Creating Winning Sales Letters

Sales letters are still widely used despite the growing popularity of email marketing.

In some cases a letter can make more of an impact because people are becoming immune to emails and are more likely to delete it if it doesn’t immediately pique their interest.

Snail mail may be old hat, but there’s still something comforting about receiving a letter, something that makes us want to open it (especially if it comes in a hand addressed envelope).

I would love to tell you that this blog contains a free template for the most successful sales letter on the planet, but in truth there are too many variables for their to be a “one size fits all” template, such as:

• The audience you are addressing
• What they’re doing and how they are feeling when they get your letter
• The offer you are making
• What the weather is like
• How their journey into work went

I could list more, but you’re getting the picture.

Having said there is no winning formula, there are a few things you can do.

1. Grab their attention

This shouldn’t need to be said as it’s true for all your marketing.

You have to grab their attention the minute they open your letter. That means a compelling headline and an awesome first line.

Make sure you draw attention to the benefits they’ll get if they do business with you and always go for clarity over creativity.

2. Problem and solution

This format always works well.

Your product/service is going to solve their problem, you just have to make sure you convince them of that.

There’s no need to lead them in gently, get straight to the point and empathise with them.

3. Benefits

The benefits must always be the focus of your letter.

Your reader wants to know how you’re going to help them so make sure you tell them. Everything you say about what you’re selling must be related back to your reader – how it will save them time, money, make them more successful etc.

4. Offer

People always opt for offers over purchases.

If you need glasses you’ll always go for a 2 for 1 offer, so make sure you offer a great deal and emphasis it.

5. Guarantee

One of the easiest ways to over come cold feet when you’re trying to sell to someone is to offer them a cast iron guarantee. If they know they can come back to you if they change their mind, they’re far more likely to take the plunge and buy.

6. Tell them what to do

If you do all the hard work listed above. but forget to tell them how to buy, you’ve just shot yourself in the foot.

Make the buying process as simple as possible and offer several different ways to buy – by email, phone or by using a reply card and stamp addressed envelope.

This may not have been the template you were hoping for, but it’s as close as you’ll get to one.

All you have to do is make sure each one of the elements above are included in your letter if you want to give it the best possible chance for success. Another tip is to follow it up with a phone call (depending on the size of your mailing).