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The Formula for Writing a Sales Letter

Do you feel confused, pressured or overwhelmed at the thought of writing a sales letter for your product? You're not alone. The sight of that treacherously long page with the neverending streams of words, words, words confounds many.

The good news is, writing a sales letter needn't be approached with the same dread one might take at having to bang out a college term paper the night before it's due. All you really need to do is break it down into manageable parts.

Part 1: Create the "Hooker" Headline and Intro. The "hooker" part of your sales letter includes a headline, subhead, and first paragraph or two. They call it the hooker because it's meant to hook interest and capture attention. This is frequently done with a series of 3, attention-grabbing questions, but it doesn't have to. One such question might be: "Are you sick of enduring fad diet after fad diet, only to gain all the weight back as soon as you fall off the wagon?"

Part 2: Attract Interest. This is accomplished by going deeper into the reader's current challenge or problem. Pull people in with copy that assures them they're not alone in their predicament. You may consider using a statistic or two to illustrate just how common their "issue" really is. Psychologically, this creates a sense of inclusion, categorizing them as part of a unique group with a unique problem or set of problems. Anyone who realizes "Hey, I'm not alone" is more likely to pay attention to what you're about to tell them, than someone who feels isolated in their weakness and ready to crawl under a rock and hide from the world.

Part 3: Present the Solution. Now that you've established there is a need to fill, problem to solve or challenge to overcome, it's time to introduce your product as the answer. Explain in this next section exactly what your product is all about, and its function in alleviating the reader's pain. Use clear language that's easy to understand (of course, you should be communicating clearly throughout your sales letter!). Let people know exactly what they're getting.

Part 4: Cover the Features and Benefits. Follow your explanation of the product with one or two bulleted lists. In your lists, cover the benefits and features that go along with what you're selling. Benefits are intangible concepts such as freedom (from having to diet constantly), peace of mind (no more worrying about how your butt looks in those jeans!), satisfaction ("My love life has really improved since I discovered this new way of eating!") and so forth.

Each benefit should be balanced with a practical feature of your product. Examples: "Free yourself from food denial and self-punishment. We'll show you step by step how to eat what you want when you want, and keep the weight off!" "Personal incentives to keep you motivated: a food journal that lets you track your progress, record weight loss milestones, and recognize poor eating habits so you can work on changing them."

Part 5: Testimonials. Once you've thoroughly detailed the benefits and features, it's time to publish a list of testimonials from actual users of what you sell. You can run these down the page, or stash them in the sidebar if your sales letter is overflowing already. Please DO edit the less than perfect testimonials that customers send to you! Know that you are not required to include every single word - you can pull out the "best of the best" in customer quotes to really make a strong impact.

Part 6: Bonus Gifts. Are you thinking right now that your product doesn't come with any "added bonuses"? Guess again. All those little extras that you thoughtfully included when you developed your product should be broadcasted and blasted out there for all to behold. Things like the complimentary online membership, the bonus book of handy tips, the calorie counter, the healthy recipes, the free newsletter subscription, access to community forums, and anything else you worked hard to create but now take for granted because "everybody offers this stuff with their products." Not everyone does, and even if they did, not every consumer knows about it. Bottom line, it's a good idea to remind people of what they're about to receive if you want to make the sale.

Part 7: Time Sensitive Offer and Incentive to Buy. Your reader needs a reason to take action today. Right now, he might have your sales page open on his computer as he drools into his drool cup, gets distracted by some movement outside, or maybe an email just came in that's vying for his attention. Let him know (before he turns away) that this offer is impressive and it won't be around forever. Maybe this is a brand new, introductory price that you plan to increase once interest picks up. Whatever your incentive, be sure to convey everything clearly in your writing, so that there is no misunderstanding as to what the customer will be getting once they commit to the purchase.

Part 8: The Moneyback Guarantee. You may be hesitant to offer a "satisfaction guaranteed or your money back" line. What if everyone who buys this thing decides your product didn't live up to his or her expectations? Don't sweat it. Nine times out of ten, this won't happen. And if for some reason, a very small percentage of customers aren't happy with the end deliverable, simply use the constructive feedback as a way to improve things down the road.

So craft your guarantee copy to reassure that this is a safe, sane, and sound purchase that's well worth their attention. Reassure that their money is 100% refundable if for any reason they're unhappy. Use comforting language that helps your customer view you as a trustworthy and honest businessperson. Remember - YOU know that you can be trusted, but people who have never met you before will need some convincing before they click BUY NOW.

Part 9: The Sign-Off. Finally, sign off with something enthusiastic and encouraging - a final note that will remind the reader that you're on their team, you're rooting for them, and you want to help them overcome whatever is blocking them from fulfillment. Many copywriters take this opportunity to include a "PS" that nudges their reader to grab the offer and run, but I don't think this is always necessary if you've got plenty of BUY NOW buttons featured prominently on the page.

So that's it: I just gave you the whole kit and kaboodle on how to create a sales letter. Go ahead and give it a whirl. And if you run into any problems or feel like you need a second pair of eyes... contact dina@wordfeeder.com for expert copywriting guidance and direction.

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Copywriting and Marketing Categories article marketing and copywriting tips Branding Tips Blogging Tips Email Newsletter Tips grammar advice persuasive copywriting tips sales letter copywriting tips search engine copywriting tips technical aspects of copywriting the copywriting client web copywriting and marketing tips One Dollar Consulting Special Send $1 via PayPal, then email your most pressing questions about marketing to dina@wordfeeder.com today. for corporate clients copywriting for coaches copywriting for web designers Landscaping Marketing real estate copywriting copywriting for the specialty food industry technology marketing & copywriting	Custom Search The Formula for Writing a Sales Letter by Dina Giolitto Do you feel confused, pressured or overwhelmed at the thought of writing a sales letter for your product? You're not alone. The sight of that treacherously long page with the neverending streams of words, words, words confounds many. The good news is, writing a sales letter needn't be approached with the same dread one might take at having to bang out a college term paper the night before it's due. All you really need to do is break it down into manageable parts. Part 1: Create the "Hooker" Headline and Intro. The "hooker" part of your sales letter includes a headline, subhead, and first paragraph or two. They call it the hooker because it's meant to hook interest and capture attention. This is frequently done with a series of 3, attention-grabbing questions, but it doesn't have to. One such question might be: "Are you sick of enduring fad diet after fad diet, only to gain all the weight back as soon as you fall off the wagon?" Part 2: Attract Interest. This is accomplished by going deeper into the reader's current challenge or problem. Pull people in with copy that assures them they're not alone in their predicament. You may consider using a statistic or two to illustrate just how common their "issue" really is. Psychologically, this creates a sense of inclusion, categorizing them as part of a unique group with a unique problem or set of problems. Anyone who realizes "Hey, I'm not alone" is more likely to pay attention to what you're about to tell them, than someone who feels isolated in their weakness and ready to crawl under a rock and hide from the world. Part 3: Present the Solution. Now that you've established there is a need to fill, problem to solve or challenge to overcome, it's time to introduce your product as the answer. Explain in this next section exactly what your product is all about, and its function in alleviating the reader's pain. Use clear language that's easy to understand (of course, you should be communicating clearly throughout your sales letter!). Let people know exactly what they're getting. Part 4: Cover the Features and Benefits. Follow your explanation of the product with one or two bulleted lists. In your lists, cover the benefits and features that go along with what you're selling. Benefits are intangible concepts such as freedom (from having to diet constantly), peace of mind (no more worrying about how your butt looks in those jeans!), satisfaction ("My love life has really improved since I discovered this new way of eating!") and so forth. Each benefit should be balanced with a practical feature of your product. Examples: "Free yourself from food denial and self-punishment. We'll show you step by step how to eat what you want when you want, and keep the weight off!" "Personal incentives to keep you motivated: a food journal that lets you track your progress, record weight loss milestones, and recognize poor eating habits so you can work on changing them." Part 5: Testimonials. Once you've thoroughly detailed the benefits and features, it's time to publish a list of testimonials from actual users of what you sell. You can run these down the page, or stash them in the sidebar if your sales letter is overflowing already. Please DO edit the less than perfect testimonials that customers send to you! Know that you are not required to include every single word - you can pull out the "best of the best" in customer quotes to really make a strong impact. Part 6: Bonus Gifts. Are you thinking right now that your product doesn't come with any "added bonuses"? Guess again. All those little extras that you thoughtfully included when you developed your product should be broadcasted and blasted out there for all to behold. Things like the complimentary online membership, the bonus book of handy tips, the calorie counter, the healthy recipes, the free newsletter subscription, access to community forums, and anything else you worked hard to create but now take for granted because "everybody offers this stuff with their products." Not everyone does, and even if they did, not every consumer knows about it. Bottom line, it's a good idea to remind people of what they're about to receive if you want to make the sale. Part 7: Time Sensitive Offer and Incentive to Buy. Your reader needs a reason to take action today. Right now, he might have your sales page open on his computer as he drools into his drool cup, gets distracted by some movement outside, or maybe an email just came in that's vying for his attention. Let him know (before he turns away) that this offer is impressive and it won't be around forever. Maybe this is a brand new, introductory price that you plan to increase once interest picks up. Whatever your incentive, be sure to convey everything clearly in your writing, so that there is no misunderstanding as to what the customer will be getting once they commit to the purchase. Part 8: The Moneyback Guarantee. You may be hesitant to offer a "satisfaction guaranteed or your money back" line. What if everyone who buys this thing decides your product didn't live up to his or her expectations? Don't sweat it. Nine times out of ten, this won't happen. And if for some reason, a very small percentage of customers aren't happy with the end deliverable, simply use the constructive feedback as a way to improve things down the road. So craft your guarantee copy to reassure that this is a safe, sane, and sound purchase that's well worth their attention. Reassure that their money is 100% refundable if for any reason they're unhappy. Use comforting language that helps your customer view you as a trustworthy and honest businessperson. Remember - YOU know that you can be trusted, but people who have never met you before will need some convincing before they click BUY NOW. Part 9: The Sign-Off. Finally, sign off with something enthusiastic and encouraging - a final note that will remind the reader that you're on their team, you're rooting for them, and you want to help them overcome whatever is blocking them from fulfillment. Many copywriters take this opportunity to include a "PS" that nudges their reader to grab the offer and run, but I don't think this is always necessary if you've got plenty of BUY NOW buttons featured prominently on the page. So that's it: I just gave you the whole kit and kaboodle on how to create a sales letter. Go ahead and give it a whirl. And if you run into any problems or feel like you need a second pair of eyes... contact dina@wordfeeder.com for expert copywriting guidance and direction. Copyright 2008 Dina Giolitto, Wordfeeder.com Copywriting and Marketing. All rights reserved. Go to the page where we list all copywriting and marketing articles Ever Dreamed of Earning Your Living Writing Copy for the Web? Now's your chance to learn all there is to know about how to launch, organize and successfully run an online writing and editing business from the comfort of your home office. Get on the list for our upcoming guide, "The Nitty Gritty of How to Start a Writing or Editing Business on the Web." Learn more by clicking this link! No time to read right now? Simply fill out the form below! We'll contact you as soon as the guide is ready for public consumption. Thanks. Want more? Sign up for Word Food, our Copywriting and Marketing Newsletter. get a copywriting or website marketing quote Thanks for visiting Wordfeeder.com Copywriting and Marketing. If you're interested in a copywriting, web design or web marketing quote, please include project details such as: Type of Project (web copy, sales letter, articles, etc.) General Project Details (target audience, product, etc.) Number of Pages Links to Previous Ads Links to Competitor Ads Whom You'd Like to Emulate (or not emulate!) 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The Formula for Writing a Sales Letter

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