In creating your marketing materials, an important thing to keep in mind is that people might be afraid to buy from you. They’re afraid that your product might be shoddy, your service might be lousy, your solution won’t actually solve their problem (or won’t solve it as easily as some other option would), there’s a better deal to be had elsewhere, etc.

In other words, they’re afraid that if they buy whatever it is that you’re selling, they will later come to regret that decision.

To overcome this, you need to convince them that their fears are unfounded. You must help them see that your product or service will work well, hold up over time and so forth. It will indeed solve their problems, meet their needs and improve their lives.

How can you convince prospects to set aside their fears and buy from you?

Here are some tried-and-true tactics:

Offer a solid money-back guarantee – This is one of the best ways to eliminate perceived risk and make it “safe” for people to consider buying from you. If they’re not completely happy, no problem. You’ll cheerfully refund their purchase price.

Provide accurate descriptions – Be honest in the way you represent your products’ features and benefits. Always avoid saying anything that sounds like hype. And if you’re selling physical products, include photos showing it from every angle.

Use testimonials – As Yelp, Amazon and many others have proven, people put a lot of faith in the opinions of strangers. Give customers an opportunity to post reviews, and don’t delete the disappointing ones.

Create positive expectations – A person who expects to have a positive experience will be looking for validation of that expectation.

Make an emotional connection – People buy from companies that they know, like and trust. Prospects will feel better about your business if your marketing efforts connect with them on an emotional level. Use words and images to paint a picture of how wonderful it will be to buy from you.

Educate prospects – Sometimes prospects are afraid that their own ignorance will cause them to make a bad decision. Content marketing, such as providing educational articles about your offerings, can help overcome this. If there are decisions to be made, help them understand how to make the best choice for their specific needs.

People who are afraid often won’t make a purchase at all. To increase your sales, you need to anticipate and overcome your prospects’ fears.