8 Secrets to Creating & Using Successful Sales Letters in Your Business

Guest Contributor: Shannon McCaffery
Shannon's Posts - Shannon's Site


Do you use sales letters in your marketing and advertising to your prospects and clients? Using simple sales letters is the most reliable and powerful method of selling anything. The most successful businesses use sales letters to make loads of money.

In this age of the internet, so many people use email and the internet to sell, which are both great vehicles. However, I really think the direct mailed sales letter is a lost medium. We're all too caught up in the inexpensiveness of sending emails and getting people to go to our websites.

I would recommend using a variety of media in selling your products and services- email, web and direct mail. I would strongly urge you to use a printed sales letter, especially if you're aiming at smaller businesses. This is really the workhouse of all your media.

A simple letter if done well, written like you're speaking to them, and is personalized, and has an offer and reason to respond, will develop rapport and will get your prospects to contact you.

Here are some key things every sales letter has to contain:

1) Killer Headline- Every sales letter has to have headline filled with a benefit that will get the attention of the reader to want to read more.

2) A photo of you- Most especially if you're in the service business, a picture is worth a thousand words.

3) Here's how the copy should flow- Start off by addressing a problem they are having, then agitate that problem, than finally offer them a solution which will be your product or service.

4) Don't forget to have an irresistible offer in your letter (one that will make them respond and take advantage of your offer) and only 1 offer- don't confuse your prospects by offering them a free report a discount coupon and an invite to your seminar- talk about overload and convoluted message!

5) Always give them more than one way to respond- web, email, fax, or call a 24 hour hotline

6) Always have a deadline to respond by- within 12 days, no later

7) Always have at least one testimonial in your letter, 2 - 3 are preferable

8) Always have at least one PS that summarizes your offer. (I usually have 3 - 4 PS's.)

Sales letters are really a simple and easy tool to get new prospects. One thing to keep in mind, don't just send one letter. You're leaving money on the table- always send them out in a series of 2 - 3 letters.

You'll increase your response rate by sending at least 2 or 3 direct mail pieces. So start writing!

To Your Success,

Shannon

Always remember it's a Process...

Guest Contributor: Albert Luk
Albert's Posts - Albert's Site

You ever feel you are being pushed into a sale? The constant phone calls. The strong-arm tactics. The general bullying. What is your immediate reaction? To do the opposite as the desired result. You want to NOT buy no matter how great the good or service.

The credit crisis and the general turmoil in the economy seems to have made some sales-people snap and forget that selling to small business is, ultimately, a process of building a relationship. Perhaps some of succumb to the general panic that the earth will shallow the economy whole. But let us not forget that, in good times, anyone can make a sale and in bad times the true professional salespeople emerge.

I am often reminded of a story once told to me of a vendor who sold to the automotive industry (back when it was actually profitable). They were not on the approved vendor's list of a particular automotive company. However, impressed by the moxy of the owner-manager, a senior executive of the automotive manufacturer made the vendor a deal-meet with me every week for one year for one hour each. If you attend every week without fail, you will be placed on the approved vendor's list.

Sure enough, the vendor did so. Some weeks they spoke of business. Other weeks they spoke of their families. Some weeks they had a Seinfield-esque conversation about nothing. At the end of 52 weeks, the senior executive kept his promise and placed the vendor on the approved vendor's list. Given the size of the orders the company made, they instantly became the vendor's largest client.

Here's the twist in the story though- it turns out this executive made the same deal with every potential vendor and people never took him up on it or gave up after a while.

The morale of the story is that sales is a process and not an end per se. There's a reason why they call it a sales cycle. A cycle is a process of stages. Thus, lest you press the panic button over the ills of Wall Street, just remember to continue to believe in the process of a sale.