How To Write Effective Sales Letters For Your Products/Services

No matter what you sell, if you do not have a persuasive sales letter, you will have a tough time selling your products/services.

It doesn't matter whether you run a MNC or a home-based business, you need to create effective sales copy to sell your products. Words sell, products do not. It's a proven fact that it's the words you use in ads/sales letters prompt users to take action. Simply put, your sales letter can either make or break your business.

So how can you make sure you are using the right kind of persuasive sales letter for your products/services? You have two options: Either hire a professional copywriter or do it yourself. Most home-based business owners would like to go for the second option to keep the overheads minimum.

Although different copywriters use different approaches to write a sales letter, the essence is the same - to grab the reader's attention and prompt him to take action. Here are some basic guidelines to get you started.

1) The AIDA Principle

AIDA basically stands for Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. Most copywriters follow this basic guideline to write an effective sales copy.

First, grab the reader's attention by using shocking facts, asking questions or simply surprise them. Here are some examples:

* A Little Mistake That Cost A Farmer $3,000 A Year
* Do You Do Any of These Ten Embarrassing Things?
* How to Write a Super-Charged Sales Letter in Less Than Half Hour
* Almost 75% of People Would Quit Their Day Job and Work at Home if They Found the Right Opportunity

Your next step would be to create interest in them regarding your product. You can achieve this by citing stories of those who found the product useful, list of benefits, testimonials. Next step would be to create a desire in them to own the product by stressing on what the product can do for them, how much time/money they'll save. Try to create a mental picture of the reader already using your product.

Finally, end with a call to Action. This is the most vital and neglected piece of a sales letter. No matter how persuasive your sales letter is, its useless if doesn't have a call to action. What it basically does is tell the reader what he/she must do next to order your product/service. This is achieved using statements action words like, Click Now to Order, Get it Now, Call Now, Visit Today.

So, in a nutshell, grab reader's attention, create interest, evoke desire and finally guide them to take the action you want.

2) Aristotle's Three Audience Appeals

Aristotle's three audience appeals are widely used by copywriters to write convincing copies and change the minds of would-be buyers. Aristotle, one of the most learned men, recognized these three appeals and were widely used by speakers of this time. They are ethos, logos and pathos.

Ethos appeals are usually based ethics and reputation. Like getting your products/services endorsed by celebrities or some expert in your field.

Logos appeals are based on logic. These appeals use actual facts and figures to convey the message.

Pathos appeals are based on emotions. For example a picture of a successful person, beautiful scenery, money, starving woman. If your copy evokes some strong emotion like happiness, grief, anger, then it's an example of pathos.

You can boost the overall performance of your sales letter greatly by using any or all of these appeals.

3) The KISS Principle

This basically stands for Keep It Short and Simple. While writing many feel tempted to go on using big words and metaphors to demonstrate their skill. Doing so while only bore your reader. Your writing should be short and to the point. You want your copy to influence as many people as possible so this guideline should always be adhered to.

Even if you don't decide to write a copy yourself, these tips will help you evaluate and analyze the copy written by your copywriter.

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