SALES LETTER TIPS ( ) Content: ( ) Promise a benefit. Tell the reader what's in it for
him.Promise her increased sales, decreased expenses, a better bottom line. Tell them how you can help them. Period. ( ) Get right to the point. People don't like to wade throughpuffery. Stick to benefits, facts and features. (
) Give additional benefits. Show additional value other than main benefit. Auxiliary sales. By-product uses. ( ) Give product/service features. Don't brag. Support benefit promises with product/service facts. Show how your
companywill help his. ( ) Style: ( ) Be 'you' and not 'I' oriented. Use words like you, your,your company so that the reader feels you are writing for him. ( ) Get the readers involved. Ask them to answer questions,check off
boxes, make notes, jot down figures. ( ) Write clearly. Make sure your reader doesn't have to thinkabout what you're saying. Points must be understood immed-iately. ( ) Be concise. Use words judiciously. Make each word count.
( ) Be believable. Make sure your claims or representations appear to be realistic and believable. Don't promise a 990%increase in sales because most people won't believe it...even if it's true! ( ) Ask for action. Ask the reader
to place an order, return a sales card, phone for an appointment. Most sales lettersfail to do this. ( ) Refer to satisfied customers. Adds credibility. Let thereader know he can call so-and-so for a referral. Mentiontrade
affiliations. ( ) Visuals: ( ) Letters should be typewritten - never typeset. Typewriting gives your letter a personal feeling. Use an easy to readfont. Sign letter in blue ink, use rich stationery, notplain paper. ( ) Use a
headline. Before 'Dear Jack' type a headline. It should capture attention, spark interest and promise abenefit. ( ) Use subheads. Break up your letter with subheads to make points stand out more. Sub-heads can promise additional
benefits or back up claims with product/service facts. ( ) The P.S. is critical. One of the highest read portions of a letter. Use the P.S. to reinstate a major point, ask foraction, indicate a free gift or deadline for your
offer. ( ) Appeals: ( ) Understand that people are emotionally motivated. Realizethat people want to: ( ) Make more money ( ) Save money ( ) Work easier ( ) Achieve ( ) Take more time off ( ) Be secure
( ) Do a good job ( ) Experience love ( ) Have a satisfying home life ( ) Get something for free ( ) Try something new ( ) Towards that end, use words like: ( ) Free ( ) New ( ) Now ( ) Money
( ) Limited time only ( ) Special price ( ) Special Techniques: ( ) Never use a one-page letter. Looks skimpy. Ideal length is 2 or 4 pages (11x17) folded to 8.5x11 for business-to-business mass mailings.
( ) Use plenty of attention-getting devices to guide readers: ( ) Bullets ( ) Dashes ( ) Check boxes ( ) Solid boxes ( ) Numbers ( ) Asterisks ( ) Arrows ( ) Give reasons to act now. For example: limited supply,
two-week sale, special purchase. Retailers -- check localtruth in advertising laws. ( ) Offer something for free. Free gift with purchase. Buy two, get one free. Retailers check local laws.
( ) Give expiration. If you don't motivate people, they'll take forever to call or order. ( ) Repetition. Repeat benefits throughout letter. Present thesame ideas and benefits in different ways. ( ) Pricing. Key point. Test
several different prices in yourletters. $19 or $19.95 always sounds cheaper than $20. Offer 3 for the price of 2 and other pricing devices tomake prices appear to be cheaper. ( ) Use a 'newsy' approach: 'After 3 years of
development, we offer you increased performance.' ( ) Challenge the reader: 'Don't let your competitors get the edge this season...' ( ) Ask the reader a question: 'Are you paying too much for your printing and typesetting?'
( ) Never end a sentence at the bottom of a page. Always make it so the reader has to turn to the next page to finish thesentence. ( ) Be logical, use common sense. Don't try to fool anyone - they're usually too smart for that.
( ) The tone of your letter should be: ( ) Warm ( ) Sincere ( ) Honest ( ) Helpful ( ) Authoritative ( ) Friendly ( ) Put yourself in the reader's place. Note your reactions while reading the letter. Have your spouse,
friends andassociates give you their honest opinions. Listen to anyand all comments. Re-write any portions that turn othersoff. ( ) To accentuate important statements: ( ) Underline ( ) Use exclamation points
( ) Use all capital letters ( ) Highlight with a second colorBrowser Fixed
