Article from March 1998 issue of The Profit Zone Newsletter
Secrets of Writing a Sales Letter that Works!
Do you need a good, hard-hitting, money generating sales letter but don't know how to write one? Anybody can write a good sales letter... really. Even if you've never written anything in your entire life you can do it! After all, you know more about your business than anyone else, right? And you might be relieved to know that a college degree, or professional writing experience is not required. What you do need is: 1. A few good books on sales and writing techniques. (I recommend "The Ultimate Sales Letter" by Daniel Kennedy and "Words That Sell" by Richard Bayan - both can be found in our bookstore located at http://www.profitzone.com/bookstore-home.shtml. Read these cover to cover and keep them handy for quick reference. 2. You need insight and power of observation to translate, into print, what you know about selling your product in person. Observe your selling techniques that you use every day on the phone or in person. Tape record them if you have to. Then write it down! 3. An idea file or "swipe file". This is a file containing other people's ads and letters that you can "swipe" ideas from. Don't worry... professionals do this everyday! 4. Common sense. VERY IMPORTANT: Do not be intimidated by the fact that you've never written anything before, or have failed a few times. Your knowledge has value! Just start writing - from start to finish. The more you write, the more confident you get. Isn't that always the case with anything you do in life? Do you remember how difficult it was to drive a car when you were first learning? Which pedal is the brake? What does "P" stand for? And, oh, the dreaded driving test that finishes up with parallel parking... Ugh! I'll bet you don't think twice about any of that now! Well, the same principle applies to writing a good sales letter. Just keep writing. The confidence will come. Also, it helps to keep in mind that you DON'T HAVE TO BE A PERFECTIONIST! A sales letter will do you no good if it never gets sent out to your prospects. You can edit and edit til the cows come home but you won't know if your sales letter is effective until your prospects read it. If you have something of value and have a fair understanding of your customer, your sales letter has a good chance of working for you... even if it's not perfect. WRITING IN CYBERSPACE IS DIFFERENT! If you are interested in writing a sales letter or ad to promote your product or service online (like using an autoresponder or direct email), it might interest you to know that "cyberwriting" has its own rules. Writing online is different than writing on paper. For instance, email communications can tend to be cold and emotionless - therefore communicating the worst. Sometimes people online assume your words are meant in a sarcastic or negative way, not what you truly intended. If I sent you an email saying, "You need my product", you might think that I mean you are somehow lacking and need help. And if you insult your prospects, does that help or hurt your business? There a many ways to remedy this... and rather than try to give you a condensed version of the do's and don'ts, I recommend a particular book written by Joe Vitale, called "Cyberwriting". It is also available in our online bookstore. Check it out at: http://www.profitzone.com/books/k2-cyber-writing.shtml The ability to write a good sales letter is the single most important weapon you can have! If you follow the guidelines I have given you here, and load up on the books I've mentioned (or any others you may see that spark your interest), you can't lose! Just write and write and then write some more. Soon you'll be parallel parking with the best of them!!! __________________________________________________________________ This month's Profit Zone Marketing News is by Jeanne Pritt of Worldwide TeleNet, creators of "The Profit Zone" at http://www.profitzone.com * Discover how to CAPTURE HIDDEN PROFITS by delivering information instantly when prospects are HOT! Click Here --> http://www.profitzone.com/k2aweber.shtml * How to START and PROMOTE Virtually ANY BUSINESS, Product or Service on the INTERNET! Click Here --> http://www.profitzone.com/k3corey.shtml * Discover how to PROMOTE YOUR WEBSITE on 400+ SITES with just ONE CLICK of a button! Click Here --> http://www.profitzone.com/k2linko.shtml * ADVERTISE Your Product or Service on Websites Worldwide for FREE! Click Here --> http://www.profitzone.com/k3iadisk.shtml * Discover what exactly makes the difference between the "INTERNET SUCCESS STORIES" and the "Obscure Web Marketers! Click Here --> http://www.profitzone.com/k2inside.shtml
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