Fifteen Tips For Better Sales Letters
One of the most important factors in the success of your direct mail package is your sales letter. In many cases, particularly with small businesses, the sales letter may be the entire package. But given the right list and the right offer, a skillfully crafted sales letter can be all you need to turn a substantial profit— or pull in a large number of qualified leads. Here are 15 tips that virtually guarantee you a more effective letter.
1. Always focus on the wants, needs, hopes, dreams and desires of the people to whom you are writing. When writing your letter always keep your mind tuned in to the same radio station as your prospect. That station, of course, is WIIFM, a.k.a. What's In It For ME! Make sure your letter plays the same refrain over and over again— this is what's in it for you, this is what's in it for you, this is what's in it for you.
2. Always write to someone specific. An aunt, an uncle, a brother, sister, cousin, friend, current customer— anyone. This mind-set will make your writing more personable, friendly and genuine—important traits that every salesperson must have, especially your salesperson on paper. As you write, keep in mind the words of the great copywriter Malcolm Decker. "The Letter itself is the pen-and-ink embodiment of the salesperson who is speaking personally and directly to the prospect on a one-to-one basis."
3. Never forget that benefits are the reason why people buy. What your product or service does is a feature. What it does for me— Mr. or Ms. Prospect—is a benefit. As my good friend and top-flight wordsmith Barry Freed likes to say, "Keep piling on the benefits till their head caves in." Give them benefit after benefit until they simply have no choice. They have to respond. They have to pick up the phone. They have to get out the checkbook. They have to go to your Web site and make that purchase. They have to get in their car and drive to your store.
4. Grab the attention of your reader with your very first line. 1-2-3-4. You have just about that long— four seconds— to grab the attention of your reader, so your opening line better be good. Because it's the most important line in your entire letter. The objective of your first sentence is to get your prospect to read the second sentence. The second sentence must get him or her to read the third. And so on. Every word, every sentence of your letter is important— and must advance the sale.
5. Give the reader relevant and specific information. You've got great service? What is it— specifically— that makes your service so great? And why should I care? You make a "total quality" product? What specifically do you mean by "total quality?" Do you mean the dang thing never breaks down and you have third party maintenance records to prove it? Then tell me. That's relevant. That's specific, verifiable and meaningful. And that's the type of information that makes me want to buy or schedule an appointment with a sales rep.
