Newbies Hints and Tips : Help With Sales Letters - Sales Letter Body

In a recent article I talked abut the importance of having a strong Headline and Sub-headline, and I cannot emphasise this enough - it will make or break your sales.

The intention of your sales letter must be to grab the attention and imagination of your readers, so much so they feel compelled to order immediately. This is what we're aiming for after all.

You may already be familiar with the A.I.D.A. formula - but in case you're not, this is how it goes: A is for ATTENTION - this part would be your Headline and Sub-headline.

I is for INTEREST - what you have to instil in your prospective purchaser, in the body of your sales letter.

D is for DESIRE - your sales copy is so strong that the customer feels compelled - they NEED your product.

A is for ACTION - your reader needs to take action immediately and order the product.

So, first of all we have the Headline which we talked about last time.

Then we come to the body of your sales letter. Remember, the reader needs to be excited by what you have to offer. You know all about your Product that you have for sale, but your reader does not - yet. Even in your body copy you should use interesting words and phrases - your Product is not just good, it's AMAZING. If the reader bought your product he would "learn the secrets of this amazing breakthrough..."

What you need to understand is that your readers aren't particularly interested at this point. But they do need to know - they need to learn about your product. You are selling the BENEFITS - not just selling the Product. You can write about your product in the greatest detail, but if it doesn't talk about the benefits, you won't make a sale.

Your readers need to know about W.I.I.F.M. This is "What's in it for Me?" They won't care two figs about your product - until they know there's this amazing benefit in it for them.

When writing your copy don't worry if your English grammar is less than perfect. In fact making just one or two mistakes in your letter can make you seem more human! Write like you would speak to a good friend - one-to-one. It's more natural. No one wants to be lectured to, so always be laid back and friendly.

Best to keep your paragraphs relatively short - just two or three sentences - or sometimes just one sentence. You can use more Sub-headings - you can use graphics - just a few - not a lot!

You can use bullet points to make your "list" of benefits stand out. You can use bold lettering, or highlight words or sentences (yellow is a good color for highlighting).

Once you have finished your copy, and you are happy with the final thing, read it out loud to yourself, or a friend or family member. They'll soon tell you if something needs to be adjusted!

Understand what you're trying to convey to your reader. He needs to buy your product because, ie: · He's suffering from ... (a problem, or problems) · He's tried various methods of ... (pain relief/weight-loss/exercise/hair loss prevention) etc etc, but none of this works · You provide the solution with your product, and bingo! He knows he NEEDS to buy your product!

Show your Testimonials from other customers - you can't beat this. You'll need to have the originals on file, and be able and willing to prove they are original. If you don't have any testimonials at this stage, don't worry. Try letting a couple of friends or co-workers have your product to try it out, and ask them for a testimonial. Everyone likes something for free, so they'll most probably be very happy to give you one.

Now you've got the interest of your reader, and he really wants to get his hands on this product. You must explain exactly how he should complete the order form and download the product. You could at this point explain that this product is being sold at a discounted price, for a very limited time. You can create urgency with this sentence.

Remember to offer a money-back guarantee, so your reader knows he has nothing to lose, and everything to gain by ordering.

Use the PS (post script) to convey something you almost forgot to say. Something to clinch the deal while your reader is still hovering.

There's so much more to write about on this topic, but that will have to wait until another time.