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.

Need a prescription to solve your ‘product paralysis’ problems? Clean out of ideas?

Every once in a while you come across something that could determine the future of your business. You just have!

“There’s nothing new under the sun” …said Soloman way back in the mists of time and how far-sighted he was!

Maybe you’re a naturally gifted writer or you’ve persevered and can produce meticulously –crafted sales letters that really get under the skin of potential prospects, but then what? Come to a grinding full stop?  Trouble deciding where to find a product? Well, hold on to your chair as this may blow you away…

What if I told you there were millions, yes, MILLIONS of books and publications you can market – FOR FREE! No more ghost writers, no burning the midnight oil trying to write that eBook yourself.  Bliss?

I’ll let you into that big secret in a minute! 

First, though, what niche market are you aiming for?  That’s a huge subject for another day but it’s worth a quick recap: -

RESEARCH is essential to find that ‘must have’ product everyone wants.

• Google and Wordtracker are your best friends here, use them.
• Look for markets above 25,000 but not more than 100,000.  (If it’s too BIG it’s very competitive and therefore your advertising will be expensive.)
• Found your niche?  Encourage your prospects to do the work for you by offering them a poll.  They know what their burning questions are and soon you will, too!  People love to talk about themselves!
• New to polling?  Have a look at:
   
   www.surveymonkey.com (100 responses allowed and free!)
   www.askdatabase.com 
   www.oneminutepoll.com  (paid service)

The brilliant Internet marketer, millionaire Brett McFall, has his finger on the pulse when he says:

"The marketer who understands their market the most, makes the most money."

Right, so now you know EXACTLY what your customer wants, are you ready to find the answer in your personal treasure chest? Ted Cuiba knows all about it.  He did something very clever, slipping in under the radar and snatching a real gem from under our noses.  I’ll tell you what later!

“So, what is it?” you’re probably shouting by now. OKAY…

Drum roll, this deserves one…

"INFORMATION IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN"

This covers works that are free to use by the public  FOR ANY PURPOSE WHATSOEVER and includes some music and films.

The possibilities are endless.  For instance, you can use anything written by employees of the US Federal Government produced in the course of their duties.  So, that’s any health reports, research papers, social comment and everything in between! So, now you know what your market craves and have an ocean of information to call your own!  Creating products has never been easier – or cheaper!  

• articles
• eBooks
• audios
• blog content
• autoresponder content
• bonuses
• upsells
• backend sales
• prizes

…Free content + Imagination + Research = Soaring Profits.

The beauty is you can make your products as individual as you are and the hard work has been done for you! 

OK, so what’s the catch? Truth is, there really isn’t one!

With such a marvellous treasure chest, you’d expect a few guidelines though, wouldn’t you?

Every rose must have a couple of thorns, right?

(The following information applies to the US market – regulations for the UK market vary slightly.)

• All works published before 1923 are available.
• For works published between 1923 – 1963, copyright renewal must have taken place in the 28th year following copyrighting.  If it did, the item won’t be available to you for 95 years!  But most authors forgot to take action in that 28th year!

As promised, back to Ted Cuiba…

There has been so much written about Napoleon Hill’s "Think and Grow Rich” because it is as relevant today as it was in the 1920s! Ted knew what he was looking for because the 1937 edition of Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” is the only copy in the public domain and he has it now! Ted grabbed it, has rewritten parts of it and is busy marketing “his” product!

There’s a man who knew this secret and EXACTLY what he was looking for!

So, where do you go from here?

Finding what you want when you want it is just a click away.  Use these sites to find masterpieces just waiting for conversion to your products!

• FirstGov.gov
• FTC.Gov
• Pueblo.GSA.gov
• Google.com/unclesam

But don’t just take my word for it.  Use this insider information to turbo charge your business NOW! 

Janet Swift
Writing to Win

URL      : www.swiftcopywriting.com
Email    : enquiries@swiftcopywriting.com
Tel      : +44 (0)208 133 4088

Please feel free to use this article but I ask that you kindly include the above URL and signature.

So, you have a brand new client wanting a brilliant sales letter – how do you know where to start?

Don’t’ Panic! 
You and I, and the prospect are thinking, feeling beings dominated by positive and negative emotions. 

Imagine…
…Your client’s product is an (admittedly) unglamorous special bandage for bunions. Never had a bunion? No, me neither. But for a moment close your eyes and imagine how painful each untreated step would be, how the pain would permeate your whole body as it travelled along your foot and then there’s the referred pain because you aren’t walking normally. Oh yes, and the DREAD of putting on your shoes each morning, being constantly ground down by the pain. Imagine the pain etched on the face of the sufferer as they gingerly put one foot in front of the other…in those extra-wide unfashionable shoes  and this lady’s only young!  But men get bunions, too!

See how easy it is to recreate the emotions of your prospect?  I feel like rushing out and buying the soothing treatment I’m writing about and I don’t have bad feet!

Imagine walking in your prospects shoes (literally in this case!) really helps identify your product’s strongest benefits with your prospect’s most compelling emotions.

Don’t Forget Your Nearest and Dearest!
Whatever your product, think of the people you know who may be in your target market.  Everyone loves being asked their opinion so there’s a captive audience only too willing to tell you what their greatest needs are and the benefits they desperately desire from your product.  Free market research!

And What About Strangers?
Ever had a conversation with someone in a queue or in a shop when you casually asked them a question and the unedited version of everything they have experienced is released in a seemingly unending torrent.  Me, too!
But what a great resource for finding out how your prospects think and feel.  Just don’t ask when you’re in a hurry!

Why Re-Invent The Wheel!
Publishing is big business and browsing around the local book store and magazine racks will help you see the current angle on a given subject . . . I’m thinking generally now, I’ve left the painful feet behind, the feelings were a bit too vivid! If you’re looking for an angle to write about, look for themes that appear more than once in current magazines. Look at all publications for your type of product/industry – what stories are they focusing on?

Front covers are a gold mine. 
Publishers spend big money researching what to put on their cover to trail the story. Let them pay and it’s right there for you to build on. Easy, right? How do the articles ‘feel’?  What is the mood behind them – resigned, excited, angry?  Build on that and then your benefits provide the solution! Great way to have millions of pounds of research for free, don’t you think?  Don’t forget, magazines know the words that sell the most because they have years of experience – let them help you to terrific sales!

And What Are Your Competitors Doing?
Having a browse around your competitor’s sites and reading their material will give an insight into how they see their market and the strategies they’re employing. They will have done their research too, so more free info for you! Google is a treasure trove of information on products, prospects and what’s troubling them – look on forums and message boards for your target market to really drill down into the emotions of individuals in your niche market. They’ll tell you all you need to know.

Having so much information at your fingertips, your only difficulty will be how to cut it down and that’s a positive problem!

HAPPY WRITING!

Janet Swift
Writing to Win

URL : www.swiftcopywriting.com
Email : enquiries@swiftcopywriting.com
Tel : +44 (0)208 133 4088

Please feel free to use this article but I ask that you kindly include the above URL and signature.

Bet you thought of long or short pants – right? One covers the essentials and one covers everything! Actually, I was thinking about sales letters!

Topics for heated debate have long been religion and politics and now they’re joined by the length of your letter!  How 21st Century!  Yes, we do live in an age of gnat-span focus, instant gratification and constant rush but there is method in the madness.

Have you ever read to the end of a long sales letter? I’m talking marathon here, perhaps more than thirty pages. If not, the chances are you weren’t the target customer for the product or service being sold!

Let’s rewind.

Imagine a subject that passionately grabs your interest.
Suddenly before you is an oasis of new knowledge that, at last, answers your questions AND promises new and exciting gifts – yes, for free! Would it feel like you’d found the Holy Grail?

Could you see yourself in the story and sense how great it would be? See how different it feels when you’re the intended reader in the target market? 

Research has proved that long letters really do sell more. So why ‘go long’?

• INFORMATION SEEKERS…for every scan reader there will be information hoarders who research every product they buy; if their needs aren’t satisfied, they’ll click goodbye.
• PRODUCTS…with lots of features and benefits require more explanation.
• ANTICIPATING OBJECTIONS…comforts the customer.
• HIGH PRICED ITEMS…require more justification and persuasion.
• CUSTOMER ‘LIGHTBULB’ PRODUCTS…if the client hasn’t yet realised their life ‘depends’ on your product, there’s some persuading to do!

Pruning should be perennial and not just for autumn!
Cut anything that doesn’t help the prospect make a buying decision – including your ego!  Major on the benefits of the product rather than how the company was created using Great Aunt Maud’s money…unless that’s relevant to the story! 

Tell them what THEY want to know, not what you want them to know!
Remember, the only boring you should be doing is down into the benefits of your niche product!   If your words are boring and disengaging NOTHING will keep your prospect reading…one click and he’s away to a competitor! Ouch, that’s painful on the pocket!

Think about a ‘real life’ customer for a moment. If, after beating on his door for ages, you finally won an appointment you’d do better than your best to persuade him your product was the answer to his prayers…wouldn’t you?

So why wouldn’t you do that for your potential virtual buyer? Of course you would.

HOW…?

• By using the sharpest tool in your toolbox!
• A long, exciting and effective sales letter.

But it’s not just about the facts and benefits. Your clients are looking to you for understanding and companionship and a sense of being heard and understood. 

Your words tell them they’re not alone in their problem! They trust you and believe you really have the solution! They take action and buy your product.

And once you have a satisfied customer, who feels you’re speaking only to them, they’ll come back again…and again…and again as you contact them with future products and, wait for it – higher priced ‘back end’ items.

Ka-Ching!  Ka-Ching!  Ka-Ching!   Ka-Ching!   

Janet Swift
Writing to Win

URL   :  www.swiftcopywriting.com
Email :  enquiries@swiftcopywriting.com 
Tel      : +44 (0)208 133 4088

Please feel free to use this article but I ask that you kindly include the above URL and signature.