Sales Letter Basics

By Author: Steve Smith
Total Articles: 33
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Writing sales letters and direct mail materials is no small task. In just a few short paragraphs, you need to introduce a product or service, outline the benefits, explain why your product or service is better than your competitor's, and convince the reader that they cannot make do without purchasing what you are selling. This is a tall order, especially for an inexperienced copywriter or a small business owner who must double as a copywriter in order to introduce products and services to the target market. Following these tips for writing a great sales letter will help you maximize the effect of your words without resulting in a lengthy letter that gets tossed in the trash.
Introduce the Features of the Product or Service
Are you selling a home computer that has double the processor speed of any computer on the market? Does your small business consulting service offer free business plan writing guidance? Outline these features in your sales letter so that the reader gets a good sense of what the product can do to save time, save money, or increase sales. If you don't adequately address the features of your products ...
... and services in a sales letter, you will most likely be wasting time and postage instead of piquing the interest of potential clients.
Let Readers Know Which Benefit is the Most Important
Do you have a product with many features but the best feature is that the product saves 75% of the time normally spent on performing a certain task without the use of your product? Does your consulting service have one outstanding feature such as free marketing advice or the ability to reach someone twenty-four hours per day? Let your audience know why your product or service is so special.
Target the Product or Service to a Particular Market
If you've already started writing your sales letter, hopefully you haven't written one sales letter to be sent out to thousands of people in dozens of different industries. If you have several niche markets, you will want to develop multiple sales letters that address the needs of each individual market. If you have a real estate book that will appeal to both commercial and residential real estate agents, write one letter for each group. Your letter addressed to commercial agents might talk about how the book can help them identify more lucrative commercial investment properties. Your letter to the residential real estate agents can describe how your book offers information on marketing residential properties that can't be found anywhere else.
Describe What Support is Offered After a Purchase Has Been Made
If you offer twenty-four hour support for customers, let them know about it. If you have an online assistant or a toll-free helpline, include this information in your sales letter so your customers know they will be able to get in touch with you should they have difficulty using your product or service. If your competitors do not offer this type of service, make sure you remind your readers of this within the text of the sales letter. If you have extended support options, you may also be able to command a higher price for your products and services.
Writing a great sales letter takes time and effort, but can be done if you are willing to do the research and writing necessary to produce an excellent direct mail piece. Once you have mastered the technique of writing an effective sales letter, you should see an increase in the number of qualified leads that contact you about your products and services.

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