My dictionary defines dissonance as "jarring, clashing, discordant". Post Purchase Dissonance is that unpleasant feeling you get when you've just bought something and it's not quite right.

It might be that it doesn't do what the sales rep said it would.
Or you found out that you paid too much.
Or perhaps your friends don't like the colour of it...

You feel bad, ashamed, silly, dumb, angry, annoyed, furious, hurt, betrayed etc.
As a marketer, you can alleviate post purchase dissonance in three easy steps.

• sell only good stuff for a fair price
• be open and honest with your prospects
• implement a good followup program

Let's look at each of these in turn.

Sell only good stuff for a fair price

This comes back to the value equations we looked at in the first part of this little series. Make sure that your program offers good "value" for "money" - that it is a fair exchange of value between the kids (or their parents, or the church board or your leaders) and their time or money.
you might like to reread the first part to get all the info here - I won't take the time to repeat it here.

Be open and honest with your prospects

It's no point telling prospective rangers that you go abseiling or rock climbing every other weekend if you don't. Nor is it wise to say that camping is a high profile part of your program - if you only go once or twice a year.

I guess the maxim is - don't exaggerate. As a marketing person this is a trifle difficult ;) but it's worth understating your features - and let the purchasers be surprised to find out how much "hidden value" your product includes.

Implement a good follow-up program

You can counter any post purchase dissonance that may have crept into your new "customers" mind by asking them how they are liking your program? - are they happy? - is there anything concerning them? - do they have any suggestions for your forthcoming leaders meeting? etc.
you might also have a direct mail program that continues to feed information, and exciting ideas to new recruits - this can be by post or by hand delivery at the ranger night...

Conclusion

You can counter post purchase dissonance, which is the "I've made a terrible mistake" feeling that you get after buying something that wasn't quite what you thought it would be, by underselling your program, by offering good value and by running a good follow-up program.

Well this is the end of this short series on "marketing" your outpost. I hope you found it useful, and weren't offended by the terms "selling", "product", "customer" etc.

Of course these are terms I used to catch your interest (and because they are standard marketing terms...) and cause you to think and evaluate what you are doing in the cold light of day - taking off the "spiritual blinkers" that we so often use to justify substandard effort.