1. Tailor Letterhead
If you’re using company letterhead for direct mail, tailor it to your requirements. The name of the company and the sale benefit must be highlighted. If you want people to email you, the email address should stand out. If you want them to call, make the phone number prominent. Use the footer as a place to upsell by drawing attention to a trade association or quality control mark. Keep the legal information as small as possible.
2. Postal responses
Do you want potential customers to reply to you by email? Include a prepaid envelope.
3. Long letters
Don’t be afraid to write long letters (more than one page). No one will buy something without enough information to make a decision. Keep selling until you run out of outlets. Every word should be relevant, without rambling.
4. Be friendly
Address your letter to someone you know if possible because it shows you care who they are. Second best is to address them for their work or interest, for example. ‘Dear dog owner’. The worst greeting is ‘Dear Sir/Madam’.
Sign up friendly. Instead of having a secretary sign the letter on her behalf, sign it yourself. Include your first name and a friendly title. ‘Customer Services Manager’ says your company cares about its customers.
5. Powerful headlines
At the top of the letter, write a headline that communicates the main benefit of the product. It gives the potential customer a reason to keep reading. Keep it clear and simple – think communication, not clever wordplay.
6. Powerful openings
Grab your reader’s attention. Study magazine and newspaper articles. How do they do that? It works? Use your research. Here’s a list of letter openers to get you started: http://www.procopytips.com/sales-letter-openers
7. Subtitles
Subtitles make the lyrics digestible. Each subheading must sell the product.
8. Ask for what you want
Don’t beat around the bush. If you want your reader to buy your soap operas, tell them. If you want them to subscribe, ask them to sign up (and make it very easy). Ask right away, don’t leave it until the middle of the letter.
9. Talk about benefits
Learn the difference between features and benefits. Instead of saying ‘the X65 mower has a cylinder of sixty rotating blades’, say ‘the X65 mower develops a healthy lawn in a matter of weeks’. Decide what is the most important benefit and put it first. All other benefits follow.
10. Make it personal
Address the reader as if you were sitting next to him. Do it for them and not for you. Every time you type ‘we’ try to change it to ‘you’.
11. Emphasize important points
Emphasize important words using bold or underline, but don’t overdo it or you’ll lose power. Indentation to emphasize key paragraphs.
12. Make sure the lyrics flow
Guide the reader gently from one point to another. The sentences must be linked (‘what’s more…’, ‘but…’) and the ideas must be arranged in a logical order.
13. Prompt the reader to act
Your letter should end with a ‘call to action’. Now (hopefully!) you’ve convinced the reader to make it easier for them to act. Don’t complicate it by providing many alternatives that involve decisions. Give an incentive too: ‘respond before August 20 and you’ll receive a free watch’.
14. Provide reinsurance
Make sure the reader knows they can’t lose. For example, say that you won’t accept payment until the product has been shipped or that you won’t be charged for 60 days.
15. Use a PS
When you receive a letter, do your eyes go directly to the PS? The same goes for your reader’s. There should be a new ‘just remembered’ perk here to seal the sale.
16. Make it a package
You don’t have to send a letter by itself. A creative pack is likely to generate a higher response rate. You can include a sample of your product or a promotional item that will be a constant reminder of your company, for example. a coaster for drinks or a pen.
17. Includes a response device
Prepaid postcards with checkboxes make life easier for potential customers. If you can print your name and address for them, so much the better. Assure people that a salesperson will not call and that they are under no obligation to buy.
18. Includes a backrest
Feedback from satisfied customers is very helpful, as are market research statistics: “85% of our customers have used us for more than 2 years.” Always be truthful. Never be tempted to lie; doing so misleads your customers and undermines your reputation.
19. Engage the reader
Ask rhetorical questions: ‘What would you do if…? Write down questions potential customers might ask and answer them: ‘How much will it cost?’ Please provide an example of a company or individual who reaped the benefits of your product: ‘When James & Son bought our product, they halved their production costs in one week.’
20. Overcome objections
Make a list of all the possible reasons why your customer might not have to buy. Decide how you would respond to these objections and put them in your letter. For example: ‘I can’t afford it now’ could be solved with an easy payment plan. If you think people will want to compare offers with other providers, provide a comparison chart.
