Any sales letter roughly follows the following sequence:
a. Image.
b. Headline.
c. Greeting.
d. Lead paragraph.
e. Body.
f. Closing.
The Image:
If there is a logo or design for your business, use it in the sales letter only if it is really pertinent to what you are offering. You are not selling your business logo; you are selling benefits that the buyer will realize if he buys your product or service. Use a specific image that is inherent to your headline, content, and theme, or do not use one at all. Stick to words as far as possible.
Job Of The Headline:
The headline is usually 3 – 30 words long. It should be catchy. It should grab the reader’s attention and tell him what the ad (sales letter) is about. Ideally, the job of the headline is to get the reader’s concentration, target the viewers, list an advantage, and make an assurance.
Greeting And Lead Paragraph:
Any sales letter that influences the reader has a possibility of being opened and read.
- Spin a yarn that the reader can identify with, using a conversational tone.
- Announce a new product or service, an exclusive event, or important news, flaunting your unique selling proposition.
- Speak to the reader as your equal: “Dear fellow car purchaser, are you aware of. . . ”
- You could start with something innovative, perhaps a quote or anecdote.
- You could start by identifying the reader’s problem, one that your product promises to solve.
- Ask a question that might excite the reader.
- Let the reader in on some secret or uncommon information.
You could use a sub-headline to answer a query posed in the headline. For example, Part A could say: “Want to lose 15 pounds within 3 weeks at an affordable price?” Part 2 could say: “Well, this is how you can do it . . . ”
Body Of The Letter:
The body copy should use the same tone and endure with the theme of the headline. You should persist highlighting the benefits and offer proof of the claim you made. Provide details of the benefits and the features. Build credibility. Your basic objective is to create a need or want for your products or services and make people do what you want them to.
Closing Or Call To Action:
If you solicit the reader to order, support, or to contact you for the particular cause, you must make it easy for him to reply. You must support the sales letter with a prepaid envelope and an order form. If not suitable, supply a toll-free telephone number, an email link, and/or your URL. Always thank the reader for his patience. Always use a postscript.
A Final Suggestion:
Getting the reader to spend his hard-earned money on you is the real challenge. The best way to ensure this is to use test readers. Test readers would be able to give their opinion if anything is missing in the letter.