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"If your boss's zipper is undone, should
you say something or just keep on smiling?"
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Bill Jayme
(from direct mail sales letter) |
Don't you hate a bad sales person - the one who never meets goals (if you're the boss) - or the one who demonstrates all the wrong features (if you're the customer)?
Many businesses think of direct mail as space advertising in a mail box. If all you have to sell is a $5.00 off coupon, that approach will work - generally. But - if you really want (or need) to sell what you're selling - you need to put a sales person in that mail box. Which do you want - some namby-pamby, "can't sell ice cubes in the Sahara" - or Ron Popeil (who actually made spray-on hair seem like a good buy)?
Who's taken a sales training course? They're pretty much all the same - lots of fiery motivation, some role playing and then a pre-packaged structure for navigating the sales process. I took one once (the instructor had once sold cemetery plots for a living - yeesh)! His process is called the AIDC method.
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Look in your neighbors window (but don't get caught). She's opening her mail over the recycling bin. Research tells us you have 16 seconds for her to make a decision about opening your mail. Something about your envelope has to engage her - your name, the artwork, your teaser... (but that's another day).
For today - let's start by assuming that she's gotten to your letter. Get her attention immediately - use overlines, headlines, design tricks - anything that draws her into the letter. Most importantly - SHOUT
YOUR OFFER AND KEY BENEFITS - EARLY AND OFTEN. Here's a key point - talk to her... as an individual.
WIIFM - "What's in it for me?" If you want your reader to keep
reading - answer that question. Benefits...benefits ...benefits! If you just
can't resist the urge to describe how your hot new digital whatsis enables
your techno-gizmo to work at warp speeds - put that information in your brochure.
The letter should only tell the reader how the new whatsis earns him more
money or makes him more appealing to women.
- More sex.
- More money.
- More time.
- Exclusivity.
- Belonging.
- Fear of pain.
Your reader's interested - now you have to make him really want your product. "Show him the money" - or the time savings (and what to do with them). Don't be logical - be emotional.
Readers - even interested ones - are skeptical. Your reader wants your stuff. Make it easy for him to buy - get the roadblocks out of the way. *Include testimonials and guarantees.
(* if you must print your "guarantee" with asterisks and mouse type - don't use it - it isn't really a guarantee).
That's the most used closing line in all automobile dealerships. Your version should be, "What'll it take for you to pick up the phone (or drive to my store, or come to my website) right now?" Close the sale.
Stress urgency and ease. Give your reader a reason to buy - NOW (the first 25 callers get a FREE video, order by May 15 and get a fifth window FREE, etc). Your direct mail package has the shelf life of a carton of ice cream in your backseat in August. Make it easy to buy - 24 hour toll-free numbers, a postage-paid reply form, online ordering, credit cards - use them all. If your reader doesn't buy now he won't at all (until you send him the next - better - letter.
That's it for this week.
Jim
PS How long should your letter be? Long enough to do the job! If your product has real value - sell it.
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A few words about structure.
Hortense Finch, my high school English teacher (Davenport Central, 1968), had lots of magazine and newspaper articles published. But - I don't think she ever sold a single replacement window, cell phone, pizza, guitar or mortgage. You're not trying to get an A from Miss Finch! You're selling stuff.
Research into how people actually read sales letters should determine your structure - not Elements of Style. Readers will absorb your letter in the following order
- Headline (or Johnson Box - send me an email if you want to learn more about the Johnson Box)
- Photo captions (the best reason to use photos in your letter)
- The PS (if you don't have one - how can they read it?)
- Overlines
- Sub heads
- Call outs
- Body copy
Knowing this - build the interest and desire in your letter using reader tendencies.
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