Direct Mail Sales Letters

In fact, embrace it! But don't make the reader labor to then end to get the point of your letter. Make your point in the first paragraph and use the rest of the letter to supply the necessary details about your offer.

About a month ago, I received a 16 page sales letter from a highly successful individual who I have done business with in the past. I read every word of it and will buy his product. Without the detail, I would have tossed the letter in the trash without a second thought. Why? Because one page would never had convinced me! Long copy works because short copy doesn't adequately address enough benefits, concerns and objections to motivate the reader to action.

Write "Love Letters"

Imagine sitting down and writing a love letter to that special someone in your life and starting it off like this:

Dear Sir or Madam,
I am 6'1" tall and have blue eyes and have an expensive new car. I want begin by telling you all about myself and am not really interested in your needs and wants.

Ridiculous? Yes, but take a look at most of the sales letters you get in the mail and promptly toss in the trash. You will find striking similarities.

Love your prospects. Think of them as that "special someone" in your life. (They pay your bills don't they?) Whenever possible use their name rather than "Dear Ford Owner". Open your sales letter with a statement about them and include a benefit in the first line or two:

Dear Steven,
As the owner of a pre1982 Mustang, you know how tough it can be to find the right replacement parts for your car. Now there is a new online resource to help make that time-consuming search much faster and easier for you!

Use Compelling Testimonials

People like to do business with those that they know, like and trust... unfortunately building such credibility can take time. You can accelerate the process with the help of others through their testimonials. Take advantage of human nature by getting and using testimonials from satisfied customers.

The best testimonials are specific and results oriented. Quotes like "Excellent, Great Site or Really Interesting" mean little as they are vague and don't relate to benefits. Customers don't usually do a very good job of writing testimonials, so you have to help them. When a customer compliments you, ask if you can write it up for their signature. Most people will agree.

Here's an example:

"Your online Mustang parts source has saved me countless hours searching catalogues and parts houses. I found the '69 engine mounts I needed for my last project in just 14 minutes!"

Steven Smith, Quality Auto Crafters, Kansas City, MO

Testimonials mean more when the specific name and location of the writer is included. "S.S., Kansas City" often means that the testimonial is not genuine. As with any testimonials, maintain copies of their signed letters in your office files.

Use Color to Add Impact to Your Letter

Study after study has shown that color sells. But what most sales letter writers don't know is that the limited use of color sells more. Use color to add impact to certain parts of your letter--- key benefits, a special price, limited availability etc. If everything is in color, nothing stands out.

Here's another secret of professional copy writers: Use Courier as your typestyle of choice for your sales letter. Don't ask me why it almost always gets better results. Maybe it because it looks like a traditional typewriter and elicits feelings of trust. (This sentance is in Courier.)

Start with the Envelope

There is an old rule of thumb in the direct mail business that says that 50% of all sales letters never reach the prospects hands--- they're tossed out by an employee or spouse without the prospect ever seeing it. Of the remaining letters, a huge percentage are discarded by the recipient without having ever been opened. Anything you can do to get that envelope opened and your letter read will go a long way towards increasing the response you get from your sales letters!

Consider crafting a headline for the outside of the envelope to get the readers attention. (Some sellers of expensive equipment to senior executives use Priority Mail envelopes from the Post Office to get their letters opened and read--- Expensive but worth it for certain marketers.)

Use a "P.S."

After the headline, the most read part of a sales letter is the post script. It is your final chance to convince the prospect of the reason they should buy your product or service. (If they've read this far, they're probably interested!) Use the opportunity to summarize your main benefits and consider adding a "time-kicker" to help create a sense of urgency on the part of the reader. This can take the form of a discount that expires on a certain date or a "limited supplies" warning.


Remember the 16 page sales letter I mentioned? There are sample sales letters that come to your mailbox every week. Instead of throwing them away, read them carefully. Analyze them for the techniques listed here and keep the ones that motivate you to buy. File them as part of your study and refer to them when crafting your own letters. While you can't copy them, the techniques employed are universal!