Socially|Mundane

There are too many creators who are paranoid about being "ripped-off" in SL. However, your customer care is far more important. Remove all incentives to steal your product! It is a proven fact that if you give your customer what they truly want at a fair price, except for a very few - they will purchase your product because it's the right thing to (and less hassle and risk.)

There is practically no reason (very, very rare cases at least) to sell your stuff as no-copy. It is selfish on your part. There are even rarer reasons to sell as no-modify (excluding scripts, of course.) People in SL want modify/copy items. In truth, if I wanted to "steal" your product - it is far too easy to do. No-copy, no modify items are moot. I genuinely believe a significant number of "copybotters" are doing so to convert their purchased no-modify items into modifiable items.

When you give the customer what they truly want, the only hard part is to get them to buy. So make it easy as possible for them to give you their money.

My own simple selling policy is:

I will give a refund within 72-hours of purchase on all no-copy items. You must return the the fully functional item to me. I'll give a full refund, no questions asked and without hesitation. I'll even give you a quality consolation gift as a thank-you for at least trying-out my product - not some useless trinket, but a quality product I sell or not available in any other way.

I have yet to have a single refund request in three years of selling products in Second Life.

Also, I have since converted all my products to "copy/no-transfer" (this article was written a couple months ago) and I still offer the same refund under the same conditions- I am that confident in my product (and I also have the ability to disable that product if a refund is given- and this is made known up-front.)


Let's continue...

Furthermore, you may exchange your product for another style at any time, even if you purchased it a hundred years ago, even if the exchanged-for product didn't exist back then. The same rule as for refunds apply. I also will replace, without hesitation or question any product you claim has been lost, broken, destroyed or otherwise become unusable by you, immediately whether I am in-world or not - via dropping it directly to you or via remote delivery if I am off-line and unable to come in-world - all you need do is to show me in a reasonable way that you had owned the product to begin with. I am flexible.

I stand behind my product, I work hard to ensure your complete and uncompromising satisfaction so you are comforted in knowing that I will ensure you are happy - always, now and into the future with anything you buy from me.

I make this policy clear up-front through all my informational notecards and gigantic, easy-to-read posters plastered all over my showroom, before you give me a single Linden Dollar.

Are you swindling me by giving that no-copy throne to a friend and then proclaiming it became lost so I give another for free? I don't care. It'll be a one-off situation and your satisfaction is far more important than my paranoia. Because when you are happy, I know you, in your heart will be honest and will tell everyone you know how I am reputable, hard-working and care about my customers far more than the fear of a few possible swindlers. I know you will do my marketing for me. I know you will make reference testimonials that are far more powerful than anything I could possibly buy.

I know without a doubt that to anyone who sees my product on you or your land and asks that you will give a strong, powerful and convincing testimonial about me and my product. I know that by actually guaranteeing your absolute and complete satisfaction after the sale is making it easiest as humanly possible for you to give your money to me, no matter how much my stuff costs.

Now, go out and buy my book: Successful Business in Second Life (SBSL - Second Edition for 2009/10; 270-pages) is available at XStreet SL and also in-world. The book includes both, an in-world and eReader version. There also is an  Amazon Kindle version, (you receive both: ereader and in-world versions no matter where you purchase it.)

I could wish you "good luck" in business. But by following the steps I give you, I prefer to say: "There is no doubt you will be successful, may all your SL dreams come tue."