The Small Business Toolbox Blog

In this last in a series of blog posts about how to write sales letters that work we look and two more story-line angles that have been tried and tested over the years and have been found to elicit the right action from recipients, purchasing the product concerned!

Connect with the reader by highlighting a problem or fear they may have.

This is one of the most effective tools and connects on a basic psychological level, which can convert, if written correctly, at an astonishing rate.

For example: “You may feel safe from retirement worries now, but did you know that nearly all small business owners reach 60 without having a business that is saleable and without having made adequate provision for their retirement income? Now is the time to develop your Small Business Strategy to ensure that you can sell and receive a lump sum payment or develop a business model that will ensure your nest egg is in place and well tended when you want to start slowing down!”

This approach has been used by the advertising industry for years. It’s referred to as “pushing the ouch button” and you’d be surprised at how many situations you can use it in. It really works like a charm.

Finally, you can mention someone the reader knows.

This is a very effective method if you can personalize your communication and use someone that the recipient admires, respects and wants to emulate.

By way of example: “Did you know that your friend *Sue Brown* told us that you could really use some help in developing a more effective business model for your business? That’s why we’re inviting you to visit The Small Business Strategic Toolbox and find out how you can work smarter, rather than harder, in your small business. She loved the programme and knows it can help you too.”

If you introduce a referral programme at the same time this can be an extremely effective way to reach out and touch your potential new clients and reward your satisfied customers at the same time.
Approach your clients and ask them for the names of a few people who they believe may benefit from also using your products or services. Offer them an incentive if those people respond and you’ll develop your own sales force of committed and loyal followers very quickly and effectively. These types of referral programmes take some time to generate, but they’re well worth the effort!

In closing this Sales Letter mini-series:

Always remember that it is your primary objective in writing a sales letter to “hook” your reader as quickly as possible! We’re all receive tons of e-mails, brochures, flyers and phone calls every day from someone wanting to sell us something so you have a limited amount of time to grab their attention and get them reading on.

Ideally you want to keep your sales letters to within a maximum of two computer screens or two A4 pages and while there can be exceptions it is vital that you only write as much as you need to connect with the reader and share the benefits of buying your product/service and no more. People don’t buy waffle, they buy solutions to their problems so get to the point in a way that makes the reading a pleasant experience!