If you are in business development and sales, you need to know exactly what and how to create a sales letter with all the elements that encourage people to buy!  Use Tom Antion’s list of “Sales Letter Elements” to write your own script.  (From a Tom Antion, free webinar, April 2012).

SALES LETTER ELEMENTS

1)             Pre-Headline – teaser

2)             Headline – important to attract readers to ‘read the rest of the message’

3)             Sub-Headine – tell as story via a sub-header message that encourages reader to continue reading

4)             Parallel Tracks –

5)             Teasers – near the top of the letter or ‘splash page’ that provokes more interest to create a ‘Zeigarnik Effect’ – no one wants to ‘not know’ the ending; the human brain can not stand an unfulfilled question! The Zeigarnik effect suggests those who suspend an activity, during which they do unrelated activities will remember material better than those who complete activity sessions without a break (Zeigarnik, 1927; McKinney 1935). Using suspense to provoke a feeling of uncertainty and anxiety about the outcome of certain actions, referring to an audience’s perceptions, operates in any situation where there is a lead-up to a big event or dramatic moment, with tension being a primary emotion felt as part of the situation. Use examples like, “See the biggest savings,” or “Top 3 Techniques for XYZ.”

6)             Reason Why – (because technique), why are you doing it – to make more credible influence using psychology of persuasion using his six principles of persuasion: 6 key principles of persuasion by Robert Cialdini:  (a) Reciprocity – People tend to return a favor, thus the pervasiveness of free samples in marketing.  The good cop/bad cop strategy is also based on this principle. (b) Commitment and Consistency – If people commit, orally or in writing, to an idea or goal, they are more likely to honor that commitment because of establishing that idea or goal as being congruent with their self image (See cognitive dissonance). (c) Social Proof – People will do things they see other people doing (See conformity, and the Asch conformity experiments). (d) Authority – People will tend to obey authority figures, even if they are asked to perform objectionable acts. (see Milgram experiments in the early 1960s and the My Lai massacre). (e) Liking – People are easily persuaded by other people they like (See physical attractiveness stereotype). (f) Scarcity – Perceived scarcity will generate demand. For example, a “limited time only” encourages sales.

7)             Urgency and Scarcity – go hand-in-hand.  Sign up by midnight only because here’s a good reason (limited quantities, bandwidth, etc., or a counter for number of seats in the seminar).

8)             Features and Benefits – people don’t buy just to get a drill – they buy a tool that helps them achieve the ultimate goal – a ‘hole.’

9)             Exact Numbers – be careful about exact numbers, but do get percentages as close as possible.  Don’t say 1,340 people accomplished this; DO say 32.3% averaged more XYZ.  Make a bulleted list with numbers: 7 ways to achieve, 10 ways to overcome, 3 secrets to success.

10)         Scare Tactics – read this ‘or else’ – something awful will happen to you

11)         Tell Stories – I used to be a XYZ, but now I do ABC, because I discovered this process and used it to achieve success!  My students revised their resumes and 50% of the class got jobs within two weeks!

12)         Testimonials – results based – we bought your kit and this wonderful thing happened!

13)         Guarantees – will increase sales, but will it increase ‘good sales’ – probably not.  Don’t put it in if it causes you lots of work!  Make it a CONDITIONAL guarantee, when signed up, 100% participation, follow the steps, use it for 30 days and if it doesn’t work, get 100% money back (onus is on customer to prove they did it right)

14)         Conviction Statement – We are so sure you’ll love XYZ product, at the end of 90 days we’ll double your money back!

15)         Bonuses – will increase sales, good enough to sell on their own, will buy the main product to get the bonuses.

16)         Bonus Testimonials – will increase sales

17)          Cost Comparison – “ridiculously cheap!” Mixing apples and oranges – use sample of a Mazaratti car with the cost of lunch for the next five years; nothing to do with each other, but emphasizing ‘cheap’

18)         Ask Questions – (rhetorical) – to cause pain – the trouble with Web Designers, answers the need for IT issues to solve,

19)         Frequently Asked Questions – more sales copy, long outperformance, short sales letters  – additional 2-3 different ways to get sales message across

20)         Call to Action – click here to register, change your life, to get bonuses

21)         Greed – pretend it’s half the price

22)         Controversy / Provocation – true, partial truth statement, “going out of business” – just not 100% the truth, but close enough for a portion of the sales product (going out of the audio CD business and to instant download, so ‘essentially’ going out of business for that ‘part’ of the business)

23)         Layout – Don’t worry about correct writing skills and style: Use one-sentence paragraphs, colored text, bolding inside the paragraphs, highlighted text; it’s OK for choppy reading than the academic formatting for prose; use text boxes to set aside vital provocative information, underlining is powerful in printed sales letters, but avoid it in websites to avoid people thinking the text is a clickable link

24)         P.S. and P.P.S – use it with a check list on shorter sales lists

25)         Photos – once to show you are a real person; graphics – keep them minimum because they are not what convinces your target market to buy

26)         Review – read your copy and text out loud – you may have missed a word!  Check the links – twice!