February 15, 2006

Effective Copywriting Is it True

Is It True That Good Sales Letters Are Like Good Sales People?

 

Find out for yourselves. To begin with, you should compare them with newspaper advertisements put up for salespeople. The qualities employers look for in a salesperson, you should look for the same in a sales letter.

 

1. Is he a Self-starter?

The best salespeople need the slightest amount of direction. They are self-inspired. Similarly, your sales letter needs to work on its own. If you want your prospect to buy on the basis of the letter, your sales letter must give each benefit, feature, selling promise, proof, and guarantee that is needed to close the sale.

 

2. Does he have prior experience?

The best sales people find out from their blunders. So should your sales letters. The letter you are about to mail needs to be tested to make certain your list, your offer, your imagination, and your timing is the best they can be.

 

3. Does he work well under pressure?

Your prospect is engaged and unfocused. Your letter will in all probability arrive as a disruption. So make sure your letter works hard to grasp the concentration of your probable buyer and make your sales pitch.

 

4. Does he have excellent communication skills?

Make sure your sales letters are simple and user friendly. It should speak in the general language of the people.

 

5. Is he energetic?

Your sales letters need to have a clear vivacity to them.

 

6. Does he have proven organization skills?

A sales letter should be organized and disciplined.

 

7. Is he a team player?

Occasionally, your sales letter will not be able to work on its own. If your letter is intended to create a lead and not make a transaction, for example, it likely has other group players like print ads, telemarketing, hoardings and so on) that it must work with to arrive at the required target.

 

You need to make sure that the pitch of the sales letter is at par with the other marketing tools.

 

8. Does he have excellent customer service skills?

It is true that sales letters are a one-way conversation, but you can compose them to seem more like a two-way talk can’t you? The more that your letters evoke a warm, human, and real tone, the better.

 

9. Only serious candidates should apply

Prepare and mail a sales letter only when you are serious about offering a promise and keeping it.

 

10. Like a good salesperson, a good sales letter should always ask closed-ended questions, since these permit you to get specific answers and move toward concluding the sale. Closed-ended questions begin with verbs, for example "Are," "Will," "Is," "Have," "Did," "Aren't," "Didn't," and "Won't."  It is answered with a "Yes" or a "No."  You usually employ this technique when you want to start tapering the conversation and getting precise answers that will lead you to close the deal.

 

You can also ask more specific questions like, “Do you realize that you have __ problem?” or “Will you make this decision in a fortnight’s time?” “Do you like my product or service?” “Would you like to begin on it right away?” “Are you happy with your existing supplier?” Such questions force the prospect to make a decision.

 

You must always ask closed-ended questions in an affectionate, friendly, inquisitive tone of voice. Always be well mannered and kind. You should never use force or exploitation. It never works. On the contrary, it works against your cause. You lose credibility.

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