Look around the Web and you'll find sales letters promoting just
about every kind of product and service imaginable. Some are
long, some are short, some are punchy, some are formal, some
work well and some simply don't work at all.
Writing a sales letter isn't a difficult task but unless you
avoid the five mistakes that far too many copywriters make, your
sales letters simply won't be pulling their weight.
1. Features Don't Sell
If your sales letter tells your visitors that the "amazing new
'whizzle' is being offered complete with 3-way tracking and an
incredible 6 Mb of storage" you won't really be telling them
very much at all.
Instead of concentrating on the product's features, focus the
reader's attention on the benefits the product offers them. They
want to know exactly how owning a 'whizzle' will improve their
lives. Will it help them lose weight, store their music
collection or find their car if it's stolen? If so, use the
sales letter to tell them!
2. Exaggeration
Ok, so advertising always contains an element of exaggeration
and Web-based sales letters are no exception, but don't let it
get out of hand. A sales letter that sounds too good to be true
will most likely be ignored so always stick with the truth while
getting those benefits across. In fact, a sales letter that
sounds 100% honest will be such a breath of fresh air that its
honesty alone will most likely make it a success.
3. Thinking the Reader is "Stupid"
Most people are intelligent and want to be treated as such. Far
too many sales letters talk down to the reader, offering them
every snippet of information with the proverbial teaspoon.
Once a reader starts to think: "Yes, yes, I understand that now
get on to the point", you'll most likely have lost a sale.
When writing sales letters, give your reader enough information
to leave him feeling that he's learned something, but give it in
a way that has him thinking he's picked it up without it being
explained in detail.
4. Bore... Bored... Boring Your Reader
Whether of not you're able to hold the reader's attention will
mean the difference between a killer sales letter and a sales
letter that just hangs around doing nothing much at all.
As with all forms of promotional business writing, a certain
amount of drama is needed in a sales letter in order to grab the
reader's attention and hold it throughout the message. Emotion
is also used for the same reason. BUT, too much drama and
emotion that isn't substantiated will become boring.
Appealing to the good nature of the reader in order to have him
donate money to your "save the garden slug fund" isn't going to
work unless you give him clear information about the slug and
what impact its loss would have on the environment/his
family/the economy.
While it's important that the main selling points of the product
or service are repeated several times throughout the sales
letter, it's crucial that the way in which the information's
presented differs each time. If miniature windmills "will
generate power for your home", they will also "create enough
energy to heat and light your home" as well as "save you
hundreds of dollars in energy bills".
5. Lack of Motivation
Why are you writing a sales letter? Because you want the reader
to buy a product, donate money, join a club or anything else
that requires him to do something. If the sales letter doesn't
motivate the reader to action, you've wasted both your time and
his.
Give the customer the opportunity to take action at several
points throughout the sales letter and ALWAYS end the letter
with a direct appeal. Click the link now! Ring today! If you
want them to do something, tell them what!
Now that you know what to avoid, writing sales letters should
become easier and the finished product far more effective.
Here's to sales that skyrocket and a prosperous future for all.
~~+~~+~~
About the author:
Sharon Jacobsen is a full-time freelance copywriter living in
South Cheshire, England. For a competitive fee she'll happily
write compelling sales letters to promote any product or
service.
To contact Sharon or to learn more about her work, please visit
her website at: www.sharon-jacobsen.co.uk
Written by: Sharon Jacobsen
Point Of Sale Products - Matthew Noel As a business owner your goal of selling to your customer can be
enhanced by the point of sale products that you use. The point
of sale is the area in which your customer comes to, in order to
pay for his or her items. Whether this is on the web,...
Turning Problems Into Profits And Solutions Into Sales - Noel Peebles TURNING PROBLEMS INTO PROFITS AND SOLUTIONS INTO SALES! By Noel Peebles People don’t buy products or services - they buy solutions to problems. They buy what those products or services will do for them. People don’t want you to sell them...
And Then The Sales Started Pouring In... - Shahnaz Rauf Hey buddy, lets go shopping to the internet mall. This shop looks cool c`mon lets step in. Goodness... why is the door so tight is the shop crowded? Cool... look at that gaudy interior. Yuks! those blinkers... It`s driving me crazy. What are...
Increase in Customer Sales = Increase in Customer Service - Maida M Barrientos
One of the most popular questions asked in online business forums or even by my customers and subscribers is this :
“How the hell can I increase my sales?”
or
“I’ve got tons of visitors but nobody seems to be buying anything? What...
