I agree with John.

Transparency goes a long ways, and is very powerful when backed up with proof. A guarantee also helps this process of establishing a foundation, but I think it should be used as a secondary "back up" to your main presentation of honest help that you have already provided in the past.

People respect those that really "walk the walk". From our past conversations, it sounds like you are on this path, and I expect that you have a really good idea already... mine are simply words of encouragement to keep walking the walk, and showing this to others.

Best Wishes,

Tim

I appreciate your insight. And John, you're right -- I guess I did have
my answer already, eh? I was just mowing around it to see how many
others would present alternate views to my approach, I guess.

Again, thanks.

Harmony,

Honesty is one of those things that you can never credibly say about yourself. You can only convey it in the signed words of other people. In other words, you need to get that idea across in testimonials... signed blurbs from credible people.

Now who is both prominent and credible online? This is a problem these days. If you go this route, you will need to be very, very careful about who you have vouching for your honesty. If any of them get involved in shady deals, then there goes your credibility, too.

You can use testimonials from unknown people to vouch for the honesty of your information, and in that case you need lots, lots more testimonials. Likewise, if you happen to have any blurbs from relatively unknown people who have been discredited somewhere or other on the Net, this can hurt you too.

The general problem you are bringing up is one I just went through with a client whose web site I was rewriting. He said to me, "You know, the one thing we're missing on the home page is a statement that no one on the planet knows as much about team dynamics as I do." I said, "Good! But that's something you can't credibly say about yourself." I wrote a testimonial saying what we wanted someone to say, and he sent it to a long-time CEO client of his to see if he would agree to this statement, or something like it in his own words.

Best wishes,
Marcia Yudkin

Hello Harmony - building on John's comment - honesty is something
everyone must be convinced you have before they "take a chance"
with your products or services - difficult to use that as a USP.

What MAY be possible is to use the ultimate benefit to your market of
you having the MOST HONEST approach to filling their desires.

Closest example I can think of is Stephen Pierce's "The Truth..." product
and positioning. Even that honest based message includes ...An Make
Your Sales Soar" as the ultimate benefit.

Have the headline aimed at benefit...

HEADLINE:

"Are Your Internet Sales Missing the Mark?"

SUB HEAD
"Results Don't Lie! Let Me Show You How I [Insert Result Statement Here]..An How YOu Can Do IT Too!"

Hope that helps...

Jeff