* * * * *
Here the payment was very small and it was deferred only a few days, but long enough to make it seem easier, and the orders were much larger than when cash was required with the order.
SCHEME 12—SENDING GOODS FOR INSPECTION
"Take no risk" is the reassuring line in many advertisements and letters. "Send no money—take no risk. We do not even ask you to make a deposit until you are satisfied that you need the Verbest in your business. Simply send the coupon today and the Verbest goes forward at our risk."
Such offers pull best when simply worded and contain some such phrase as "Without obligation on my part, you may send me." It gives reassurance that there is no catch and inspires the confidence that is the basis of the mail-order business.
Then there is the argument that the device or equipment will pay for itself—a powerful leverage when rightly applied.
Here is the way the manufacturer of a certain machine keeps the cost in the shadow:
"There is no red tape to go through. Simply sign the enclosed blank and forward to-day with the first payment of $3.00. The Challenge will go forward promptly. And the balance you can pay as the machine pays for itself—at the rate of seventeen cents a day."
* * * * *
Simple, isn't it? You forget all about the cost. The paragraph is a cleverly worded "Do it now" appeal and the cost is kept entirely in the background.