7 Easy Steps To Writing A Darn Good Sales Letter
You've gotta love the power of a great sales letter. It's THE best leverage of your time and is like having your very own army-sized sales force, pounding the pavements for you, perfectly delivering your marketing message every time for less than a cup of coffee. They never call in sick, never go on vacation, never ask for a pay raise and they'll work tirelessly around the clock for you 24/7, 365 days of the year. So here are 7 expert secrets to writing an extremely effective sales letter.
Secret #1 Create an attention driven headline that specifically speaks to your target market, arouses curiosity and answers the question in your prospects mind "what's in this for me?". For example: "Using a Lawyer May Be Dangerous To Your Wealth" "For the Woman Who Looks Older Than She Is" "Former Hairdresser Earns $8000 a Month As A Real Estate Specialist" "How To Double Your Income in 60 Days Or Less"
Secret #2 Open your letter with a personalized salutation (the more PERSONAL you make your letter look and sound, the higher your response rate will be). If you can't address it to the person directly (eg Dear John, or Dear Mrs McDonald), try using one of these salutations: Dear Friend Dear Neighbor Dear Fellow _______er <i.e. Golfer> Dear Colleague, Dear Reader Dear Frustrated Tax Payer Dear Valued Customer
Secret #3 Use a powerful "letter opener". The first couple of sentences of your sales letter have to be really compelling to "hook" your prospects and get them to read the rest of the letter. Consider these: Here’s you chance to... In looking over our records I noticed that you... Will do me a favor? Will you try this experiment? Here’s an amazing opportunity! I’m writing to.. Congratulations! Could you use an extra $500 a week? Frankly,I’m puzzled... I couldn’t wait to write to you.
Secret #4: Talk about Benefits, NOT just features in your sales copy. Understanding the difference between benefits and features is critical for the success of your sales letter. A feature is fact driven, a benefit is more of an emotional connection. This difference is extremely important because people BUY ON EMOTION, THEN JUSTIFY WITH LOGIC!!! For example a feature is this drill has 27 different drill speeds. The benefit is that you can get your work done in half the time which means you get to spend more time relaxing on the couch, watching your favorite sport.
Secret #5 Use Subheadings, bold font, itallics, and underlining to create a "double readership path" Everyone reads sales letters differently. Some people will read every word, others will skim read every paragraph, and still others will just read the headline, the opening paragraph and then maybe the PS at the end of the letter. That's why you need to make sure the most persuasive and important messages in your sales letter are made to jump out at the reader and create a "double readership path"..
Secret #6 Make sure your sales letter contains an irresistible offer and a deadline to respond by (remember this offer should be bold, it should be different to anything your competition offers, and compelling enough to light your prospects' pants on fire). Here are some examples of irresistible offers:
- FREE with absolutely no strings attached
- Free trial converts to monthly billing or payment of product after X days – (Pay nothing now)
- Free Shipping
- Hold your check
- Bonus overload – stacked bonuses
- Early bird bonus tied to a specific response date
- Silly premium – mousepad, cartoon, t-shirt, coffee mug
- Mystery gift
- Easy pay options (monthly payments)
- The more you buy the more you save – tiered discount based on amount purchased
Secret # 6 Include a bold reverse risk guarantee. This is a very powerful copywriting technique to make it easier for your prospects to say YES than no. Here's an example:
"You’re fully protected by our iron-clad money-back guarantee: If you decide that your <name> membership and <publication> aren’t for you, just let us know at any time during your membership period. We’ll send you a prompt 100% refund – every penny you paid. That’s a full refund, not partial or pro-rated. All the issues and the bonuses are yours to keep – even if you cancel. Could any offer be fairer than that?"
Secret #7 Use a powerful close to make your prospects whip out their credit cards
The way you close your sales letter is very important - it will determine whether your prospect puts your sales letter down to "think about it" or is moved to tale immediate action. Here are some great examples:
"The next move is up to you. I’ve shown you that the <name of your product> is as risk-free as an offer can come. You and I both know that if you’ve read this far in the letter, you’re seriously interested in improving your business and personal income. All that’s left to do now is take action and call the number below to place your order".
"You really can’t afford not to invest in this course! Don’t you think you owe it to yourself to move on this incredible opportunity? So what are you waiting for? Drop the enclosed card in the mail today."
That's it! Follow these 7 simple steps and your sales letter will be MILES ahead of anything your competition is using!!!!
