposals and I can say that such tactics when justifying the price give results. Have you watched the Hollywood film “Enemy at the Gates” about the fate of the Soviet sniper Vasily Zaitsev? His role was played by the famous actor Jude Law. I remembered a phrase that instantly lit a light bulb in my imagination: “The people need a hero.” I don’t remember it verbatim, but I conveyed the essence. What am I getting at? We often need an object to emulate. Nobody wants to take the first risk. It’s easier to let someone else do it and watch from the side what they can do. If it works out, you can do it; if not, it’s good that you didn’t burn out. This is how man is made. This can (and should) be used in sales.

Don't limit yourself to a description of a product or service - tell a potential buyer a story of how another person solved their difficulties with the help of this product or service and achieved success.

Show the buyer the same simple client, with similar tasks and difficulties. The client should see himself in this hero and want to repeat his successful fate. Let's return once again to the example of remote accounting services:

Cost of accounting services for private entrepreneurs - $30 per month.

1. Your accounting documents are always compiled in accordance with all necessary rules.
2. Reports are submitted on time (and you do not need to travel anywhere or stand in queues).
3. We pay your fees and taxes from the money you allocate.
4. We promptly respond to all changes and innovations, adapting your documents to the new rules. Recently, many entrepreneurs paid a $55 fine for forgetting to file a small report that was entered by the tax authorities. A number of documents were not accepted simply because they were drawn up in violation of the rules. And this is all a waste of time and money. We will never have such troubles. Just calculate how much time and money you will save if you delegate this work to us. For only $30, that is for $1 per day.

Now let’s talk about the same thing, only using the “hero” tactics:

Is it worth $30?

Let us take as an example one of our clients, private entrepreneur Ivanov I.I., who at first refused to use this service. A few weeks later he returned, concluded an agreement with us, and this is how he justified his decision:

1. The queue at the tax office is 3.5 hours.
2. When his turn came, they didn’t accept his documents, citing an error in filling them out, they told him to redo them and bring them tomorrow (queue again) + they asked him to take a pack of blank paper with him as voluntary help.
3. He did not submit the new report form (he did not know that it took effect) and paid a fine of $55. And again a pack of paper as voluntary help.
4. Running around with money to banks to pay all payments and fees.

This lasted several weeks that the client will never forget. Now imagine that an audit comes to you and reveals inaccuracies in your accounting. Here a pack of paper won’t help. On the other hand, only $30 a month, and you forget about these troubles, knowing that everything is fine with accounting.

Naturally, the justification turned out to be cumbersome. I wanted you to feel the power of this technique. Well, you yourself can reduce the text to the optimal volume, because you have this book in your hands.

And think about what the impression will be if we add a mass effect to our reception: “Ivanov I. I. is just one example. Now 374 entrepreneurs have realized the benefits of this form of service.” Again - not “more than 350” or not “more than 370”, but “374” - such a number is specific and inspires confidence. And if you really have a round number, it is better to reduce it by one or two units: not “400”, but “398”.

The client finds out that he is not the first (the first is a risk), but the 375th. This means that the proposal really deserves attention. You can try at least one reporting quarter and decide for yourself how profitable and convenient it is.

Play “constructor” with the client

As children, we all loved collecting construction sets. I remember mine, Soviet-made - with metal parts from which cranes, towers, airplanes were made... And parents get no less pleasure when they build new compositions with their kids.

In my blog “Copywriting from A to U” I wrote a selling text for such a constructor:

A new children's construction set from the past with 181 parts and more than 70 assembly options - for only $15!
Tank, crane, helicopter, fire truck, combine harvester, etc.
Each design is two hours of exciting and useful time for your child!
Minimum 140 hours of entertainment for just $15.
Are you ready to give your child one happy and developmentally beneficial hour for just 10 cents?

It was an impromptu practice. It is very useful to indulge yourself in such exercises to hone your skills. By the way, did you notice that in this short text I split the price from $15 to 10 cents? And he deciphered what was included in this construction set, showed what could be assembled, and highlighted its value for the child. What does the tactic I call “constructor” include? When we have an expensive item in front of us, we want to understand why it is so expensive. Alternatively, it may consist of expensive parts (for example, a gold watch case, sapphire crystal, etc.).

All this justifies the price. Why is Rolls-Royce so expensive? Do you know that, for example, just a figurine on a radiator grill costs around $5,000? For that kind of money you can buy a used car.

When my clients who provide cleaning services were asked why their prices were about 20-30% higher than their competitors, they said that they cleaned better.

Clients did not fall for this because they heard “air”. We thought - and customers began to tell clients that they use branded cleaning products for cleaning, which increase the “cleanliness effect” for a longer period than conventional products. They talked about equipment, due to the technological power of which absolutely all dust and dirt located within its radius of action were removed. In fact, they dismantled their service as a “constructor in reverse” and justified the higher price.

If you offer a higher price for a similar product or service, you should understand why. And show it to the client. The desire to earn more will not get you far.

Warranty is everything

Now we will talk about one of the most effective and... less popular way of justifying the price among our sellers - this is a guarantee that gives confidence in the quality of the product. And not “airy” confidence, but a specific attribute of your offer. The guarantee shows the buyer that he is not risking anything. Everyone knows the “14 day rule” - the norm for protecting consumer rights. If the buyer does not like or dislike your product, he can return it or exchange it for a similar product within 14 days. But many sellers forget about this, and the sign “This product cannot be exchanged or returned” scares away buyers. They haven’t even thought about returning, but they don’t like being immediately blindsided by prohibitions, because “the customer is always right.”

Some of my customers offered their clients a return guarantee of not 14, but 30 days. They sold cosmetics from the Israeli brand Sea of ​​Spa. The stronger the guarantee, the more attractive the purchase. For example, we just talked about 30 days. What if such a guarantee extended to 60 days? Naturally, then the buyer would be more inclined to buy.

In 1872, Aaron Montgomery Ward founded the company, which initially sold goods by mail. This man made history in marketing and sales by being the first to offer customers a 100% money-back guarantee if they were disappointed with the product. Over time, this company grew into the powerful Montgomery Ward retail chain, with about 60 thousand employees.

I had an interesting case - I purchased something other than a wristwatch at an online auction. I paid, received it quickly and used it for several days. I don’t know what happened, but the clock began to lag, and then stopped altogether.

I wrote to support, explained the situation and sent the product back. The money was returned to me without any questions. I understand that anything can happen, defects also occur among expensive goods. And such responsiveness adds trust to the seller. Warranty is everything to us.

Conditional and unconditional guarantee

The domestic market is more familiar with a conditional guarantee - we can return the product during the warranty period if it is not damaged and has not lost its presentation. There is also an unconditional guarantee. It implies a return within a specified period without any explanation or conditions.

Naturally, an unconditional guarantee is more attractive to the buyer. The seller believes that she will give unscrupulous buyers a free hand and they will start returning everything.

For example, a girl was invited to a wedding, she doesn’t know what to wear. She buys a beautiful dress from a nearby store. She walked around in it, came to the store, said that she changed her mind, and they returned her money. Yes, this happens, no one is immune from it. I'll tell you a story from my practice. My client did not mention the existence of a warranty. As soon as, at my request, for the sake of testing, he began to tell me that he guaranteed a refund if the product was returned in good condition, his sales figures increased. Therefore, if he offers an unconditional guarantee, sales will increase even more.

Now remember an interesting fact: the maximum rate of returns of goods under warranty that I have seen is 5%. That is, only 5 out of 100 people resorted to this tool. Ainur Safin in his book “111 Ways to Increase Sales” (St. Petersburg: Peter, 2012) gives even more optimistic figures: “According to statistics, only 1–2% of people take advantage of the opportunity to return money under a guarantee.”

In the sale of intellectual services and information products, an unconditional guarantee is more common. There are no production costs for the manufacture of goods - this is intellectual work. Nevertheless, from time to time you can come across the following formulation:

If you are not satisfied with something in ______, or you do not see the result, or you don’t like something at all, we will return the money without any questions or objections within ______ days in any way convenient for you. The only thing is that in this case we will no longer be able to work with you. Neither paid nor free, so as not to waste time - neither ours nor yours.

Again, the seller's concerns are understandable. I had certain doubts about the effectiveness of this approach, because I myself had not resorted to it. He expressed his doubts in the article “100% money back guarantee - a scam in Russian,” which was published on the blog. And here are the comments:

Natalya Khorobrikh:“Until recently (when I moved from the category of just users of Internet services to the format of promotion via the Internet), such statements frightened and alarmed me. Even when I was thinking of making a purchase, I refused several times when I saw such a “round seal” with a guarantee. I can’t explain why. Maybe a moment of frivolity?

Elena Merz:“Many times I have come across a guarantee: we will return the money and remove it from the list. To be honest, after hearing such words, I don’t want to buy anything.”

Margarita:“Prohibiting any purchases after a refund: what’s the point of attracting customers only to exclude them later?”

These are the opinions of buyers, that is, those who pay money. You can agree on some things, you can argue on some things. My misunderstanding is explained by this: let's say the author has five educational products. I buy the first one - I like it, I buy the second one - I also like it, and the third product helped me. But the fourth one was frankly disappointing. Does this mean that I am not ready to buy the fifth, and in the future the sixth and seventh? Why doesn’t the author take into account that I will recommend the first three products to my friends and acquaintances, and he will receive additional sales from my recommendations? But after such a conditional guarantee, I will lose the desire to recommend him - he loses not only one real client, but also many potential ones.

You enter a restaurant... Your previous visits left only positive impressions. And this time you are unhappy - either the dish was over-salted, or more water was poured into the fresh juice than necessary. You refuse to pay and have every right to do so (if the establishment’s fault is obvious and not far-fetched), your money is returned and they ask you to apologize. Does this mean that you will never return there again? Imagine: the next time you enter this establishment, they show you the door - they say that you are no longer a welcome guest here.

Once in the McDonald's chain, instead of the ordered cheeseburger, they gave me a hamburger in a package of cheese. Not only did the employees apologize to me, but as compensation they gave me a coupon that allowed me to exchange it for a portion of ice cream cone or same glass of drink (Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta).

Service? Another one.

And when in another city I exchanged this coupon for a serving of cone, I was treated there to the highest standard. Surely the presence of this “magic card” means that the employees are facing a client who was previously slightly offended.

When I conducted my first seminar “Selling text - BESTSELLER” in Kyiv, I also applied an unconditional money-back guarantee if visitors did not like this event. Nobody asked for a refund. What to do when we are faced with such a dilemma? Everyone decides for themselves how to build their marketing policy. The only point is that when entering the market you need to be confident in the quality of your product, otherwise the market itself will reject it, no matter what prices and guarantees you offer.

The presence of a guarantee increases the response of any selling text, including a commercial offer. So, as an option, start small. The first step is to offer a guarantee. If you have a physical product, you can minimize the condition of returning it in salable condition. Over a certain test period, see what the response is. If you provide services, you can test the unconditional guarantee. And look at the result. In conclusion, I will please you with an interesting note - abroad I have come across unconditional guarantees for educational products, in which the authors were ready to return 200% of the amount paid by customers.

Impressive? And how.

Guaranteed real pleasure

One should not think that a person is only interested in a material guarantee as an opportunity to return money. When you eat food, do you enjoy it? On the one hand, we can eat simply healthy foods, and on the other hand, we can also eat delicious ones. This is a useful book, but it is printed in very small print. It is difficult to read and takes away the fun, even if the quality of the information itself is high. You ask yourself: “Couldn’t a larger font have been used?”

Even in Ancient Rome, the law of good treatment of citizens was based on two postulates, the authorship of which belongs to Juvenal: “Bread and circuses.” The same can be said about readers - not only provide benefits, but also entertain. Give your reader a great mood. Because it is the mood that shapes emotions, and how the right emotions influence sales, you know this well even without me.

1. If you sell children's toys, ensure that the child has real fun while playing (and explain why).
2. If you invite people to a consultation, ensure that they enjoy the experience and take away some valuable ideas for solving their issues.
3. If you carry out cargo transportation, guarantee pleasure from cooperation, show that the client will be satisfied with the timely fulfillment of obligations, the level of professional training of drivers, etc.
4. If you sell tickets to concerts, guarantee a great mood that customers will receive at the concert itself.

It is advisable to decipher and justify the guarantee of pleasure. If we promise a great experience to a concert ticket buyer, ask yourself the question: “Why?” And answer it boldly.

For example: a live performance only, high-quality modern equipment is used, a large screen is installed, special effects are used, and so on. When you describe this, the reader is mentally transported to the hall and imagines this picture, by the way, with his own participation.

It is very important for the consumer that your product will give him pleasure and give him a good mood. After all, he does not yet know what awaits him ahead, he only hopes. Many companies write this: If you are dissatisfied with our product for any reason, you can return it. And we will send you the money spent in 100% volume.

Sometimes the phrase “And we will send you the money you spent in 100% volume” can be replaced with a more emotional analogue: “And we will return every penny that you paid.” As you can see, smart sellers are ready to extend the money-back guarantee even to pleasure. It's powerful. I remember during one basketball game, after the team’s poor performance, the audience shouted in the audience: “Give your money back for the ticket!” Moreover, the fans were angry not because of the defeat of their favorite team, but because of the appalling quality of the game. I encountered similar public discontent in cinemas while watching films - the advertising trailer embellished everything that was possible, but the film itself was catastrophically disliked. People were deceived.

Guarantee high quality

People are tired of fakes, they are tired of buying goods of dubious quality, they have already realized that they have to pay for quality. Therefore, they want appropriate guarantees and evidence. Everyone understands that high quality products are a serious competitive advantage.

Remember how on TV, during an advertisement for a product, the presenter demonstrated how the declared quality corresponds to reality. For example, if they offer unbreakable dishes, they throw them on the floor, hit them with a hammer, but they still remain safe and sound.

A well-known expert in the field of guerrilla marketing, Alexander Levitas, in his book “More Money from Your Business” (M.: Mann, Ivanov and Ferber, 2012) cites the example of the presentation of the Lenovo ThinkPad X201 laptop: “The presenter poured a glass of water on the keyboard, swiped the computer with table on the floor, stood with both feet on the lid... The computer worked as if nothing had happened.”

A demonstration like this tells the client more than words. He sees the product in action. He already wants to repeat these tests himself to make sure. And how will he show it to his friends, how will he praise his purchase! Remember how the hero of Alexander Abdulov in the film “Genius” wrote a confession with a pen with disappearing ink? And everyone urgently wanted such a pen! Let's imagine ourselves as sellers and draw up a guarantee text:

We guarantee that words written with this pen will disappear from plain paper within 10 minutes. If somehow mysteriously this doesn't happen, we'll give you a full refund.

Here, however, we can use a little trick - deliberately overestimate the test period. For example, you know that the ink will disappear within 5 minutes. And by indicating a “10-minute deadline” you are simply playing it safe. By and large, you are not deceiving anyone, the ink disappears, it’s just that surprises (especially inexplicable ones) periodically occur in our lives. You can connect your creativity (if the selected target audience allows it):

We're willing to bet a box of Chivas Regal whiskey that words written with this pen will disappear from plain paper within 10 minutes. If in some mysterious way this does not happen, we will refund your money and solemnly present you with a case of excellent Chivas Regal whiskey.

By offering a guarantee like this, you should be confident in the quality of the product. Otherwise, you will drive yourself into a trap. Promise only what you can deliver. This advice, which our parents gave us as children, is very relevant in business.

By the way, this magic pen is on sale today, you can buy it. That's why I wanted to make a commercial proposal for its sale - as a training exercise.

Ensure timeliness

If the benefits of your offer are related to some deadlines, guarantee them too, which will also justify the price you stated. The unique selling proposition of the pizzeria chain Domino's Pizza in the form: “You will receive fresh, hot pizza in less than 30 minutes, if we don’t have time, it’s free for you” has revolutionized the world of guarantees. This formulation has become a working template for many types of businesses.

Where else can it be used?

We'll wash your car in 30 minutes or give you your money back.
We will repair the printer in 1 day or refund your money.
We'll install new tires in 20 minutes or your money back.
We will submit your order within 15 minutes, or it is free for you.

In Yalta, not far from the city embankment, there is a coffee shop “Coffeein”. After ordering, an hourglass was placed on our table: “If the order is served after the time expires, you don’t have to pay for it.” The coffee here is not the cheapest, but very tasty. Such a guarantee confirms quality and confidence. We left the coffee shop in a great mood.

If you state a specific period within which you are ready to complete the work or provide a service, and are confident in this period, do not be afraid to give a guarantee. This will prove your professional approach. This is exactly the case when the stamp “we are a team of professionals” is replaced by a specific action that clearly characterizes professional qualities.

You will receive each latest issue of the newspaper “______” on Tuesdays until 11:00. If we are late with delivery, you will receive a subscription for the next year for free.

As you can see, you can guarantee not only a refund.

Guaranteed results

The result guarantee is one of the most powerful. Therefore, it is very rare - few people dare to offer it. But you shouldn’t judge, since achieving a result does not always depend on the product or service itself. There may be other circumstances that affect it, such as inaccurate adherence to instructions. When buying a mobile phone, the seller often asks you to completely discharge the battery the first three times and charge the phone for ten hours. How many people strictly follow instructions? Doctors do not recommend taking headache pills if you have previously drank alcohol. However, this does not stop many.

It is advisable to give a guarantee of a result when you are at least 95% sure that it depends only on your product or service. Nevertheless, just for fun, you can test this technique in other cases. To do this, it is advisable to introduce additional conditions - as a disciplinary motivator:

The course “Conversational English for Beginners” is designed for 30 lessons - 10 lessons per month.
We guarantee that if you attend every lesson and complete all homework, then after 3 months you will be able to easily communicate with Americans and English. Otherwise, we will refund the money spent on training.

The trick is that you have three months to charm your audience, establish a good relationship with them and teach them conversational English. And then I would not be surprised if, in a “guarantee case,” the client does not demand money, but “in a purely human way” asks to conduct several additional classes with him. I think this is more profitable than returning money for 3 months of training, right?

I came across another example from companies specializing in professional website promotion:

We guarantee that using the ten main keywords agreed upon with you, your website will be in the top search results of Yandex and Google in four months. If your site is not included in the top list for at least one word, we will refund the money for the entire amount of work.

This is a very powerful guarantee. On the sidelines of several conferences, I talked to various website promotion specialists and asked their opinion. The answers were roughly the same: “It’s stupid because no one can predict the behavior of search engines. For example, tomorrow they will change the algorithm, and all the work will go down the drain.” There is logic, however, this makes the guarantee seem even more attractive. I’ll give you some advice: when you come across a guarantee of results, pay attention to the company itself, take a closer look at it, ask around - you don’t want such a guarantee to turn into fraud.

When a company is serious, with experience and a name, there are no questions. For example, if in the future the Klitschko brothers open a boxing school and guarantee that they will make real masters out of their students, the potential audience will believe it because they have a name and achievements on the world sports arena.

Guarantee low prices

This type of guarantee applies when you are confident that your price is the most affordable. Abroad they like to attract attention with a small sticker on a product with the inscription Best price guarantee - a guarantee of the best price.

Its essence is that you actually declare to buyers that you are confident that your price is by far the most attractive. Please note that I am not writing about the “low” price, but about attractiveness. This is a kind of maneuver for action when you can justify the price with additional amplifiers that competitors do not use.

Each of you has come across the following guarantee wording: If you find a product at a lower price, we will refund the difference.

There are also more sophisticated options: If you find the same product at a lower price within 15 days, we will refund 150% of the difference.

It seems like a very strong guarantee, which proves that the price is the best today. Only a counter question arises: what percentage of buyers will scour other places in search of cheaper goods? Did you do this?

Remember when we talked about average return statistics? Maximum - 5%, average - 1–2%. And what is a “price difference”? A small amount.

You can use one more trick. It works especially successfully when you sell a product with exclusive rights, that is, only you sell it in your region. Then you can safely guarantee at least 300% return of the difference, because the client has no idea that you are a monopolist. And it looks very impressive.

Offer multiple guarantees at once

Remember the good old saying: “One head is good, but two are better”? By analogy, I can say: one guarantee is good, but two (three, four...) are even better. Each individual guarantee shows how confident you are in the quality of your offering. A little earlier, we looked at several types of guarantees. Each of them has its own advantages. Then the question arises: why not offer the client several at once?

Let's move on to an example.

If for any reason you are dissatisfied with this pen, we will refund your money in full.
If you do not receive this pen within three days, we will return every penny spent and send you another pen as a gift.
If the words written with this pen do not disappear from plain paper within 10 minutes, we will also give you a full refund.
If within 30 days after purchase you find a more attractive price for this pen anywhere, we will refund 200% of the difference.

Tell me, is such a collection of guarantees disarming? Each eliminates a certain doubt, and the fewer doubts, the closer the client is to making a purchase. This move will increase the value of the offer and justify the high price.

In order to use several guarantees, make sure that you are ready to sign almost in blood to each of them. Otherwise you will have to keep your promises. What if returns become widespread?

In the example I have proposed there are four guarantees. This doesn't mean you need to use everything. If you are confident in only two positions, offer them. But don't stop and continue to work to offer customers even more guarantees. With such courage and confidence you will seriously stand out from your competitors.

How to draw attention to the guarantee?

As we have seen, a guarantee is an important attribute of a commercial offer. We also noted the benefits of high-quality business letter design. However, we should talk separately about how to draw attention to the guarantee. Why is this even necessary? The guarantee is designed to combat the doubts of potential customers, as well as justify the price. Therefore, if we focus our efforts on visually highlighting the block with a guarantee, we will increase the chances that the client will know about it even after a quick reading.

The first and easiest way is to have a short and focused subheading that contains the word “Guarantee.” It can be highlighted either in capital letters or in bold font. In this case, the text of the guarantee itself can be written in italics.

The next element is to place the warranty text block in a graphic frame. The guarantee can be presented in the form of a text block that has small indentations on the right and left compared to the rest of the text of the commercial proposal. You can highlight the guarantee with a soft color fill that will not hurt the reader's eyes. If your guarantee is one of the key parameters of the entire offer, you can use it in the text several times - in the title and introductory part, briefly and attractively (like the Domino's Pizza pizzeria chain). And in the main part of the commercial offer, all that remains is to decipher it and highlight using various graphic elements.

What (book). To prove (to prove), to give (to give) arguments, arguments to prove something. This part of the report will have to be argued separately.

Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935-1940.

See what “ARGUMENT” is in other dictionaries:

- (this, see previous page). Present evidence, arguments, draw conclusions. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. ARGUMENT lat. argumentari. To prove with arguments, to draw a conclusion... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

Cm … Synonym dictionary

ARGUMENT, ruyu, ruesh; anna; Sovereign and imperfect., that. Give (lead) evidence, arguments (in 1 word). | noun argumentation, I, cf. and argumentation, and, female. Convincing argumentation. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu.... ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

argue- argumenter, German argumentieren. Justify something, give arguments. BAS 2. Despite the guns that the soldiers used to argue, I began to persistently defend my right to the cabbies I brought, whose numbers were in my... ... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language

argue- what with what. Substantiate the provisions of the report with digital data... Control Dictionary

argue- ARGUMENT, nesov. and owls, that. Convincing someone in what l., provide (bring) evidence, arguments confirming the truth, fairness of judgments; Syn: prove, justify. Ephraim's explanatory dictionary. T. F. Efremova. 2000... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Efremova

argue- argue, argue, argue... Russian spelling dictionary

argue- (I), I argue, I argue, I argue... Spelling dictionary of the Russian language

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