5 Things to Know About Writing a Sales Letter

Contrary to popular belief, marketing involves much more than setting up a Facebook page, renting a billboard and running a few ads. Another valuable marketing tool that you can employ in your business is the sales letter. If you’re not familiar with the idea, think of it as a paper salesman. The purpose is to convince your audience to purchase a good or service.

Before you start writing your first (or your next) sales letter, here are five things you should know:

1.    Your customer’s main concern is his or her needs.

This one seems obvious, and is the most important consideration when writing a sales letter, but it is often overlooked. You have one page to turn a lead into a customer—use that space to tell them what they want to know (how your product or service is going to make their life easier or better), not what you think they should know.

2.    Your letter will be thrown away if it appears complicated or doesn’t flow well.

Here are a few guidelines to follow to prevent this from happening:

• Keep the language conversational—write how you speak.
• Compose short sentences and paragraphs.
• Use bullet points, rather than long lists, for easy comprehension.
• Edit, walk away, and edit again. Poor grammar, typos and misspelled words destroy your credibility and the effectiveness of the letter.
• If the letter does not flow smoothly or sounds unnatural, rewrite it. 

3.    Headlines aren’t just for articles and ads.

A well-written, engaging headline paves the way for a sales letter that converts. You can make it stand out with formatting, but again, the most important thing is that you’re telling your leads something they want to know.

4.    You need to tell your readers exactly what to do.

After you’re done convincing your readers that they need your product or service, tell them exactly what they need to do to get it—this is your call to action (CTA). Write out clear and concise directions so that there is no confusion.

It is also wise to urge your readers to take action immediately. The longer they wait, the less likely it is that they’ll make a purchase. If you have a limited number of units available, tell them that quantities are limited. Or, if you’re running a special promotion, offer it for a limited amount of time.

5.    Don’t let your P.S. be an afterthought.

A P.S. is often viewed as an afterthought. But in a sales letter, it’s a critical piece of your marketing strategy. Think of your P.S. as a second headline—studies show that people who scan will read the headline and then the P.S. before deciding if it’s worth it to them to read the body of the letter. This is why it is wise to craft a P.S. that reiterates the benefits listed in your headline and body copy, and includes a CTA so that they know what to do.

If you keep those things in mind, you’ll be on the way to an effective sales letter! But if you still have a few questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us here.