Chapter 2 - Basic Elements Of A Sales Letter
(a) What Are The Basic Parts Of A Sales Letter?
Any sales letter roughly follows the following sequence:
a. Image.
b. Headline.
c. Greeting.
d. Lead paragraph.
e. Body.
f. Closing.
The Image:
If there is a logo or design for your business, use it in the sales letter only if it is really pertinent to what you are offering. You are not selling your business logo; you are selling benefits that the buyer will realize if he buys your product or service. Use a specific image that is inherent to your headline, content, and theme, or do not use one at all. Stick to words as far as possible.
Job Of The Headline:
The headline is usually 3 - 30 words long. It should be catchy. It should grab the reader's attention and tell him what the ad (sales letter) is about. Ideally, the job of the headline is to get the reader’s concentration, target the viewers, list an advantage, and make an assurance.
Greeting And Lead Paragraph:
Any sales letter that influence the reader has a possibility of being opened and read.
o Spin a yarn that the reader can identify with, using a conversational tone.
o Announce a new product or service, an exclusive event, or important news, flaunting your unique selling proposition.
o Speak to the reader as your equal: "Dear fellow car purchaser, are you aware of. . . "
o You could start with something innovative, perhaps a quote or anecdote.
o You could start by identifying the reader’s problem, one that your product
promises to solve.
o Ask a question that might excite the reader.
o Let the reader in on some secret or uncommon information.
You could use a sub-headline to answer a query posed in the headline. For example, Part A could say: "Want to lose 15 pounds within 3 weeks at an affordable price?" Part 2 could say: "Well, this is how you can do it . . . "
Body Of The Letter:
The body copy should use the same tone and endure with the theme of the headline. You should persist highlighting the benefits and offer proof of the claim you made. Provide details of the benefits and the features. Build credibility. Your basic objective is to create a need or want for your products or services and make people do what you want them to.
Closing Or Call To Action:
If you solicit the reader to order, support, or to contact you for the particular cause, you must make it easy for him to reply. You must support the sales letter with a prepaid envelope and an order form. If not suitable, supply a toll-free telephone number, an email link, and/or your URL. Always thank the reader for his patience. Always use a postscript.
A Final Suggestion:
Getting the reader to spend his hard-earned money on you is the real challenge. The best way to ensure this is to use test readers. Test readers would be able to give their opinion if anything is missing in the letter.
(b) How To Create Headlines To Invigorate Your Sales
Letters?
Every one of your marketing tools would require a headline. Headlines draw attention, make your message simple to read, get your key selling points across, and prompt your customer to buy the product and service.
Use headlines regularly in your sales letter to help people get your main message without having to grope about too much.
Headlines range from "hit-you-in-the face" to more understated ones that don't appear like a headline at all.
Your headline gets noticed when it appeals to the reader's interests. You must use your headline to point out a difficulty the reader has or something you know the reader feels powerfully about.
Seven Sure-Fire Headlines
a. Ask a Question. "Are you worried about becoming fat and flabby?" A question headline forces the reader to answer in her mind. You mechanically get the prospect involved in your message.
b. Begin your headline with "How to." "How to lose 15 pounds in 3 weeks." People love information that illustrates how to do something valuable.
c. Provide a testimonial. The advice of a satisfied customer can act as a catalyst in pursuing others to buy from you.
d. Issue a command. Some traditional headlines order readers to "Aim High" and "Move Ahead” and so on. Turn your most significant benefit into a strong headline.
e. Significant news makes a good headline. This especially works well for huge changes in your organization or the introduction of savvy new products.
f. Headline a last date for a special offer. Most of us are always too busy and tend to put off taking action. "Save Money Now" and "Get Bonus If You Buy Now” offer augment response.
g. FREE offers often draw the greatest response. There is a myth that wealthy or professional customers are turned off by free offers. This is not accurate at all. Just customize your free offer so as to match the style of your customers or industry.
Prospects are always hard-pressed for time. They are barraged with hundreds of ads, sales letters, postcards, and commercials every day. They tend to tune out any advertising message that looks like it will take quite long to figure out. Headlines help them decide. So focus on them.
(c) Is It Important To Have A Strong First Paragraph?
The next crucial question is how do you begin your sales letter.
Do you tell the prospective client immediately what it is you’re intending to sell? Do you just stir him up a bit so he can comprehend why he would require your product or service?
The course of the initial paragraph of your sales letter depends on the theme you’ve