Successful Sales Letters

The goal of a successful sales letter is to get the reader to take action. In a nutshell, the recipient will either want to ask for more information or will be ready to order from you after reading the letter. Since success is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration, according to Thomas Alva Edison, and inspiration drove you here for more information, now is the time for sweat. So let's roll up our sleeves and take a look at the main contents of a successful, hard-working sales letter.

Style

Today's recipients are quick to spot hype and file 13 (trash can) many sales pitches that arrive weekly via email and postal mail. So there is no need for fluff or exaggerated claims about what a great product or service you have and how everyone in the world should buy it right this minute. Instead, a well-written piece in your own personal style with your unique targeted story to tell would much better be received as fresh and inviting to the reader.

Walk the talk. Write the way you would tell someone flat out about your product or service. Forget the fancy, big words, nose in the air attitude and use down-to-earth descriptions like your would tell best friend. And if something can be said in a paragraph, do it. Don't drag it out for three pages, boring the reader to death.

Grammar is great, but there is no need to overdo it. A sentence can end in a preposition and it's OK. But keep an eye on the basics like subject and verb agreement, spelling and toe correct word choice. For example, if would be difficult to sell a set of encyclopedias to someone with a letter that started off with something like, "Do you wants to improve yur education, two ? Get help with our encyclopedias."

Adding graphics or other images to your letter can either help or hurt your sales. The right image placed at the right spot in your letter can certainly increase sales. On the other hand, a poorly selected picture placed in the wrong spot could hurt even the best copy, resulting in the reader wadding up your letter and tossing it in the trash.

Many of the best sales letters of all time did not have pictures, relying on effective written copy to carry a mental image instead. For as Roger Collier once said, "A picture is worth a thousand words." For example, check out the mental image of this sales copy for a book about U.S. History:

A squad of Marines in full uniform marched down the street boldly displaying the United States flag during this year's 4 th of July parade. Among all of the people in the crowd seated along the curb on both sides of the street, only one person stood up to honor the flag: an old man in a wheel chair, gripping the sides while he strained to stand.

Also make sure to design your letter so that it is pleasing to the eye. Bold headings, subheadings and bulleted points help break up the material into readable chunks for people in a hurry grabbing mail on the way out the door to pick up children, run errands, etc. Use brief sentences and no slang, unless you explain industry jargon.

Content: Testimonials 

Targeted content in your style increases sales and the best content includes testimonials. Because potential clients want to know why they should trust buying from you, a good formula to use is:

• Point out a problem
• Present a solution
• Support it with testimonials
• Call to action: close

Gather testimonials by interviewing past and present clients over the phone or with a brief written questionnaire sent via email or regular postal mail. Be sure to include a self-addressed stamped return envelope with the latter. Ask what they liked about your product or service and how it benefited them and if you can use this information in your sales materials. Most should have no problem sharing this information with you. Then include their comments in your sales letter.

Remember that commercial, "When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen?" What other people say is much more important than what you have to say. So turn a spotlight on what others say about your products and service.

Headlines

Some industry experts say that as much as 90% of the success of a sales letter is in the headline. And often a word or two can make the difference in a sale. A great headline needs to:

• Grad your reader's attention
• Offer a benefit to the reader
• Entice the reader to want - - more information, your product, your service!

A headline can be the first item you write. But it can also be time consuming, often delaying the end result: your sales letter! So if you do not have a super selling idea for a headline, just write something like, "My Sales Letter" and move along. By the time you get through your testimonials, ideas will develop that can be turned into great headlines, focusing on these client pieces.

Some ideas to help create great headlines are:

• Write down up to 100 benefits and choose the best one for you headline. Then use the second, third, forth, etc. as subheadings.
• "How To." is a proven winner.
• Check out the latest trends and media headlines for ideas.
• Use alliteration or repetition of the same sounds. For example, " Portable Plants are Powerful Processing Pros."

Samples

Readers like to see samples and get "involved" with the letter. So provide one or more samples with your letter. There are many ways to do this besides the traditional "stuffed" envelope. For example, your sales letter can ask readers to send in a self-addressed stamped reply card, visit a website for a free download or call a toll-free number for a free sample. Service providers can offer a FREE Report or Bulletin or 12-month FREE subscription to their special newsletter.

Samples help separate your audience, placing the spotlight on those with "raised hands" asking for something. They also help establish long-term relationships and back-end sales. Being friendly and freely giving to others helps build trust.

Pricing Range

If at all possible and you don't get fired from HQ (headquarters) for this, add pricing information, at least a range. If you frustrate a buyer by "teasing" them, creating a desire and need to buy NOW, the buyer could take offense and become angry if he or she takes time to contact you and finds out that the price is well out of range.

And don't be afraid to experiment with pricing to see which works best. Proven strategies include:

• $99 is better than $100
• 7's are good numbers: $37, $97, etc.
• Offer special price with your sales letter

Guarantee

A simple statement like Satisfaction Guaranteed carries weight. Make it a solid Guarantee with no strings attached to let your readers know that you stand behind your sales items. For help with wording, check out your latest purchase and see what Guarantee it carried that influenced your decision.

Then see what sounds good to you: "90-Day Money Back Guarantee" or "110 % Money Back Guarantee - If you try our product for one month and do not get the results we promise, we will gladly refund your money plus an additional 10% just for trying it."

Action

Be very detailed and tell people exactly what you want them to do. Otherwise, if you don't ask, you don't receive. Write out: "Call (800) 777-5555 and order with your MC/VISA now" or fill out the enclosed reply card now and drop it in your mailbox."

Then follow through to make sure this action can work ahead of time. Call the (800) number. Does someone answer or does a voicemail message tell callers who they've reached and what to do?

People want to follow directions. So give them some. They don't want to have to think. They don't want to play games. You've created a desire and they want that purchase - - NOW!

Contact Info

Offer a variety of ways to respond. Some people dread email or may not have computers at home. So giving only an email address for replies may alienate some people right off the bat.

Many people still like to pick up the phone and dial. A toll-free number adds credibility and improves the odds that people from outside your local calling area will pick up the phone. But be sure to give the actual number. People don't like to take a time out and try to spell out words on phone pads, wondering what to do with 0's and zeros.

PS:

Don't forget the most important thing a reader notices - - and often first: the PS or postscript. Here are a couple top examples:

PS - -Don't regret not taking action!

PPS -- Will all this information make you wealthy? I have to be frank with you: I don't know how rich you'll get once you read, absorb and begin to use the secrets in this big package. I'm selling you a hammer. Whether you build a doghouse or a castle is none of my business. My suggestion: Think BIG! Isn't it time?

Remember, successful sales letters get readers to take action. So roll up your sleeves and test new ideas to increase your sales. A wise person once said, "The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work."

Brian Maroevich