Three Big Ol' Tips for Better Sales Letters by Matthew Cobb, copywriter

Three Big Ol' Tips for Better Sales Letters by Matthew Cobb, copywriter

Growing up in the South, I used the phrase "big ol'" a lot.
Big ol' truck. Big ol' house. Big ol' party. The phrase was
one we used when the word "big" just wasn't descriptive
enough.

I think the following suggestions qualify as Big Ol' Tips.
Look around the Web and you'll find plenty of good sales
letter writing tips. But "big" just doesn't do these justice.

Here are three big ol' tips for better sales letters.

Big Ol' Tip #1)
Be redundant. Then, say the same thing over again.

Just because you state your most powerful benefit in the
headline doesn't mean you shouldn't say it over again. If
you are writing a long sales letter (especially one made
for quick scanning), you should repeat the main benefits
to make sure you get your point across. After all, many
readers need to read the same thing several times before
they catch on.

Big Ol' Tip #2)
Focus on the guarantee. I promise you won't regret it.

Your readers are reading for one very simple reason: they're
looking for a reason to buy. Give them the best reason
possible. One good reason for buying is the assurance that
customers will be protected against making a bad decision.
If they're interested in your product, and making a purchase
has no negative consequences, then you've got a sale. A
guarantee removes negative consequences.

Big Ol' Tip #3)
Conceal the price. How? I'll tell you in a minute.

Don't state the price up-front. Reveal the price only after
the customer calls a number, sends in a reply card, makes
contact by e-mail, or reads (or scans) all the way to the
end of your sales letter. By not revealing the price
immediately, you have a chance to demonstrate to readers
the value of what's behind the price before they have a
chance to set their mind against it. (Note: If low price
is your product's primary selling point, this tip might
not apply. Test and see.)

These tips will improve your sales letter by making it more
readable, more persuasive, and less intimidating to your
audience. Use them in a well written piece and you'll see
a big ol' increase in your response rates.
About the Author
=============================================================
Matthew Cobb is a freelance copywriter in the
Dallas/ Fort Worth, TX, area. For information, visit his
professional site at http://copy.cobbwriting.com or
call 817.966.RITE (7483). This article may be reproduced,
as long as the the resource box is included and
notification is provided to the author.
=============================================================