How do you measure the success of a sales letter?
Well the only thing that really counts is the number of sales it generates. You can read any number of books on copywriting. You can research your product and your target market. You can have the perfect headline and clearly defined all the benefits. But without that vital call to action all your efforts will be wasted.

If you feel uncomfortable closing the sale you’re not on your own. The close is probably the weakest element in all direct marketing. I’m sure you’ll agree however there’s not much point working hard on a fantastic sales presentation without closing the sale. So after you’ve done a fantastic job presenting the benefits of your product:

Ask For the Order.
The close has to be handled smoothly or sales will be lost. One big factor is you must have a product and offer that is of true value for the buyer. If you don’t truly believe this yourself it will show through your copy.

There is naturally a certain amount of inertia in all of us. In other words we might appreciate being led to an action that will benefit us but we need a bit of a push to make us act. You must provide a compelling reason as the “push” to take action.

A Reason to Act Now.
You must use a “hook” in every closing situation to make sure that your prospect acts now. A delayed sale is almost certainly a lost sale. Your “hook” must always be specific and definite.

Here are a few examples:
• Limited quantity. Only limited number available. Avoid disappointment. Order now. When xxx sets are gone this offer will expire.
• Price will rise. Orders will be honoured until xxx, after which the price will increase.
• Special combination offer. The special price for this combination will expire on xxx
• Early order discount. If your order is received by xxx you will receive 25% discount. Place your order now.

Free Bonuses.
We all love to get something free don’t we? Free is after all one of the most powerful words you can use. The bonus does have to be beneficial to your prospect. It has to be something your prospect would happily pay for. If the bonus is dull and uninteresting it won’t enhance your offer. Always make sure you tie in the offer of the free bonus for acting now, for example:

“The first xxx people who order will get this amazing xxx worth $xxx, absolutely free. So order now.”

Guarantees.
In this world of scepticism an unconditional money back guarantee is almost essential. If your product is of superior quality your returns should be minimal. Here is an example of the wording you could use:

If for any reason you are not delighted with your xxx, after you have examined it for xx days, you may return it for a prompt refund.

So don’t be shy Ask For the Order…chances are your prospect wants to buy, they just need a little push to take action.

Anne Pearson
Compelling Copywriter

http://www.mapcopywriting.com
anne@mapcopywriting.com
Skype – mapcopywriting
Tel / Fax – 01772 468979

Please feel free to use this article. All I ask in return is that you include the above signature and URL.

Why have a P.S.?
A certain Christian Godefrey, one of Europe’s most successful direct marketers once admitted to Ted Nicholas that for his first 5 years in direct marketing he never used a P.S. When he added a P.S to an already profitable sales letter his response rate increased by an amazing 300%.

 “How can a small thing like a P.S. make that much difference” I hear you ask. Well as a copywriter you would love for your reader to read every word of your carefully crafted letter wouldn’t you? We all know that’s not going to happen, but after the headline the P.S. is the best read part of your letter.

You see what actually happens is that your prospect will read your headline which will obviously interest them enough to find out more. They then look at the bottom of your letter where they find your signature and P.S. People tend to scan through a sales letter picking up on the parts that interest them. Here are 5 types of successful P.S.’s:-

1. Motivate the prospect to take action now.
   An example of this would be “P.S. We will not repeat this offer. Please act now. This offer expires on…..” 
2. Reinforce the offer. 
   Can be very powerful if properly used providing the offer is compelling. 
3. Introduce a surprise benefit. 
   This could just make those ditherers decide and take action. “P.S. I nearly forgot to mention,included in your membership is this beautiful….and best of all it’s free” 
4. Emphasize the price or terms of your offer. 
   An example of this would be “P.S. Send no money now. If you are not completely delighted with…return within 30 days and owe nothing” 
5. Emphasize the guarantee. 
   A money back guarantee takes away the risk for your prospect. “P.S. Don’t forget our no-risk money back guarantee”

I have seen some people experiment with a P.S. longer than the sales letter itself. I don’t really like this and as a rule if you can’t read the P.S. without taking a breath it’s too long.

What about a P.P.S.? I don’t know about you but this appears to me to be a bit desperate, as if you haven’t done a good enough job of selling.

So only one P.S. and always treat it with the respect it deserves, after all it is your letter’s bottom line.

Anne Pearson
Compelling Copywriter

http://www.mapcopywriting.com
anne@mapcopywriting.com
Skype – mapcopywriting
Tel / Fax – 01772 468979

Please feel free to use this article. All I ask in return is that you include the above signature and URL. 

What style of headline is most successful?

There isn’t really one answer to that as there are several different styles that can be used with equal success. Before you even start to choose which style you are going to use write down as many benefits as you can think of. The headline should never be put in at the last minute without a great deal of time and thought. Ninety percent of your time should be spent getting the right headline because without it your sales copy will never be read anyway.

1. Announcement.
To make this style of headline work you have to be careful not to make it merely factual and boring. It has to be specific aimed at your prospective buyer, for example it would be no good if BMW launched a new car like this:-

“BMW Launch their New Car” – There’s no benefit at all, just a fact.
“Top Gear Presenter Praises BMW’s Amazing New M3…0-60 in 3.8 Seconds” – Although unlikely (we all know Jeremy Clarkson hates BMW’s) makes a much more compelling headline.

2. Guarantee.
It’s great if your product comes with an iron clad guarantee…provided it lives up to your claims. This can make for a really powerful headline, for example:-

“Lose 10lbs of Ugly Fat in 14 days or Your Money Back” – This benefit is guaranteed.

3. How to.
This style is best used when offering a solution to a problem. Although there are already thousands of books with ‘How To’ in the title it is still very successful, for example:-

“How to Improve Your Golf Swing…”

4. Specific.
This is aimed specifically at your target reader and therefore will not be of any interest at all to the general public. For example:-

“At Last an End to Your Back Pain”

5. The Testimonial.
What better than a testimonial. After all something your customers have said is a lot more believable and powerful than anything you could say yourself. For example:-

“He Couldn’t Believe It Was Me…It Wasn’t! To Be Honest I Just Called In For A Trim…I Left Feeling like a Superstar.

6. Reasons Why.
You are giving the reader a specific number of reasons why they should do something. You are also arousing their curiosity as they want to know what the reasons are, so you are drawing them into your copy. For example:-

“12 Reasons Why You Must Be At Salon & Spa Super Conference”

7. Emotional.
Use this style to really hook into people’s feelings. For example:-

“I Wept When The Battery In My Camcorder Ran Out At My Daughter’s Wedding”

I would recommend trying out a few different styles when you’re writing out your headlines. Write as many different headlines as you can.

 

Anne Pearson
Compelling Copywriter

http://www.mapcopywriting.com
anne@mapcopywriting.com
Skype – mapcopywriting
Tel / Fax – 01772 468979

Please feel free to use this article. All I ask in return is that you include the above signature and URL.