How To Write Killer Sales Letters

How To Write Killer Sales Letters

I'm sure you've seen those ads that grab your attention and have you ready to pull out your wallet or credit card. They are literally making you an offer you can't refuse. Don't you wish your ads were that persuasive?
Are the marketers who wrote these ads natural born writers, or is there a formula that you can learn? Writing to persuade is a skill that can be learned, like any other skill. It's just a matter of breaking down the process into four simple steps.

Step # 1. The first step in writing your killer sales letter is to identify your target market.
This seems simple enough, but how many marketers do it? When reading some of the ads I get in my inbox, I have to wonder. I don't want to burst your bubble, but the truth is, not everyone on the planet is a prospect. Concentrate on those who are. Before you begin your ad campaign identify your target audience.

Step # 2. Once you've identified your target market determine what their major problems are.
Do they need more money?
Do they need to save time?
Are they interested in improving their health?

Sit down and determine every problem that your prospects have and decide how your product or service can help solve their problems. There are no shortage of problems, but there is a shortage of problem solvers. Start thinking in terms of becoming a problem solver and you'll always be in demand.

OK, you've identified your market, you've determined what problems they have, now you're ready for the next step.

Step # 3. The third step in writing your killer copy is to let your prospects know that there is a solution to their problem.
Not only is there a solution to their problem, but you have the solution. Remember these three magic words, "I can help." Identifying the problem is not enough. You have to show the reader that there is a solution and you have it. Tell them every benefit they will get when they order your product or take advantage of your service. Let them know you can help them make more money, save time, or improve their health.

Step # 4. The final step in creating killer ad copy is getting the prospect to take action. Identifying your market, determining their problems and letting them know you have the solution, is not enough. You have to make them act. You have to create a sense of urgency. There are many ways you can do this. You can offer a special discount for fast action. You can offer special fast action bonuses.

Ask for the order. Let them know they don't have to put up with their problems another day. You can solve them right now.

These four steps are a basic outline to get you started.

Start studying the sales letters you read and break them down into the four basic steps. Determine how effective the writer was in covering the bases. Make notes on how you could improve on the sales letter. Learning to write persuasive copy is a life long venture. You can write persuasive copy. You have the basics, the rest is up to you.

Copyright (c) 2000-2002 John Colanzi. John publishes the "Street Smart Marketing" newsletter. To subscribe mailto:streetsmart@rapidreply.net Don't forget to get your free email course. "Five Days To Launching A Successful MLM Business." mlms@makenetmoney.com

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Hand-Written Notes to Build Your Business

Recently, I attended a networking event for my company. The speaker that night spoke about good networking practices. One of the practices she referred to was making sure to follow-up with everyone you meet at these events. She aptly referred to it as “pinging”.

The word “ping” takes its name from a submarine sonar search -- you send a short sound burst and listen for an echo or a “ping” coming back. So, in networking terms, when you send out a ping, whether with an email, a phone call or a hand-written note, you’re inviting that person to “come back” and communicate with you thus beginning a relationship with that person…one that will hopefully benefit you both long term.

I always make it a practice to send out hand-written thank you notes to everyone I meet at these events. I like hand-written notes, because they’re a physical manifestation of your company (your brand) to that potential client, strategic partner or referral source. A hand-written note sets the tone for your company. Hand-written notes also differentiate you from most other businesses. Ask yourself when the last time you received a hand-written note from someone you met at a business setting was?

Quite simply, hand-written correspondence is a wonderful way to build your business. When I say build your business, I am not just referring to acquiring new customers. I am also referring to keeping the customers you have!

According to a study conducted by the Technical Assistance Research Project in Washington DC, 68% of customers leave because of “perceived indifference”. In other words, customers don’t think you care about their business. As Sir William Jones said, “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated”. Our customers and clients want and need to be appreciated, remembered and thanked.

Another great advantage in sending a personal note….people tend to keep these cards. Whenever I receive a nice note from someone, I display it one my desk for awhile. Every time I see the card, I am warmly reminded of that person or business.

So, when should you send a hand-written card to someone? Here are a few suggestions:
• Every time you meet someone new and get their contact information (i.e. a networking function, a business meeting, a training session, on the plane, a social party, waiting in line at the grocery store, etc.)

• When a customer makes a major purchase from you or sends a referral your way.

• When you embark upon a joint venture with a new company.

Here are some other suggested but not mandatory times to jot a quick note:

• A birthday greeting to your clients and associates.

• A congratulatory note when you hear about something great that customer or business associate did. For example, one of my customers published a new book, so I sent her a congratulatory note.

• If you see an article that might be of interest to that client or associate, send them the clipping with a quick note.

• An encouraging note to members of your staff or team.

Remember, every card is a “ping”. It is likely that your message will echo back to you in some way soon!

Writing a hand-written note does not have to be a difficult exercise! When networking, make it a practice to take notes about the people you meet on the back of their business cards, so you have something to reference when you go to correspond with them.

Hand-written notes should only be 3-5 sentences in length. In other words, be short and to the point. If it is your first correspondence with this person, remind them where you met and what you do for a living. Thank them for taking the time to speak with you and perhaps suggest another meeting. Make sure to enclose another business card.

Your personal correspondence should be written on high quality stationery. Remember, your stationery represents your brand. If you are a veterinarian for example, a note card with a cute dog might certainly be appropriate. If you’re an image consultant, you might want something more refined and sophisticated. Personalized note cards with your name and/or company already printed on them are great for establishing a consistent brand or image. Make sure to give your correspondence that extra personal touch by hand-addressing the envelope and using a real postage stamp.

Set aside some time every day to write your notes. I prefer to do this practice at the end of the day. It gives me time to reflect upon the day and allows me to give this practice my undivided attention. It also helps me to end my day on a very positive note…energy which transcends to the following day.

For remembering customer’s birthdays, I have created an Excel spreadsheet with my customers’ names, addresses and birthdays. Once a week, I refer to this sheet to remind myself of the birthday notes I need to send out for that week.

Don’t get me wrong, emails, instant messages, phone calls and the like are all wonderful communication tools! However, taking the time to write a hand-written note really sends the message that you care and you have taken the time to think about your relationship or potential relationship with that person. Those 3-5 sentences can make a mighty impact. And, that ping will come back to you in the mighty echo of increased opportunity. Grab your pen and stationery and get writing today!

This article was written by Kristine M. Lewis, owner of http://www.dreampressonline.com./ Dream Press provides stationery and gifts personalized just for you! Products include stationery, favors, labels, calling cards and more!

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Questions Your Sales Letter Must Answer

6 Questions Your Sales Letter MUST Answer

Who Are You Selling Your Product To?

Before writing word one of your sales letter you must know who is in the market for your product. You need to be able to take your product and find the one specific group that is going to desperately have a need for your offer.

The more specific the better. If you’re offering a fishing lure designed to catch salmon you wouldn’t market it to men in general. You’d narrow it down to people that fished. And even more specifically, you’d market it to those that fish for salmon. By doing this your sales letter can speak directly to your prospect and therefore make more profits for you.

How Is Your Product Different?

What sets your product apart from the competition? Have you done studies to show it works better? Do you have a higher overall level of customer satisfaction compared to your competitors? Can you say that your product is the only one that does something no other product does? If so, tell the reader in your sales letter.

If you can tell your prospect that your product offers a highly desired benefit unavailable from your competitor’s product then you’re going to make the sale.

Why Should The Prospect Believe You?

With all the scams and false information being given through advertising, disbelief sets in pretty fast. So you’ve got to make your prospect believe what you’re telling them is the undeniable truth. And you’ve got to do it fast before the prospect starts to think that every claim you’re making can’t possibly be true.

So tell them why they should believe you. Show them stats to back up your claims. Prove to them that what you’re saying is the truth from the beginning and they’ll believe everything you have to say from that point forward.

What Are ALL The Benefits Your Product Offers?

But not only the biggest, most obvious benefits, but also those that are not so evident.
By creating a long list of benefits the customer gets with your product you better your chance of listing the one thing they really need. And if you can show them one benefit that captures their eye then you’re going to make a new customer.

Why Might Your Prospect Say “No”? Read your letter from the viewpoint of your prospect. Would you say yes to the offer? If not, why?

Reading over your sales letter and answering questions and objections as they arise is a guaranteed method for increasing response and breaking down buying resistance.

Why Should Your Prospect Act Now? The final question you must answer for your prospect is why they need to act immediately. Miss this crucial step and your offer will be put on permanent hold as the prospect makes plans to act at a later date but never does.

Give them a believable reason to act immediately. Give them a special price if they act within the next few days. Or tell them quantities are limited and once they’re all gone they won’t be sold at any price.

Just make sure that your urgency is believable and truthful.

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Increase Sales With the Human Touch

Increase Sales By Using a Marketing Strategy With the Human Touch.

Suspects, prospects and customers beyond having needs, budgets, being the decision makers and urgencies or inclinations are people. Many times businesses forget that customers are people because the businesses are so focused on doing what they do in their ongoing efforts to increase sales.

Simply speaking, having an autoresponder or customer relationships management system (CRM) that deliver numerous announcements needs to be integrated with a real live person. One effective marketing strategy to increase sales is the old fashioned hand written note to even a hand written postcard.

Marketing research reveals that outside of lumpy mail (something bumpy or bulky in the envelope) personal handwritten notes and cards get open first before even the hand address #10 business envelope. Writing these notes is time consuming, but does leave a positive impression in the receiver’s mind.

For some who have extremely poor handwriting or do not have the time to go the local card stores to department stores to find the necessary stationery, there are companies that can assist you. Through these companies you establish an account, load the contact information, select the card, write the message and the company takes care of the rest. Your prospect receives what appears to be a hand addressed envelope with a signed card by you and with your signature inside. How cool is that?

Additionally, there are companies where you can craft you own full color postcard with your unique message for anywhere from $5 to $20 for 100 postcards. Postcards are good for doing a follow-up after a trade show or networking event. Again, the goal here is to not only touch your potential prospect, but do it with authentic quality.

By taking action right now to set a goal to send at least one hand written note a day, you will begin to see customer relationships grow and ultimately an increase in sales to get to where you want to be.

Do you want to increase your sales? Then, you might be interested "Simply Speaking, Increase Sales by..." a truly quality e-book combination workbook that focuses on helping you within the 3 key areas of Marketing, Selling and Planning. Learn more at http://www.processspecialist.com/sales-training-book.htm
Leanne Hoagland-Smith, M.S. is a speaker and national business coach who has written hundreds of articles with a focus on leveraging human capital for transformational change by developing results driven leadership in people, teams and organizations.

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How to Improve Sales Copy

How to Improve Your Sales Copy to Get More Sales

A few small changes in your sales copy can produce a big increase the number of sales you get from your web pages sales letters, and postcards. Here are 12 simple things you can do to improve the effectiveness of your sales copy - and increase your sales.

Make sure every part of your message focuses on the customer. Convert anything about you or your company into a customer benefit. For example, replace "14 years of experience" with "pleasing customers just like you for over 14 years".

Write your message the way you would write to one person. Many people will read your sales copy. But each person will read it individually. Effective sales copy makes each reader feel like you are writing personally to him or her.


Communicate in simple and informal language. Replace words like "originate" with "start" and "receive" with "get". Use active words in the present tense to grab your prospective customer's attention and hold their interest. People stop reading if they begin to feel bored.
Convert technical words and phrases into common words. Use words every prospective customer will clearly understand without stopping to think.


Replace general words and phrases with specific descriptions. For example, replace a phrase like "get fast results" with "our new clients average 9 percent more profit in the first 60 days".
Divide long paragraphs into 2 or more short paragraphs. People read short paragraphs because they look easy to read. But they skim (or skip) long paragraphs because they look like a challenge.

• Include some bulleted or numbered lists to make your message:


• Visually attractive
  
• Easier to read


• More clearly understood
  
• Don't overdo the attention getters. Too much bold type, underlining or all upper case letters makes your message harder to read. Use them sparingly to highlight important benefits or features.


• Eliminate anything cute, clever or humorous. It diverts the reader's attention away from your message.


• Keep your message positive and upbeat. Positive copy usually produces better results than negative copy ...except in politics.

Make sure your message flows smoothly. Readers should be able to visualize what you're saying without noticing the words you're using to say it. Keep them engrossed in your message.
Avoid sensation and hype. They lower your believability and cause you to lose sales. Tone down any claims that sound exaggerated - even if they are true.

Compare the sales copy you are using on your web pages, sales letters and postcards with the 12 strategies on this list. Revise your copy to implement those you overlooked. You will enjoy an immediate increase in the number of sales they produce for you.
Tip: Save this list and use it as a guideline the next time you create (or pay someone else to create) new sales copy.


Bob Leduc spent 20 years helping businesses like yours find new customers and increase sales. He just released a New Edition of his manual, How To Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple Postcards ...and launched *BizTips from Bob*, a newsletter to help small businesses grow and prosper. You'll find his low-cost marketing methods at: BobLeduc.com

Visit http://www.fivestarwebdesign.com/ to get a web site that sells.