sales letters
Sales Letters
To some extent, every letter is a sales letter. You are
selling your organization’s image and goodwill. These letters are an easy and
effective way of securing business. No other type of letter influences so many
people or brings as big a return in terms of money as this letter.
More so than other letters, the sales letter is highly
specialized, and its writing require exceptional ability and experience.
There are two kinds of sales letters:
(i) Solicited
letter (the organization is invited to respond to sales messages.)
(ii) Unsolicited
letter (the organization sends out uninvited messages to sell a product or
service)
Writing
whatever type of sales letter, follow these principles.
1. Know your
Buyer
•
First identify the characteristics that describe
the most likely buyer for your products or services. From research or
experience, build a “composite” buyer. The sex, age, occupation, geographic
location, financial situation, and other characteristics of the “average”
buyer. Determine what appeals will be used in letter. Defining your targeted
buyer’s characteristics helps you discover the needs and desires of these
prospective buyers.
For example, you wouldn’t try to sell a “Sixty-Five Plus”
insurance plan to college students.
The writer of sales letters has a choice of many different
appeals. Those used depend upon the aim of the letter, the nature of the
product, and the market – the people who will receive the letter. Buyers
usually spend their money for these reasons:
•
For comfort (air conditioners)
•
To make money (stock)
•
To escape physical pain
•
To save money (storm windows)
•
To save time (microwave oven)
•
To protect family (smoke detector)
•
To imitate others (sunglasses)
•
To be in style (new coat)
•
To be different (exclusive hat)
•
To avoid trouble (casualty insurance)
•
For health (toothpaste)
•
To take advantage of opportunities (investment
property)
•
For enjoyment (television set)
•
To enhance reputation (charitable contribution)
•
For cleanliness (soap)
•
To satisfy appetite (candy)
•
To avoid effort (power lawn mower)
•
For beautiful possessions (new cell phone)
•
To be popular (dancing lessons)
•
To safeguard possessions (fire insurance)
•
To be attractive (jewelry, garments)
•
To be adventurous (travel)
2. Prepare a List of Buyers
Next, you need a good mailing
list. The obvious place to start is your organization’s own list of buyers. You
can also buy lists from organizations that specialize in compiling and selling
them. For sales effectiveness, a good mailing list must contain the correct names and addresses of people
or organizations that have in common characteristics that make them likely
buyers for your products or services.
