Provoke Customer Growth: How to craft a perfect Sales Letter

This is exactly the same system that has proven success for members at Entrepreneurs Circle. We’ll take you through the steps needed to ensure you’re armed with all the info you need!

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Remember, the worst thing you can do when you’re trying to grow a business is doing nothing, so get started and get implementing.

The benefits of sending a sales letter

The ‘sales letter’ is one of the most effective types of direct mail.

It can promote a single product or service. By including a strong call to action and a persuasive argument, you can get a direct response.

The copy in a sales letter will make or break your sale; write it well and you’re onto a winner, but write it badly and it’ll fall flat on its face.

If you haven’t written a sales letter yet, you’re certainly missing out.

It’s a great way to communicate a powerful message to increase sales. It can be personalised to your individual target and there’s a quick turnover between you sending it out and the phone ringing!

It’s a no brainer, as you get to choose your ideal customer as a target and you’re in complete control of what reaches them.

You can decide who to send it to, what to send and the time it drops onto the doormat.

An even bigger bonus is that your competitors can’t see what you’re up to!

Mail out 500 letters to a list of your targets and they’ll have no idea. This tactic means you can provide an amazing offer to your potential customer in complete secrecy!

If your competitors can’t see what you’re sending, they’re also oblivious to the fact you’re tracking the success of your letter.

Who to target

Now, you probably have an idea of your target customer, but if not it’s important to know before you start writing your sales letter.

You’ve got to target the right customer for your business. We like to call the ideal customer a ‘Customer Avatar’. This is basically a template for your ideal customer.

The more you can live, breathe and understand your ideal customer, the closer you’ll be to making the sales.

Picture your ideal customer. Where do they live? Where do they work? How old are they? What are their hobbies and interests? What are their fears and desires? Who is your existing customer and what makes them tick?

When you’ve nailed the type of customer you want, you’re in a great position to send out a sales letter. You’re halfway there because your target is interested in your product or service before there letter even lands.

Our priceless guide to creating the perfect sales letter

Right, you’ve got to the good stuff. In this section we’re going to give you the lowdown on how to write a profit-making sales letter.

AIDA is an acronym that should remain in your mind throughout the writing process. it stands for the following:

A = Attention

You need to grab the attention of the potential customer and get them to start reading.

I = Interest

Once you’ve got their attention, you need to keep their interest so they’ll continue reading.

D = Desire

You need to convince the customer that you’ve got something they want.

A = Action

You need to tell them how to get the product or service you have to offer. Make sure you understand these principles before you begin to write your letter.

How to craft top-notch content for your sales letter

Even the most experienced copywriters can find it difficult to put pen to paper.

Writing the content for your letter can sometimes be daunting but the trick is to relax. A sales letter isn’t about perfecting your write English – it’s about getting your offer across in the most engaging way possible.

Your personality should always shine through in your letter. A good bit of advice is to write in the style that you speak. Use slang and colloquialisms – don’t be scared to make the odd mistake!

We’re not saying you should litter your copy with sloppy spelling mistakes, but we are saying you should write in a way that comes naturally to you.

There’s no set rule for the length of a sales letter. It should be long enough to cover everything you need to get across to your reader. However, it should always hold the readers interest, so make every word count.

As a rough guide, at a minimum, a letter over a page in length is advisable. We’ve written some successful sales letters that have been 13 pages long. It’s all to do with the content and whether the letter can hold interest of the reader.

Dual Readership Path

When you’re writing a letter, it’s important to think of the type of reader that’s going to be reading your letter. There are two different types of reader:

1. The Skimmer (impulsive buyer)

This type of reader will skim read your letter. They’ll be attracted to your headline, subheadings, photos and anything bold and obvious.

2. The Analytical buyer

These readers are likely to take more time over your letter. They like to know all of the facts and details before committing to buying. They’ll read the whole of your letter before making a decision.

Now the trick is to write a sales letter that targets both of these readers. You’ll need to make sure that the heading, subheading and anything else you include, aside from the main body of copy makes sense as a stand-alone piece.

The skimmer should be able to read the simmer hotspot areas and understand exactly what you’re offering in your letter.

Skim reading hotspots

Headline
Subheadings
Images / captions
Offers
Order instructions
The P.S

By writing your letter to accommodate both types of reader, you’re increasing your chances of sales success!

What should be included in a sales letter?

It’s important to note that no two sales letters will ever be the same. As a general rule, the following elements can be included in a sales letter.

Headline
Opening paragraph
Problem
Solution to the problem (your product / service)
Testimonials
Accomplishments / Photos
Can to action
Offer/Incentive/Guarantee/Deadline
The Close
It’s important to powerfully reiterate your offer
P.S
A great story is always read

If you’re trying to get a ready hooked, including a story in your copy can be a great way of doing this. As humans, we’re all hardwired to love stories.

A good tale to tell would be the difference your product or service has made to someones life.