How to write a great sales letter

By Ben Hart

   (for more by Ben, go to Google)

Sell just one thing

Never try to sell two things in a direct mail package or sales presentation.  The mind can grasp one thing at most.  You would never want to say, “From me, you can buy a BMW or toothpaste.”

Sell one product, one service.  And be as specific as possible.  Specialists make more money than generalists.  Neurosurgeons make more money than general practitioners.  The more narrow your focus, the better defined you will be.  People want a plumber to fix their plumbing problem, not a jack-of-all-trades handyman.

Narrow is the gate to paradise.  Focus your message like a laser.  And keep it simple. 

By the way, catalogues are not an exception to this rule. 

Catalogues, of course, sell more than one thing.  They sell many different items.  But successful catalogues are really selling one overarching idea or theme.  Successful catalogues sell one image, one theme, one concept.  And all the products should fit into that theme, or USP. 

So, in the final analysis, even catalogues must sell a single, narrow overarching theme to be successful, and not try to be all things to all people (for example, Sharper Image, LL Bean, Lands’ End).  The more a catalogue company diverts from its single easy-to-understand theme and tries to become all things to all people, the quicker it will fail—for example, Sears.

Give away your ideas and products

This is a theme I come back to over and over again because I believe it’s so important.

Don’t be afraid to give away your products and ideas for free.

If what you are selling is good, especially if it’s really great, give your ideas and products away.  Your customers won’t be able to get enough.

How do drug dealers create drug addicts? They give the stuff away—for a while.  If a company launches a new brand of coffee, they give it away—for a while.  If you were to launch a new sport that no one had heard of, you would let people experience it for free—for a while.

Your sales letters, proposals, and sales materials are show-and-tell presentations.  So you will need to give away some valuable information.  Sure, some of your prospects will steal your ideas and not pay you for them.  That’s just the cost of doing business.  There are some people out there who want whatever they can get for free—the “something for nothing crowd.”  But you will also find gold out there, those who will appreciate you for your work and what you can do and who will be more than happy to pay you.

My #1 rule for success in business is to focus not on your own problems and your own needs, but on helping others fix their problems.  If you do that well, your problems will be fixed along the way.  So don’t worry that some of your prospects will just rip-off your ideas and some of your services and not pay you for them.

My response to that is simply to say, “Glad I helped.”  And isn’t it best if you find out early what people are like early, rather than find out later when they might owe you a lot of money?

The importance of headlines

Headlines are absolutely essential for grabbing the attention of the reader.  Headlines are what people read to see if they have any interest in what you have to say.

The headline writers at the New York Post and National Inquirer are masters of the craft.  People buy these newspapers entirely because of the headlines.  And people read the articles because they want the details that justify such amazing headlines.

Headline writing is critical in all sales and marketing copy.  Here are some fill-in-the-blank headline formulas that you might find useful.

“21 Rules for Writing Headlines That Sell”

“Seven Predictions for 2008 that can Change Your Life”

“Eleven secrets of successful investing”

“I lost 10 pounds in 10 days”

“How moving to Nevada saved my company
$1,000,000 the first year”

“How I slashed $50,000 off my income tax bill”

“How I’m able to spend my day at the office in the nude”

“Why I’ll never let my kids sit in a classroom”

“The #1 Mistake Made By Parents”

“Why my 10-year old boy would rather read a
book than watch TV”

“How I beat cancer by knowing what questions to
ask my doctor”

“How I solved my sex problems without Viagra
or any other drug”

“How I put excitement back in my marriage”

“How I got my wife to stop nagging me and
start praising me”

“How I motivated myself to get in shape”

“How you can look like this and never lift a weight”

“If you like to write, I can teach you how to make $30,000 a month from home”

“WARNING: ___________”

“WARNING: 138,000 middle managers just like you will lose their jobs in 2008”

“WARNING: The company you work for has already spent your retirement”

“WARNING: You will probably be sued for everything you’re worth within the next 36 months”

“WARNING: The Stock Market Will Drop 30%”

“How to Stop Your Divorce”

“How to Double Your Dating”

“35 rules for staying in the lives of your
kids when they grow up”

Can you see the pattern?

These headlines are aimed at hooking the reader. 

Notice that nearly every one of these headlines taps into a fear or an anxiety people have.  The word “secret” is an attention-getter.  People want secrets.  I would like to know the secret to a consistent golf swing that will produce consistently straight shots. 

The word “hidden” is another word that triggers interest.  People want to know where the “hidden” treasure is.  Hidden implies almost no one knows about it.  I just need a map.  I just need someone to tell me where this “hidden” treasure is.

“How To . . .” and “How I . . .” are often good ways to start a headline.  Also numbering the ways or items in your headline can be effective: “Seven Habits of Successful People.” A number suggests that the program is limited, definable, achievable.  “If I do these seven things, I will be successful.  I just need to complete the program,” are the thoughts we try to trigger here.

And notice, too, that the headlines always create mystery and intrigue, telling the casual reader what the big benefit is without giving away any answers.  The headline tells the reader, “Here’s what this letter is about.  But you’ll need to read it to find the answer to your problem and to satisfy your desire.”

By the way, your letter should include some actual answers.  Some professional direct mail sales letter writers make the mistake of having their entire letter be almost nothing but headlines and intriguing statements with no real answers.

Your letter does need to deliver the goods, or your reader will just be frustrated.  Your reader will see you as just another skilled huckster, probably with nothing much of real value to offer.

Never be afraid to give away some of your product.  Those who like it will want more.  In addition, they will trust you.

Write as people actually speak in everyday life

In your marketing letters, use regular conversational language. 

Don’t write as your high school English teacher or your college English professor would want you to write. 

Write as people actually speak when having a conversation on a street corner.  I write my letters as I would write to my mom or a close friend.  I now write at a sixth grade level, not because people are unintelligent, but because people simply don’t have the time or patience to figure out what I am trying to say. 

They don’t have time to unscramble the King’s English.

Your mission is not to impress your reader with your intelligence.  Your mission as a sales writer is to communicate your message as simply and directly as possible.

Always maintain the personal tone of your letter.  Instead of saying “we” or “us” use the word “I.”  Letters should be one-on-one communications.

The phrase “you and I” can be found throughout all my letters.  It can sound redundant at times, but the “you and I” phrase is essential for making letters sound personal. 

I think the best direct marketing copywriters are people with blue-collar backgrounds who are used to talking with longshoremen, construction workers, and people at sports bars (where I like to hang out).  The best direct marketing copywriters are not people with Ivy League educations, or even any college education.  A salesman who sells vacuum cleaners door to door and is used to talking with housewives everyday about his product would likely make an excellent direct marketing copywriter. 

A direct marketing copywriter need not be able to deliver an esoteric lecture to a room full of college professors.  In fact, anyone who can do that should probably select a field other than direct mail or direct marketing copywriting.  A sales copywriter must know how to have a casual conversation with average, everyday folks who have everyday concerns and problems.

Write a package, not just a letter

The letter is the heart of your direct mail package. 

The letter is certainly the most important element of your package.  But your package contains other key components, including an order form or reply form and a carrier envelope at a bare minimum.

I almost always include a variety of inserts, perhaps photographs, testimonials, a certificate highlighting the money-back guarantee, perhaps some kind of lift note, a manila folder full of press clippings on the product, a FAQ booklet, maybe even a CD, DVD, or VHS video tape.

Your direct mail marketing piece is a show-and-tell presentation. 

These principles apply to your Internet letters as well.

No matter what element of the package the reader picks up, the reader should be hit over the head with the same message.  Never have different messages and different themes conveyed with your inserts. 

With every direct mail offer, you must market one and only one concept, one Big Idea.  Keep your message simple and focused.  The purpose of every element of the package is to underscore the one single overarching reason you are writing.

Some inserts can reinforce different aspects of the one Big Idea you are selling.  For example, testimonials and track records show the reader that your product has a history of achieving all the great things you are claiming. 

But testimonials and track records must be directly on point with the theme of your letter.  If the focus of your organization is finding a cure for cancer, don’t insert a track record on your success with assisting hospitalized veterans. 

Any insert or enclosure that is off point, even slightly, will distract and confuse your readers, can undermine your credibility, and will depress returns.

Generate emotion

People buy more from impulse than from careful analysis of all facts.  They buy it because they want it.  Sure, you need facts, arguments, reasons, and logic.  But these things alone will leave the reader feeling cold.

Most great salesmen not only know their product thoroughly, they are excited about their product; they have stories to tell about folks who have bought the product and the great things the product has done for them.  Great salesmen are likeable, believable people who are comfortable talking with longshoremen, housewives, doctors, or college professors.  Great salesmen are happy, optimistic people.  Their enthusiasm is genuine and contagious.  People like to be around them.

Let’s say you are selling what we usually think is a drab product, let’s say electronic equipment.  Now, what most people will tell you they care about most is, “Will it work and is the price good?”  Until recently, most computers were packaged in functional, not especially attractive, gray boxes.  Most computers looked pretty much the same.

But then Apple Computers did something that helped its computers fly off the shelves.  Apple started putting its computers in attractive brightly-colored boxes.  Apple changed the packaging of its computers.  Apple theorized that people not only want their computers to work, they also want their computers to look good, to look hip.  Computers today have become a form of jewelry.  When people take their laptops out at Starbucks to start typing away, they want their computers to look cool, snazzy, zippy, high tech.  Even the appearance of electronic equipment counts and can dramatically affect sales.  Apple tapped into the “feelings” side of the brain.

How do you do this in print?

All kinds of ways.

You can do it with a challenge, perhaps even vaguely insulting your reader:

“When are you going to finally get tired enough of being fat to do
something about it?”

This will certainly create an emotional response, and might be the right approach for selling gym memberships.

Here’s another approach:

Three years ago I buried my eight-year-old son Jimmy. 

He was killed when he got his hands on a neighbor’s handgun that was not properly stored and locked.  The gun was loaded, went off and killed my son.

I have dedicated the last three years of my life to developing a gun safe that can only be opened with a handprint, the handprint of the owner of the gun. 

I am not at all anti-gun. 

I believe strongly in the Second Amendment.  But I also believe that with rights come responsibilities.  We gun owners have a duty to make sure our guns are stored safely.

I am convinced that this safe can make gun-owner homes safe homes for children, and will help prevent more tragedies, such as happened in our
family.

Can you see how an approach like this does not rely on hype and screaming at the reader?

Emotion is created by the details, the facts, and the story.  Note also that the writer is very clear that he is not anti-gun-owner—essential when selling a product to gun-owners.

Skillful story telling, carefully selected and choreographed details generate emotion and feeling, cause your reader to pay close attention, and set the stage for getting the order.

Seven words or less

Approach all your direct mail letters, ads, and marketing materials with this thought in mind: 

If you can’t sum up your basic message in one seven-word (or shorter) sentence, your letter, your sales pitch is probably doomed.  You should ask yourself: “Can I fit my central message on a bumper sticker?”  If not, stop writing.  You’ll be wasting your time and money. 

The people you’re writing to are very busy.  They receive a lot of mail every day.  They’re thinking about things other than the product or service you’re writing about.  You need to get their attention.  If you can’t convey your message or offer in about three seconds, your letter is headed for the circular file.  Don’t ask your reader to try to figure out what you’re trying to say. 

You must be able to convey your main message instantly with headlines, on your reply form, in your P.S., and in the first sentence of your letter.  These are the places your readers will glance at first to decide whether they should keep reading or pitch your letter in the trash.

The all-important start of your letter

The first line is the most important line in the letter—in fact, in the
entire package.  I will sometimes think for hours, even days about the all-important first line.

If I have the right first line, very often the rest of the letter is easy to write.  It almost seems to write itself.  Every sentence flows so easily if you’ve started with the right first sentence.

You know you’ve chosen the wrong first sentence if the rest of the letter is very difficult to write.  In fact, if your letter is difficult to write, chances are it will be difficult for your reader to understand.  You should probably just stop writing and go back to the drawing board.

The first sentence is like the foundation upon which you build a house.  If the foundation is wrong, the entire structure will collapse. 

The all-important job of the first sentence is to interest your reader enough that she continues to read your letter.  Your first sentence must be so captivating that it’s more difficult to stop reading than to keep reading.

That’s no easy task.  Here are some approaches I use:

1. The damaging admission

I have never been more upset with
myself than when I started reading this book.

That’s because I now know I have wasted half of my working life pursuing a wrong approach to my business and professional life.

But the good news is it was not too late to change my strategy.

*  *  *

I have not had much success working with Fortune 500 companies.

That’s because I have little patience with meetings, bureaucracy, and the snail-like pace at which decisions are made.

I work best with entrepreneurs and small business people who are as impatient as I am, and who demand immediate results.

* * *

If an idiot like me can write ads that take in more than $50,000, then I’m betting you can too.

* * *

If a person of average intelligence like me can earn $400,000 a year sitting in my boxer shorts on the couch tapping away on my laptop computer keyboard, I’ll bet you can too.

2.  A startling, frightening statement

If your child is still lagging behind his peers in school by the fourth grade, he will likely lag behind his peers for the rest of his life.

Now is the time to take action if you think your child is falling behind.

                   * * *

If you are 15 pounds overweight, the odds are your life will be 10 years shorter.

3. The proposition

·         “If you will give me just 30 minutes of your time a month, I will show you how to double your income in less than a year.”

·     “If you are a non-smoker, you can save 50% a year on life insurance.”

·     “If your firm needs temporaries, we’ll give you your first temp for free.”

·     “If you’ve written a book, we’ll show you how to get it published.”

·     “If you’ll give me a few minutes of your time, I’ll show you how to collect from
Social Security no matter what your age.”

4. A question that engages the reader

·     “If I could show you how you can add 20 yards to your drive in just six swings, would you be interested?”

·     “Did you know there are still some people who do not know that . . .?”

·     “Do you fear public speaking?”

5. A question that puts your reader on the spot

·     “How much do you love your family?  Enough to make sure they are financially secure in the event something happens to you?”

·     “Are you ashamed of the smells in your kitchen?”

·     “Are you embarrassed to try for high-paying jobs because of your poor vocabulary?”

·     “What step will you take first if your profits drop this year by 15%?”

·     “Are you respected by your employees, or do they laugh at you behind your back?”

·     “Does your low income embarrass you?”

6. Breaking news

·     “I have just finished attending a conference of the world’s leading oncologists, and I have some news for you about the
latest treatments for cancer.”

·     “Because of your excellent credit rating, we are raising your credit limit to $25,000.”

·     “Congratulations.  You have been admitted to Harvard.”

7. The mysterious preview

“If you will just give me six minutes of your time and read my entire letter, I expect it will be the most profitable six minutes of your life.”

8. Reliance on experts

·     “What do doctors use when they have headaches?”

·     “What does Tiger Woods do when his swing goes off track?”

·     “As the team doctor for the New York Yankees, _______is what I give the players for their muscle aches.”

9. Rooting for the underdog

·     “They laughed when they saw me strap on a snowboard, but not when they saw me come down the mountain like a pro.”

·     “They chuckled when I volunteered to test my skills against my judo teacher, but their laughs turned to amazement when he was lying on the mat.”

10. Riveting story that can be told instantly

“Three years ago, my wife died of lung cancer.  Had I known then what I know now, she would still be alive.”

11. Bestow honor

·         “Congratulations!  Because of your outstanding record as a_______, you have been awarded . . .”

·         “Because of your excellent credit rating, you are among a handful of people who are being awarded a Platinum Card.”

12. Prestigious invitation

·         “Congratulations!  Because of your exemplary academic record at Jefferson High School, you have been nominated by your teacher, Mrs. Joan Smith, to be a delegate to the National Young Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C., this fall.”

·         “Because you are a key leader in law enforcement, you are invited to participate in the White House Conference on Counter-Terrorism.”

·         “Congressman Jim Smith requests the honor of your presence at _______.”

14. Free gift incentive to act now

·         “I have two tickets to the Yankees-Red Sox for you, but I’ll need to know by Tuesday if you can use them.”

·         “You’ve won a free trip for two to Las Vegas.  It includes non-stop airfare and two nights at the spectacular
Mirage hotel.  All you have to do is call by Thursday, May 23, to pick up your e-tickets and hotel reservation confirmation number.”

13. Attention-getting enclosure

·         “I have enclosed this $1 bill both to get your attention for my letter and to highlight how much it will cost you to become a 21st Century Broadband home for 60 days.”

·         “I have enclosed this DVD for you
because I knew you would not otherwise believe your son can learn the fundamentals of baseball in just seven days at my camp.”

·         “I am sending you this $10,000 check made payable to RST that will allow you to pay for your first mailing with RST.”

·         “I am sending you a free signed copy of my new book which I hope you will read before you arrive at my seminar on October 12.”

·         “I have enclosed a check in the amount of your first month’s car payment. Just bring it to me before August 1 for your free test drive of the new _______.”

14. Action and involvement      

·         “If you will complete the enclosed survey and mail it back to me by July 3, I will send you my new book.”

·         “You have been specially selected to
participate in the enclosed survey for
Congress on the threat of . . .”

·         “I hope you have the courage to Test your I.Q. online by going to IQTest.com to see if you might qualify to . . .”

·         “I encourage you to complete the enclosed application to see if you might qualify
to enroll in The Screenplay Writers
Institute.”

Notice that many of these sentences combine techniques and strategies, and they could be put in more than one of these categories.  To write powerful leads, first, tap into as many emotions and desires as you possibly can.  Then get to, or at least hint at, what you are offering or the opportunity you are presenting, while at the same time creating enough intrigue and mystery so that your reader has little choice but to keep reading.

Can you see how none of these leads scream at the reader?

These leads are all factual, no empty hype like “I have an incredible
offer for you.”

      Empty hype words like “incredible” and “amazing” are, in fact, the quickest way to ensure your reader stops reading.  If you always write with the attitude that your readers are as smart, or smarter, than you are, you will have a far more success.

                           Get to the point immediately

 Has a salesman ever come to your door and stood there talking with you for minutes without saying why he’s there?

He asks you how you are doing.  He talks about the weather.  He comments on how nice your house is and how nice your kids are.  You then finally ask, “What are you selling?” . . . if you haven’t slammed the door in his face with an “I’m not interested.”

The reality is, as soon as your readers open your envelope and see your letter, they instantly know they are being pitched—sold something.  And they won’t take more than about three seconds to figure out what you’ve got to sell.  They aren’t going to read a page or two to find out what your pitch is about.

They’ll judge it by the first sentence.

James Bond movies always start with a great action sequence.  Never will a James Bond movie start with a long-winded conversation.  Opera fans do not go to operas to hear singers clear their throats.  They go for the performance.

Your readers want the performance to start with the first sentence.

The power of the word “mistake”

The word “mistake” has the magic quality of making whatever it is you are saying more interesting.

If you say, “Let me tell you about a serious mistake I made that cost me a lot of money,” ears will immediately perk up.

Would you rather listen to someone boast about his great achievements?  Or would you rather listen to someone talk about his own mistakes as a way to help you avoid making the same mistakes?

People also want to hear about costly mistakes they might be making.

Try incorporating the word “mistake” in your lead sentences and headlines, and see what happens. 

Here are a few ideas you might borrow:

·         “Have you made any of these investment mistakes?”

·         “Don’t make this mistake when choosing someone to fix your roof.”

·         “Would you like to identify and correct the single biggest mistake in your golf swing in just 10 minutes?”

·         “Are you among the 90% of parents who make this same mistake when talking to your children?”

·         “Here’s a mistake I’ll bet you’re making every day in your marriage.”

·         “Here’s one mistake I hope you never make with your career.”

·         “Here are the 10 most common mistakes surgeons make in the operating room.”

·         “I made a big mistake in not writing to you sooner.”

·         “Let me tell you about the biggest marketing mistake I made that cost me a lot of money and nearly bankrupted me.  I don’t want you to make the same mistake.”

·         “I made a serious mistake. I apologize.”

People love hearing about mistakes.  But using the word “mistake” is especially powerful when talking about your own mistakes.

“For years I was making the same mistakes in my workout and exercise routine.  Even though I was going to the gym four times a week, I couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t getting any stronger.  And than I discovered . . .”

You might then follow this introduction with these kinds of questions: “Does this sound familiar?  Are you making this same mistake?”

I’m sure you’ve noticed that the best way to diffuse your customer or client’s anger with you is to immediately admit your mistake, followed by an apology.  Something along these lines: “I apologize for my mistake.  As my way to try to make amends, I have enclosed two tickets for the New York Giants football game.”

When a baseball manager apologizes for making a comment that could be interpreted as racist, when he goes on TV and says: “I am truly sorry for my mistake.  It was a very stupid choice of words.  I did not intend to hurt anyone,” people sympathize with the poor fellow who has just been fired from his job.  They forgive him if he admits his mistake.

My banker recently made a big mistake with my money.  I had asked him to transfer a sizeable sum of money by wire to one of my mailshops.  He transferred the wrong amount, adding an extra zero. 

Yikes!

The money went out.

When I ran into the bank in a panicked frenzy because my entire bank account had been drained and pointed out the error, the banker made the mistake of trying to blame me for his mistake.  He said, “That’s what you told me to send . . .” even though the written record of the transaction had the correct amount.

Everyone makes mistakes.  I was far less annoyed with his mistake than I was by his effort to try to blame me (the customer!) for his mistake.  All he had to say was, “I’m very sorry for my mistake.  I’ll get the money back into your account immediately.”

Talk about a really bad sales tactic!

The word “mistake” has many uses.  It’s a powerful word to keep in mind for all your marketing and customer relations efforts.

The word helps establish your credibility and trustworthiness.  It’s an almost magic word that automatically makes whatever you’re saying worth listening to. 

You can’t sell by boring your reader

 Fascinating facts, shocking details, riveting narratives keep people listening and reading.

People aren’t going to watch a boring movie or finish reading a boring book.  The easiest thing for any reader to do is to stop reading and to go on to something else.

Facts and statistics leave everyone cold.  What people want is flesh and blood—human stories.  People magazine, National Inquirer, and Star are popular publications because they report gossip on famous people.  People are interested in people.

In your opinion, which of the following is the better way to communicate your point?

         “350,000 people die of cancer every year.”

                                                        Or . . .

“I’m sending you a photo of my little eight-year-old friend, Jimmy, who died from cancer today.”

Reciting statistics and numbers is death in direct mail sales copy.  Statistics are impersonal.  It’s one thing to say six million Jews died in the Holocaust.  It’s quite another to watch “Schindler’s List,” read the Diary of Anne Frank, or visit the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., where you will see, hear, read, and feel the stories of actual people.

Statistics leave no impression on the brain.  Statistics leave the reader uninvolved.

Now you may want to include a few statistics in your direct mail letter to back up some of your claims.  And sometimes statistics can be
interesting if they are shocking or surprising.  But usually not.

Your letter certainly does need to appeal to the brain part of your reader, not just to triggering emotions.  But statistics and numbers will not move your reader to buy . . . or even to read further.  A stunning story about a real person will.  The right story about an actual person will pull your reader into your presentation.

Copy aimed at the heart will always out-pull copy aimed at the mind.  Jesus knew this.  He used parables, stories that made his points.  He did not approach us with data.  He did not say 3,000,000 people went to Hell today—though that statement might certainly have gotten the riveted and focused attention of his audience.  Remember, your goal is not to win a debate with your reader.  Your goal is to move the emotion or impulse side of the brain in such a way that they will buy.

But if you feel you absolutely must use a statistic in your letter to show the magnitude of the problem, try something like this:

Imagine if the September 11 attack on
America happened 100 times a year. 

Imagine terrorists flying planes into our buildings, killing 3,000 people twice a week. 

But that’s exactly what cancer is doing: killing 6,000 people every single week.

This is far more powerful than simply saying, “350,000 people die of cancer every year” . . . because here you are connecting a number to an actual event you know your reader has experienced.  You are giving meaning to the number.  September 11 was a shocking event for every American.  It was an emotional event.

Now you are pointing out that cancer causes just as catastrophic an event more than 100 times a year, every year.  By connecting your pitch to an event like what happened on September 11, a catastrophic event we all experienced, you are providing a graphic visual image of the horrifying carnage cancer leaves in its wake each day.  You are tapping into your reader’s emotions.  You are getting your reader involved, in a personal way, to show the magnitude of the crisis you are writing about.

You can then go into your program for how your reader can avoid this catastrophe in her life.

The all-important P.S.

After your reader has read the first line of your letter, the next place she’ll likely look is the P.S. 

In fact, many people read the P.S. first, because they know that’s where they will find the bottom line of why you’re writing to them. 

The P.S. summarizes the action you want your reader to take and restates the offer.  Try not to simply repeat lines from the letter, but don’t depart from your theme either.  Keep the P.S. focused and on point.

Remind the reader of the need for the immediate arrival of the check, order, or reservation.  I always include a deadline date for the order and explain the reason for the deadline. 

The P.S. should also remind the reader about the money-back guarantee.  The P.S. is a great place to offer your reader instant gratification by providing a toll-free 1.800 number and online order options so your reader can order immediately and perhaps have the product delivered overnight.

Force an answer

Do everything in your creative power to force your reader to respond in some way.

Ask your reader to send back an answer to your letter—”Yes” or “No.”

Asking for a response one way or the other requires the reader to make a decision.  You want to give your reader reasons to answer now—to make a decision.

The worst answer for a salesman is “I’ll think about it and get back to you later.”  That means the answer is “no.”

But the prospect is also keeping his options open.  The easiest answer for your prospect to give is “maybe.”

By requiring a “yes” or “no” answer on the spot, you are forcing your prospect to face a moment of truth.  “If I answer no, I’ll miss this opportunity forever” is the thought you must create in the mind of the prospect.  The last thing you want your prospect to think is, “There’s no hurry.  There’s no need for me to make a decision right now.”

I’ve seen women take exactly this approach with men.  “You either ask me to marry you now, or that’s it.  No more waiting.  Tonight we will go out to dinner.  If I don’t have a ring on my finger by the end of dessert, I’m gone.  Finito.  You’ll never see me again.”

“Yikes!” the guy thinks.  “I guess she’s not going to let me string her along for another eight years.  I better rush out and get that ring.”

A weak salesman does not like forcing this moment of truth, or requiring a “yes” or “no” answer on the spot.  A weak salesman believes that if he does not get a “no” answer, he still has a chance to make the sale later.

Wrong.  He has very little chance of making any sales with this
approach . . . because most people would rather never commit until they absolutely must.  A strong salesman knows that forcing a moment of truth and requiring a decision on the spot will certainly produce more definitive “no” answers.  But he will also force many more “yes” answers—many more sales.

There are many methods of forcing a decision.  You might say in the P.S. “If you decide not to subscribe, would you mind writing me a note telling me why?”  Or, “If you decide not to subscribe, please just write ‘I am not subscribing’ across the order form and mail it back to me.  That way I will know you received and read my letter, and I won’t bother you again.”

I’m sure you’ve seen the “Yes” and “No” sticker on offers that come through the mail.  The marketer here is trying to force you to make “yes” or “no” decision.

I’m not a big fan of these stickers.  They don’t look like a real moment of truth to me.  But that’s the effect these marketers are attempting to create in the minds of their readers.

In a fundraising solicitation I mailed, I asked supporters of the
organization to return the booklet of “Monthly Gift coupons” and the
accompanying “set of 12 reply envelopes” if they had decided not to participate in the monthly giving program I was promoting. 

Many of those who elected to return the booklets included a one-time gift.  Many of those who returned the booklets were too embarrassed to do so with no gift at all.

So in all your mailings and sales presentations, always think of ways to require a response one way or the other—to force a decision.

Why long letters usually work best?

Testing shows that long letters usually work better than short letters.  This is yet another example of how direct marketing is “counter-intuitive.”

Common sense would seem to dictate that short letters and short presentations would work better.  Who has time to read a four-page or eight-page letter?

But all testing shows otherwise.  Long works far better than short 85 percent of the time.  A four-page letter will work better than a two-page letter.  An eight-page letter will work better than a four-page letter. 

This is a general rule.  There are, of course, exceptions. 

The reason is this: About half the people who answer your letter with an order will have read every word.  The other half who answer will have scanned your materials.  The scanners read the first line, the P.S., and the reply form, your headlines, and perhaps some of your underlined phrases.  And they will review the guarantee.  Your scanners don’t need a long letter. 

But about half your buyers want all the information before they make a decision to buy.  These people can’t get enough information.  And if you fail to answer all their questions, they won’t buy.  You must write for both audiences: Your scanners as well as those who want all the information. 

Of course, there comes a point of diminishing returns.  A 16-page letter is overkill in most cases, and may drive your cost up too high, though I have written a number of very successful 16-page letters.  The fact that it’s 16 pages is enough to get a reader’s attention, and suggests that the writer must have a lot of important things to say. 

Generally, a 16-page letter will out-pull an eight-page letter, but not enough to make up for the increased cost. 

But there are important exceptions to this rule.  Subscription and membership renewal notices should be short and look more like invoices than letters.  A one- or two-page letter works best here and also keeps your cost lower. 

If the service, product, or cause does not need much explaining, a short letter will work best.  A dentist might send you a reminder that it’s been more than six months since your last check-up.  No need, in this case, for this notice to include a long letter describing all his services.

If the President of the United States is writing to his supporters asking for contributions for his reelection campaign, he does not need a long letter.  The need is obvious.  It does not require explaining.  Everyone knows who the President of the United States is.  Everyone knows political campaigns cost money.  Besides, a Presidential election is in the news everyday.  In a case like this, a long letter will be a distraction and will likely depress returns.

Credit card offers are usually short.  Everyone knows what a credit card is for.  All that needs to be explained is the offer.  What is the interest rate? What is the annual fee? What are some of the incentives and benefits?  This job can be done on one or two pages. 

Long letters will almost always work best in prospecting.  Since, in a prospect letter, you are writing to people who have never bought anything from you and who know nothing about you, more explaining will be needed to persuade your reader to try your service. 

Your letters to those who have already bought something from you can be a mix of long and short letters, whatever is appropriate.  The length of your letter should be determined by how much you have to say.  The rule is to answer all the questions your reader might have.  If this requires eight pages, write eight pages; if it requires four, write four. 

Don’t waste words.  Make your message simple and compelling.  Don’t bore your reader.  Pull the reader through the copy.  The easiest step a reader can take is to stop reading and go on to something else.  Your reader will know if you’re not saying anything of much importance.

Every word should count.  Every word, every phrase, every sentence should have a purpose.  All superfluous words and sentences should be ruthlessly cut.  But don’t cut copy just to make your letter fit on two pages or four pages either.  Tell the whole story. 

But there’s another side benefit of the long letter.  A very long letter, eight pages or more, is attention-getting in itself.  It adds weight and heft to your package.  Kind of makes your #10 envelope, stuffed full of paper, feel like a brick when it arrives in the mailbox.  “I wonder what’s in here?” your readers will ask themselves. 

Don’t write an 8- or 12- or 16-page letter just to do it.  Make certain you really have enough to say to fill up all this paper.  But the attention-getting aspect of a very long letter is a factor to consider.  Many of my most successful direct mail packages land with a thud when dropped on the kitchen table.

The longer you hold your reader’s attention,
the better your odds of getting the sale

The car salesman wants to keep you in the showroom. 

He knows that if you leave the showroom, the chance he will ever get the sale is almost nil.

If your reader puts your letter aside, thinking “I’ll come back to it later”—you can be near 100 percent certain she will never be back.  If she ever comes back, it’s a bonus.

On the other hand, if you can write in such a way that captivates your reader (like Stephen King writes), you have a great chance of getting the sale.  The longer your prospect reads, the better chance you have of getting the order.

There is only one reason your prospect will continue reading your letter: You are striking a chord with your reader.  What you are saying is of intense interest to your reader. 

Your reader will continue to read only if it’s more difficult for your reader to stop reading than to continue reading . . . because what you are saying is so fascinating.

Order forms and reply forms

The order form is your moment of truth. 

Will your reader pick it up and read it?  Will she act on your offer? 

Make your order form user friendly.  Make it as easy as possible to fill out and order your product.  The mistake people make in crafting order forms is to require too much information from the reader.

Many order forms I see (both on the Internet and that arrive in the mail) look like they were designed by the legal department or the
accounting office, certainly not the marketing people.

Ask for the absolute bare minimum of information you need to process the order.  Your order form should not frighten or turn off your reader.  It should not look tedious, or be a chore to fill out.

Order forms should look like order forms.

All the information should appear exactly where your reader will
expect to find it—not hidden somewhere, not in the fine print.  I hate fine print (the product of lawyers) on order forms.

Make sure your customer can easily find out how much to write out a check for and who to write the check to.  The money section is the most important section in the package.  The money section is of intense interest to your reader.  Make the money section easy to find, easy to read, and crystal clear. 

A reply form should include a headline that waves a flag at the reader concerning what the offer is about. 

The lead sentence, the P.S., and the reply form are the places the reader looks first. 

Of those who answer your letter, half will never read the entire letter.  They will make their decision to buy based on the first line, the P.S., and what they see on the order form.  Reply forms and order forms should contain all the action steps you want your reader to take.

Make it super easy to buy

Make it as easy as possible for your reader to order your product.  In all your mailings where you want an order or response of some kind, you should use a postage-paid reply envelope, either a business reply envelope (BRE) or a reply envelope with stamps already affixed. 

You never want your reader to put your letter aside because she does not have a stamp readily at hand.

If it makes economic sense, I like affixing actual postage stamps to
reply envelopes, rather than using the more customary BRE.  Very few people will ever throw away an envelope with live stamps on it, totaling the first class postage amount.  To throw this envelope away is like throwing away money, even if the only way you can use these stamps is to mail back this reply envelope—which is exactly what you want your reader to do.  But don’t just rely on people using the reply envelope to mail in a check with the order form filled out.

Include an option to pay by credit card, by phone, or online.  Be sure to include a toll-free 1.800 number and the Web address for an online
order form on all major components of your mailing.  Be sure your 1.800 number and the URL for your online order form are easy to find.

No matter what component of your package your readers are holding, a way to order easily and instantly should be staring them in the face and prominently displayed.

Keep it simple and clear

The instant your reader is confused by your presentation is the instant she will tune out.  Complexity is the enemy of sales.

In fact, complexity is the enemy of communication.

Sell just one thing.  Ask for one decision, not many decisions with lots of options.  Make your instructions clear, direct, and easy to follow. 

      Simple, clear sentences. 

      Simple, clear action steps. 

      Simple, clear order form. 

      Simple, clear headlines.

      Simple, clear reasons.

     Of course, learning how to write powerful sales letters is just one element of building a successful marketing machine.

That is . . . if you would like to learn how to build an Automatic Marketing machine that will put your selling on auto-pilot so that you can grow your business explosively without ever having to make another sales call.