Contrary to popular belief, successes in sales do not
always go to those who rely on a "gift of gab" for success. Instead, they go to
those who have thorough knowledge and understanding of what they have to offer
to their target consumers.
Similarly, the secrets to successful sales writing
lie in thorough thinking and preliminary planning.
If the right questions
have been asked and answered beforehand, the writing will be easier and the message
will be many times more persuasive.
+ Do you know your product well?
+ What are its best features?
+ How is it different from competitive products?
+ What are its strengths and weaknesses with references to competitive products?
+ Who are our prospective customers?
+ What are their needs and how best
can we serve them?
+ What specific action is wanted?
From the above
questions, you should notice that it is not enough just to have good product knowledge.
You must have in- depth knowledge of the competitions and consumers as well. You
may have to undertake some research by going through past industry and newspaper's
reports. The emphasis here is to cultivate a "YOU" attitude - everything you say
or write must be presented from the consumer's perspective in the right competitive
environment. With all the relevant facts and figures on hand, you are now ready
to start writing the sales letter.
A common approach is to use the AIDA
(Attention, Interest, Desire and Action) procedure, which summarizes the selling
process in four steps:
1. Getting the prospect's attention.
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The first sentence is the
most important message in an unsolicited sales letter. It must grab the reader's
attention and arouse desire to read the sentences that follows. There are many
successful techniques. You can highlight a solution to a problem; announce a bargain;
offer a gift; raise a question; or identify a product's key feature. The choices
are limited only by your own imagination. Nevertheless, a good attention-getting
technique must have the following characteristics:
+ It is related to the
products and its key benefits.
+ It focuses on a key selling point.
+
It addresses the reader's needs.
+ It is original, interesting and straight
to the point.
Remember that people are unique and they respond to stimulus
differently. You should try each and every technique you can think of and in the
process, monitor the responses to your sales letters to identify the best way
to appeal to your prospects.
For example: source: IMC website
http://www.aloha-city.com/imc/
Why re-invent the wheel ... when you can learn from the experts! A group
of highly successful Internet marketers have created a private website to share
their experience and expertise.
Why waste your time, energy and resources
doing everything on your own? Learn from the experts and direct your time to building
your business and making more money in a shorter period of time.
2.
Arousing interest in the product.
-------------------------------------------------
You are off to a good start if your first paragraph helps the reader identify
something that he may need to solve his problems. Taking the cue from the above
example, you should then proceed to stress the key benefits of joining the private
website as a member.
Note: You must always remember to use an active voice.
Put the reader in a scenario where he can see how the product or service will
benefit him. For example:
Can you picture the speed at which your business
will grow and thrive when you're able to...
+ Get your questions answered
free of charge by Internet consultants as often as you want.
+ Get your website
or marketing campaign evaluated free of charge by these experts.
+ Get the
latest insider's tips on starting, promoting and marketing your business, product,
or service online.
+ The information on the site is constantly updated!
As an IMC member, you'll learn everything we know as soon as we discover
it! Sound good so far? Then stop what you're doing and listen carefully: Because
the Internet is evolving so fast - and the rules of the game are changing at lightning
speed - few businesses can keep up. That is our challenge. We will keep you on
top of the "rules of the game" so that you can meet the challenge and win... over
and over again!
The above example only presents a one-sided argument on the
merits of taking up the IMC membership. How is it different from competitive products?
What are its strengths and weaknesses compared to competitive products? These
questions are most likely to be raised in the reader's mind, and if left unanswered,
would pose a hindrance to closing a sale.
Continuing with our above example,
IMC must explain why referring to marketing books and other online marketing courses
won't deliver the desired results.
3. Creating desire by presenting
convincing evidence.
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In step 2, you have successfully introduced your product or service and made
various claims on its purported benefits. Assuming that you have aroused the reader's
interest, you must now present enough supporting evidence to turn the interest
into desire.
Few people will believe us if we exaggerate claims or make general
statements without supporting them with facts and figures. The key is to be objective
at all times.
Whenever possible, you can also rely on the following tools
to support your statements:
+ Use testimonials. A good testimonial from a
satisfied customer is worth a thousand words. This is especially so if the customer
has a credible track record in the industry. If your customers do not send testimonials
to you voluntarily, you can request for their comments through questionnaires
or follow-up correspondences.
+ Offer a guarantee. Nothing beats a "full
refund if you are not satisfied" guarantee, especially in overcoming the inherent
inhibitions that consumers have in making purchases online.
+ Present your
credentials. This is absolutely necessary if you are offering a professional service.
Most people will believe anything a winner says and will take the extra steps
to emulate his success. If you are an expert in a particular field, don't hesitate
to present your track records prominently in your sales letter. It can work wonders!
4. Calling for action.
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You can increase your chance of getting an action by:
+ asking for a specific
action confidently;
+ offering a reward or bonus for taking action; and
+ creating an urgency to act immediately with a special time- sensitive offer.
Let's go back to our IMC example to see how this is done:
By
registering today, Thursday, June 01, 2000, I will personally see to it that you
get 50% off the standard registration fee of $500.00 per year!
Plus,
you will get all three bonuses - Ezine advertising database and three months of
free web hosting. And don't forget - your IMC membership is also tax-deductible!
So, if you want the $250.00 price reduction, register today. This is a limited
time offer. We have raised the membership fee numerous times over this past year.
It's very simple... you must take action today if you want results tomorrow!
The above writing tips should help you get started on writing an effective
sales letter yourself.
Remember that practice makes perfect and the best way
to learn how to write sales letter effectively is to try out as many versions
as you can.
Monitor the responses from each version closely and in the process,
identify the best way to appeal to your prospects.
