Now that society has entered the digital information age, there has been so much marketing effort put into social media that people have forgotten the original sales letter. The sales letter really started it all. People often assume that because everything is digital there is no need for an original sales letter or that it would be ineffective. On the contrary, people are so completely bombarded with digital marketing that they often opt out or delete without any consideration. However, a regular sales letter may get a second look. Mailboxes are emptier these days and a personalized sales letter can go a long way. However, it needs to be written correctly to garner attention.

Write Actively

Obviously, a sales letter should be personalized if you want the recipient to read it. However, the real key to writing a great sales letter is to write it from the customer’s point of view. Try to get in their head and write with a lot of emotion. Answer questions before they are asked. Write in an active voice to involve the reader. Bring your letter to life by providing a steady flow of compelling information. This will keep the reader interested.

Be Informal

Don’t overcrowd the letter with a bunch of technical jargon the reader may not understand. It doesn’t make you look smart, it gives them a reason to stop reading. You want your letter to read like a letter from an old friend. Keep it simple and polite, but concise and to the point. Prospective customers already have hundreds of daily demands for their time, so be respectful of that. Use shorter paragraphs and make sure that the words flow naturally. Read it out loud to see how it sounds.

One Primary Benefit

Pick one primary message to emphasize in your letter based on what you are selling and who you are selling to. It can be a benefit, a pain point or a feature but make sure your message is clear. To double check, you can have someone outside your business read this primary message without the surrounding context. If they understand what it means, then you are in business. You want your primary message to resonate with the recipient.

Be Genuine And Include A CTA

It is of the utmost importance that you are genuine in your sales letter. Don’t tell the recipient that you are going to give them something for free if you aren’t really going to do it. If you raise expectations, then you must meet them. You also need to include a clear call-to-action in your letter. Potential customers may be inclined to think you are just sending a friendly letter unless you tell them what you want them to do after reading it. Also, you only need one call-to-action in a sales letter, otherwise it is confusing.

Formatting And Grammar

Just like in school, your letter needs a greeting, a body and a closing. It is best to keep paragraphs short or it will look like a daunting page of words to read. The letter should be well-worded as well as free from grammatical and spelling errors. These types of errors destroy your credibility and your letter’s effectiveness. Edit, edit and then edit again. It never hurts to have a fresh set of eyes check over things for you too.

If you follow this guide, your letter should be well organized, easy to read and it should flow naturally. Prospective customers who receive these types of letters actually read them. If you have a great product or service, a clear call-to-action and a dynamic message you can’t help but win. These types of sales letters increase revenues ten-fold.