If you’re writing a marketing letter (or an email) the most important thing is to get the reader to open the envelope or the email.
But how do you start your sales letter? What do you do to make sure your headline grabs attention and your letter gets read, instead of being tossed in the trash?
Read on to find out.
Speak directly to your readers
Words like “you” and “your” send the message that you’re addressing the reader’s problems and concerns, rather than talking at them. It creates the feeling that you’re having a conversation, unlike “I” (which is more like a speech).
Keep the sentences and paragraphs short, so they’re easy to read and digest. Use that first sentence to introduce the conversation you’d like to have, and explain why the reader should keep reading.
Ignite curiosity
20 Ways to Market Your Business For Free
Sometimes, the best headline or opener is buried in the second or third paragraph. Read through the letter again and see if re-arranging it makes it better.
Ask a question that you know your reader will agree with
Are you tired of spending money on IT support that leaves your wallet empty and your computer full of viruses?
Start with “because”
Because you’ve been a cardmember for 10 years, we’d like to reward you with a free gift.
Address skepticism about your product
Take it on immediately, agree with it, then discuss (in the next sentence) why your solution is different.
Email marketing is just junk and a waste of time. The truth is, I agree with you. The problem with most marketing is……What makes this different is…..
Use memories and imagination
Conjure up a picture in the reader’s mind and tell a story:
Do you remember how much you enjoyed recess as a child?
It was 1945, the war was over and my dad, Ed Cushman, had just opened a small store and fruit packaging plant here in West Palm Beach. One night (a night never to be forgotten by anyone in our family), everyone was waiting for a truck load of grapefruit. When it finally arrived, my dad took one look and said, “What the devil is this?
[They were Honeybell oranges; and when I tasted my first one, I said pretty much the same thing...what was that??!. It was sweet, juicy, and unlike any other orange I ever ate!].
Photo:mandj98
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