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Member You - Sales Results Happen When Your Sales Letter Is Fascinating And Easy To Respond To
Simple believability could be one of the most important elements of every promotion you send out. It doesn't matter if it's your web page, an e-mail, or print materials -- if your prospects don't believe in you, they aren't going to buy. Or in the case of fund raising, they aren't going to give.We all know people who tell such tall tales that we take every word they say with a grain of salt. We might like them, and even enjoy their company, but we'll check the facts before we act on anything they've said.I was promoted to write this article because I've noticed a lot of promotions lately telling a tall tale that simply destroys their chances of success. Their only hope is that their prospects aren't paying attention.One of those promotions arrived in my in-box just yesterday. It was an offer for a free download, complete with the rights to let everyone on your list also have it for free. The idea was to build your list -- and build the promoter's list at the same time, of
By the way, ‘gimmicky’ bulk mail only works IF the recipient is actually interested in your offer. No amount of clever ‘promotional gifts or inserts’ create a response where there is no interest or desire. That’s where TARGETING YOUR AUDIENCE MAKES A REAL DIFFERENCE.
KEEPING YOUR PROSPECT’S INTEREST
You’ve grabbed your reader’s attention with your brilliant headline or opening sentence. Now you’ve got to keep his (or her) interest. Follow up your headline with something to encourage him to read on.
You see this all the time in newspapers and magazines. The headline catches your attention first. Then the first paragraph is written to keep your interest high so you read the rest of the article.
This is what your letter must do.
Aim to get your reader e
Company loyalty is dead. That’s what we continuously hear. This crop of employees is not loyal to their company or to their boss. Have you ever experienced this: a key employee quits out of the blue for a “better” job and you wondered, how could she? Turnover is high in your organization and you thought, what’s wrong with these people?Loyalty is dead and study after study seems to confirm this. Today’s employees will have an average of nine different jobs in their career—nine different jobs! That’s a real change from that older generation of workers who joined the company and stayed long enough to get their pension and their gold watch. Those were the “good ole days.” What happened? Who killed company loyalty?Before we damn this generation of workers, consider this possibility. Maybe, just maybe, employers killed company loyalty. That’s right, employers killed loyalty. How could this happen? Why would they do it? It’s suicide.Consider this: when sales slip and profits are
You must make your letter attractive to your reader so they get your full sales message. So how are you going to catch AND KEEP his/her attention?
You may have come across the acronym AIDA, which stands for:
Attention
Interest
Desire
Action
You know your letter must attract your reader’s attention, otherwise it won’t be read. And if he (or she) doesn’t read it he won’t respond. If what you are offering is important to him you have let him down, because he never knows about it.
Having got his attention you must keep his interest in what you are writing about, then create a desire to own or receive whatever it is you are offering. ‘Paint the picture’ so he sees himself already enjoying your product or the results of your service.
And finally, lead him through the action you want him to take next.
If you don’t take your reader through the whole of this process it is unlikely you’ll get his (or her) business.
I use what I call the ‘extended AIDA’ -- AIDA-A. The extra ‘A’ is another ‘Attention mechanism’; namely the PS at the end of your letter. It’s often your second chance to catch your reader’s attention and it should be as compelling and strong as your main headline at the beginning.
A strong P.S., which often comes from the headlines you’ve developed, can increase your readership by up to 67%. So -- missing the P.S. off your letter could mean up to 67 people out of 100 throw it away without a second glance!
“SURPRISING DISCOVERY; THE PS IN YOUR LETTER IS OFTEN THE SECOND ITEM THAT WILL BE READ”
When people receive their post - whether it is personal or business - they often use an unconscious selection process for the order they open and read it in.
The most common sequence people follow is:
Sort:
He (or she) decides, probably without really thinking about it, the order he opens each item. Usually bulky - interesting - packages are opened first because they create curiosity, especially if they are unexpected. Followed by any hand-written letters; these are more personal and likely to be from a friend or relation. Next comes the ‘official - looking’ letters such as bank statements, government correspondence etc.
Finally, if at all, the ‘junk mail’.
Yes, that’s what we call it isn’t it? The marketing letters from people who are trying to catch our attention is often referred to as ‘junk mail’. And, whether we like it or not, our marketing letters are frequently regarded in the same way - especially if the recipient has no interest in what we are writing about because we have not targeted the right people.
Opening a Letter:
When a letter is opened research has shown most people:
* Check the name and address to make sure it is addressed correctly to him/her.
* Read the headline or the first sentence.
* If it has attracted his attention sufficiently, the end of the letter is checked to see who it is from and…
* If there is a P.S. this is read as well. (This is why there should always be a P.S. - don’t forget it is your second chance to get your reader’s attention and entice him to read your letter).
Bin/Read:
Then the decision is made to either ‘bin the letter’ or read it.
It is your job to make sure your letter is read, and not ‘binned’, get every possible aspect of it right so your targeted audience responds in the way you want him to.
By the way, ‘gimmicky’ bulk mail only works IF the recipient is actually interested in your offer. No amount of clever ‘promotional gifts or inserts’ create a response where there is no interest or desire. That’s where TARGETING YOUR AUDIENCE MAKES A REAL DIFFERENCE.
KEEPING YOUR PROSPECT’S INTEREST
You’ve grabbed your reader’s attention with your brilliant headline or opening sentence. Now you’ve got to keep his (or her) interest. Follow up your headline with something to encourage him to read on.
You see this all the time in newspapers and magazines. The headline catches your attention first. Then the first paragraph is written to keep your interest high so you read the rest of the article.
This is what your letter must do.
Aim to get your reader ex
This tactic is the classic for the sales-driven person. Essentially the “getting it in your hands” tactic is like giving candy to a child to make them stop crying. Once they get it, they are happy and nothing else matters to them. The sales professional knows that if he can get their product in your hands for a “free trial” before fees are assessed, then you will have a psychological attachment to that product and be more likely to purchase it and pay more for it. This is why car salesmen like to get you into the car for a test drive. Once you give it a spin, your emotions have already closed the deal..How To Counter This TacticGetting something you want in your hands before the deal is done is a very powerful negotiating tactic. The best way of dealing with this tactic is first by knowing your level of self-control. Can you resist the temptation to drive home in that new sports car if you go test drive? The second thing is to prepare for such temptations ahead of time.
And finally, lead him through the action you want him to take next.
If you don’t take your reader through the whole of this process it is unlikely you’ll get his (or her) business.
I use what I call the ‘extended AIDA’ -- AIDA-A. The extra ‘A’ is another ‘Attention mechanism’; namely the PS at the end of your letter. It’s often your second chance to catch your reader’s attention and it should be as compelling and strong as your main headline at the beginning.
A strong P.S., which often comes from the headlines you’ve developed, can increase your readership by up to 67%. So -- missing the P.S. off your letter could mean up to 67 people out of 100 throw it away without a second glance!
“SURPRISING DISCOVERY; THE PS IN YOUR LETTER IS OFTEN THE SECOND ITEM THAT WILL BE READ”
When people receive their post - whether it is personal or business - they often use an unconscious selection process for the order they open and read it in.
The most common sequence people follow is:
Sort:
He (or she) decides, probably without really thinking about it, the order he opens each item. Usually bulky - interesting - packages are opened first because they create curiosity, especially if they are unexpected. Followed by any hand-written letters; these are more personal and likely to be from a friend or relation. Next comes the ‘official - looking’ letters such as bank statements, government correspondence etc.
Finally, if at all, the ‘junk mail’.
Yes, that’s what we call it isn’t it? The marketing letters from people who are trying to catch our attention is often referred to as ‘junk mail’. And, whether we like it or not, our marketing letters are frequently regarded in the same way - especially if the recipient has no interest in what we are writing about because we have not targeted the right people.
Opening a Letter:
When a letter is opened research has shown most people:
* Check the name and address to make sure it is addressed correctly to him/her.
* Read the headline or the first sentence.
* If it has attracted his attention sufficiently, the end of the letter is checked to see who it is from and…
* If there is a P.S. this is read as well. (This is why there should always be a P.S. - don’t forget it is your second chance to get your reader’s attention and entice him to read your letter).
Bin/Read:
Then the decision is made to either ‘bin the letter’ or read it.
It is your job to make sure your letter is read, and not ‘binned’, get every possible aspect of it right so your targeted audience responds in the way you want him to.
By the way, ‘gimmicky’ bulk mail only works IF the recipient is actually interested in your offer. No amount of clever ‘promotional gifts or inserts’ create a response where there is no interest or desire. That’s where TARGETING YOUR AUDIENCE MAKES A REAL DIFFERENCE.
KEEPING YOUR PROSPECT’S INTEREST
You’ve grabbed your reader’s attention with your brilliant headline or opening sentence. Now you’ve got to keep his (or her) interest. Follow up your headline with something to encourage him to read on.
You see this all the time in newspapers and magazines. The headline catches your attention first. Then the first paragraph is written to keep your interest high so you read the rest of the article.
This is what your letter must do.
Aim to get your reader e
This is a variation of my "Last man standing" game I play on my workshops, seminars, teleconferences and speaking engagements...This is an interesting game and will take only 3 minutes to play.Required: Pen, paper, your business card and an open mindPreparationTry and recall how many business cards you have distributed in the last 4 weeks. Go on, no clicking on emails, or databases, mentally try and recall who you gave your card to in the last 4 weeks….and write down their name, and whether you followed them up or notTry and recall how many business cards you have collected in the last 4 weeks without looking up databases, leather card wallet, suit pocket or desk drawer ….and write down their name, and whether you followed them up or notGame PlayStudy your business card and answer the following 8 questions - (points are awarded for answering each question positively)Do you have a current uptodate business card? 1 point.Do you have
The most common sequence people follow is:
Sort:
He (or she) decides, probably without really thinking about it, the order he opens each item. Usually bulky - interesting - packages are opened first because they create curiosity, especially if they are unexpected. Followed by any hand-written letters; these are more personal and likely to be from a friend or relation. Next comes the ‘official - looking’ letters such as bank statements, government correspondence etc.
Finally, if at all, the ‘junk mail’.
Yes, that’s what we call it isn’t it? The marketing letters from people who are trying to catch our attention is often referred to as ‘junk mail’. And, whether we like it or not, our marketing letters are frequently regarded in the same way - especially if the recipient has no interest in what we are writing about because we have not targeted the right people.
Opening a Letter:
When a letter is opened research has shown most people:
* Check the name and address to make sure it is addressed correctly to him/her.
* Read the headline or the first sentence.
* If it has attracted his attention sufficiently, the end of the letter is checked to see who it is from and…
* If there is a P.S. this is read as well. (This is why there should always be a P.S. - don’t forget it is your second chance to get your reader’s attention and entice him to read your letter).
Bin/Read:
Then the decision is made to either ‘bin the letter’ or read it.
It is your job to make sure your letter is read, and not ‘binned’, get every possible aspect of it right so your targeted audience responds in the way you want him to.
By the way, ‘gimmicky’ bulk mail only works IF the recipient is actually interested in your offer. No amount of clever ‘promotional gifts or inserts’ create a response where there is no interest or desire. That’s where TARGETING YOUR AUDIENCE MAKES A REAL DIFFERENCE.
KEEPING YOUR PROSPECT’S INTEREST
You’ve grabbed your reader’s attention with your brilliant headline or opening sentence. Now you’ve got to keep his (or her) interest. Follow up your headline with something to encourage him to read on.
You see this all the time in newspapers and magazines. The headline catches your attention first. Then the first paragraph is written to keep your interest high so you read the rest of the article.
This is what your letter must do.
Aim to get your reader e
The domain name is one of the most important decisions you will make when trying to win over the search engine dilemma. Try using at least one of your best keywords within your domain name. The search engine and the directories give higher preference when your domain name is relevant to your site content or theme. The domain name is one of the most important decisions you will make when trying to win over the search engine dilemma. Try using at least one of your best keywords within your domain name.The search engine and the directories give higher preference when your domain name is relevant to your site content or theme. Checking if a domain name is freely available is very straightforward as most domain registration services provide a WHOIS service, as the name suggest, this checks the ownership details of a domain, note however that such services normally run 48 hours behind actual registrations.THE MOST POPULARDomain name extension is dot com. The
Opening a Letter:
When a letter is opened research has shown most people:
* Check the name and address to make sure it is addressed correctly to him/her.
* Read the headline or the first sentence.
* If it has attracted his attention sufficiently, the end of the letter is checked to see who it is from and…
* If there is a P.S. this is read as well. (This is why there should always be a P.S. - don’t forget it is your second chance to get your reader’s attention and entice him to read your letter).
Bin/Read:
Then the decision is made to either ‘bin the letter’ or read it.
It is your job to make sure your letter is read, and not ‘binned’, get every possible aspect of it right so your targeted audience responds in the way you want him to.
By the way, ‘gimmicky’ bulk mail only works IF the recipient is actually interested in your offer. No amount of clever ‘promotional gifts or inserts’ create a response where there is no interest or desire. That’s where TARGETING YOUR AUDIENCE MAKES A REAL DIFFERENCE.
KEEPING YOUR PROSPECT’S INTEREST
You’ve grabbed your reader’s attention with your brilliant headline or opening sentence. Now you’ve got to keep his (or her) interest. Follow up your headline with something to encourage him to read on.
You see this all the time in newspapers and magazines. The headline catches your attention first. Then the first paragraph is written to keep your interest high so you read the rest of the article.
This is what your letter must do.
Aim to get your reader e
The online marketing formula is not only one of an ever changing strategy but also a different style of business from main street. The atmosphere on main street is one of direct contact.One walks into a department store and has the experience of “five senses” contact. You get the smell of the store , leather and lace, you can see in 3d the products as they are arranged on the racks. The sounds of cash registers, clerk intercom announcements, “clean up in aisle 5”, the smooth touch and feel of the garments and their particular fragrances. You can even get a taste of the environment or some special cuisine that might be on promotion that day.None of these things are present online via a website. Of course you can have sounds, music, flash intros and maybe even 3d renditions of products. But these things seem to distract prospects online and tend to drive them off to more simple sceneries. Do you know how long it takes for a site with these special effects to load?So how do y
By the way, ‘gimmicky’ bulk mail only works IF the recipient is actually interested in your offer. No amount of clever ‘promotional gifts or inserts’ create a response where there is no interest or desire. That’s where TARGETING YOUR AUDIENCE MAKES A REAL DIFFERENCE.
KEEPING YOUR PROSPECT’S INTEREST
You’ve grabbed your reader’s attention with your brilliant headline or opening sentence. Now you’ve got to keep his (or her) interest. Follow up your headline with something to encourage him to read on.
You see this all the time in newspapers and magazines. The headline catches your attention first. Then the first paragraph is written to keep your interest high so you read the rest of the article.
This is what your letter must do.
Aim to get your reader excited about your offer -- this is where the benefits it gives, how it’s been used by others and their testimonials -- does some of the work for you.
You must ‘paint the picture’ so your reader sees himself using your product or getting the result your service promises. Then…
TELL HIM WHAT TO DO NEXT…
Now you have got your reader keyed up with your letter and offer – don’t let him drift away. Tell him the action he needs to take, the next step he must follow so he can have the promised results for himself.
“If you don’t give a very clear call to action then very little action will be taken and your sales will be minimal or even non-existent…”
Don’t assume he will figure out for himself he can phone, write or send an email to you. He’s a busy person – make it as easy as possible for him. Tell him to phone the 0800 number, tell him to complete the request or enquiry form (never call it an order form by the way, people really don’t like ‘ordering’ – too much like a sales instruction) or tell him to send an email NOW!
Emphasise the urgency of taking the next step whilst it is fresh in his mind. If he thinks “I’ll do it later” it won’t happen. Chances are your letter and response mechanism will get buried under all the other things vying for his attention every day.
MAKE IT EASY FOR YOUR PROSPECTS TO BUY
Whenever we purchase something we ‘take a risk’ that what we are buying will do what we want or give us the result we are looking for.
And, although we don’t vocalise it the question we are asking is “am I getting value for my money, will I regret this purchase?”
Because you believe in your service or product you would be quick to reassure your customer “Yes, you get exactly what I’m promising”. You do your best to remove any doubt from his mind.
The way to do this in your letter or advert is by using ‘risk-reversal’ -- give your customer peace of mind by describing your guarantee ‘up-front’.
“Giving a money-back guarantee will reassure your prospect and give a startling increase to your results”
Tell your customer you give a 100% money-back promise and you are taking the risk off his shoulders; give him the confidence and peace of mind to go ahead.
I was explaining this to a business coach. She was very concerned about offering a full money-back promise and in fact said she found it ‘very scary’.
When I asked her what she would do if a client of hers was unhappy with her service, would she give them a refund or say “tough!” she quickly responded she wouldn’t want the client to be unhappy and would refund immediately.
“Well, where’s the difference?” I queried “As an ethical business woman you would treat your client decently, why not tell people at the beginning so they are reassured, rather than ‘crossing that bridge’ when you come to it?”
Many businesses are concerned about giving guarantees because they think people will take advantage. Most people genuinely want to do business and gain the benefit you are describing. Provided your service or product does perform as you have claimed your customer will be happy and won’t need to take up your guarantee.
Experience has shown the attrition rate rarely reaches even 5%. So, if offering a risk-reversal guarantee increases your results by, let’s say 45% then, even if you do have an unexpected 5% attrition, you have still gained 40% you wouldn’t have had without the guarantee.
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