Writing an effective sales letter is very important in making online sales, and yet it isn’t a particularly easy thing to do. It is one area of an online business where many marketers (even experienced ones) will outsource to professional copywriters. It is always better to do these things yourself if you possibly can so it is an important skill to learn.
How do you get across to your reader the value of what you are offering. The key issue is to communicate the benefits of the product. It is often recommended that you begin by making a list of possible benefits which will then act as a sort of framework for your letter. We are usually selling to a customer’s desires rather than their needs so our letter must hit the spot by fanning that desire into a raging inferno; – a bit over the top there, but I’m sure you know what I mean.
It is then a question of prioritising the benefits and thinking out the best way to present each one. We never want to resort to hyperbole or exaggeration but to place each benefit before a reader rather than beating them over the head with it. Readers will soon become bored and switch off if they feel they are being shouted at!
In an earlier article I wrote about the importance of the headline. That is the first thing the potential customer will see on your sales letter so it must catch their attention. To use one of the key benefits of the product within the headline will certainly help. A sub-headline could then be used to qualify that in some way. If you don’t connect with your reader at that point, they will be up and gone in no time at all.
Intersperse your text with sub-headers each of which should emphasise a different benefit. These will also break up the letter into bite-sized pieces making it more readable. The text after each sub-header will then reinforce that benefit. Don’t let the language you use become too formal or regimented, keep it fairly informal but emotive. The reader must get the sense that you really believe in your product; people will not care what you know if they don’t know that you care. The message you need to communicate is not that your reader ought to buy your product but that the customer must but your product; – that they will be missing out if they don’t.
Try to put yourself in the place of the reader and anticipate the sort of questions they will be asking themselves at any point; try to give the answers in your writing. Keep focussing on the benefits and bring the features of the product into the discussion only as a secondary issue where it seems appropriate. Remember, you are appealing to their wants rather than to their needs. If you have any relevant anecdotes, stories from real life, use them as it will help to communicate with your reader.
The final section of your letter should prompt your reader to take action in some way. Whether this is to click a link to find out more or make a purchase give a good reason to ACT NOW! This may be achieved by setting a time limit on your offer or by giving a free bonus gift if they respond by a certain date. If you make the latter option ensure that the bonus gift is a genuine quality item and not just a make-weight. Be fair to your potential customers at all times. If they eventually become customers you want them to stick around on your list. If they feel they are being short-changed they will be gone.
Before signing off add in the money-back guarantee, an essential feature in any online business offer. If people are going to part with their money to someone they have never met they will be far more likely to do so if they know that there is no financial risk involved. They must know that if they are not happy with your product they can get their money back.
After signing yourself off it is a good idea to add a “PS” which will usually be a reminder of a key benefit and to reinforce the ACT NOW! I have seen sales letters with as many as three separate additions, “PS”, “PPS” & “PPPS”. One “PS” is certainly recommended, whether you feel the need to add any more is down to you and whether you feel your potential customer needs it.
To summarise the main points of this article;
- Address a readers wants not their needs
- Express the benefits of the product rather than the features
- Begin with an eye-catching headline which includes a key benefit
- Use sub-headers to break up the letter into sections, ideally with one benefit to each section
- Include an “ACT NOW” incentive
- Offer an unconditional money-back guarantee
- Finish with at least one “PS”
One final thought, try to put yourself in the position of the reader and see things from their perspective rather than from your own.
Good luck with your business.