Anatomy of a Sales Letter Which Sells - Part 2

Here’s part 2 of Anatomy of Your Sales letter.

The Opening Paragraph

Now you’re ready for your opening paragraph.

This has got to be better than good. It’s got to be powerful.

You’ve got to remind your prospect just what their problem (or desire) is, then move on More…to make it sound worse by reminding them if they don’t take any action its going to get infinitely worse.

Then, just as you’ve got them picturing how awful the problem is - you tell them you have a solution.

Find an itch, scratch it, and then solve it. Keep your first sentence/paragraph short and punchy. No more than one line where possible.

Now, have a go at writing an opening paragraph for ‘your business’:

Body Copy

There are many ways to write your body copy but one of the best is to tell a story.

The best copy (in terms of sales produced over 1 billion dollars) was written for the Wall Street Journal. Whichever way you choose to do your body copy, there are always the same elements that must be there.

You’ve written your opening paragraph and made a promise which you have the answer to what they want.

You need to paint a picture (in their mind) of what life would be like for them after you solve their problem.

You’ve got to weave into your body copy proof that your solution works. And prove it to your prospects satisfaction.

You can do this by showing them statements, checks received, letters from people (with pictures), photographs (before and after), testimonials from satisfied customers (both audio and video) etc.

Use reliable and believable sources of information. Independent articles, studies, and other data that will confirm your claims.

Establish your credibility. Show your prospect that you are trustworthy and why they are safe buying from you.

Ram home why your product is so different from the rest. In order to do this, you need a strong Unique Selling Proposition (USP).

It has been proven that the overuse of adjectives in copy is harmful and the use of verbs works in your favor.

Adding Value

Then add bonuses to build value.

For each of your bonuses you will need to write a short description and add about four or six bullet points.

You’ll can also include a graphic for each of your bonuses.

You should now be getting ready for the close.

But before you do so, a good technique is to change the pace of your copy.

The False Close

Your prospect is expecting the sale by now (if he’s read this far), he’s anticipating what’s coming - so stall for a while with something like this:

“You’re probably wondering how to get your hands on this superb package. I’ll tell you in a moment. however first . . .

Tell a small story which can then lead to the real close. Which is . . .

Asking for the order!

This is where you remind him to picture himself enjoying the promise you made. Remind also of your credibility and how unique you are.

Before you ask for their money, offer a discount and give them the reason why.

Okay . . . that’s it for part 2. Expect part 3 in the next day or two.

“Dedicated to kicking your ass until you succeed!”

Warmly

Trevor ‘Toe Cracker’ Crook
PS. Make sure you get part 3 - coming soon.