Sales Letter Structure
The Components of the Sales Letter
What should your sales letter look like? Just like your articles, you need a compelling title (which can also serve as the subject line of an e-mail if you decide to send a targeted electronic mailing). The body of the letter should contain short paragraphs and bulleted lists. There should be an introduction, the main part of the letter, and a conclusion.
However, in terms of sales letters, these components are better referred to as the hook, the pitch, and the call to action.
The hook: Your sales letter should capture a prospective buyer’s attention right away. The opening of the letter should describe what is unique, exciting and valuable about your product or services. Many sales letters use a “what if” scenario for the opening hook:
Ever since your baby was born, you haven’t had more than five minutes to yourself. You love being a new mom—but your skin is starting to dry, your hair hasn’t seen more than a quick brush-through in weeks, and your fingernails are torn, colorless stubs. What if you could restore your former beauty regimen and feel attractive again—in just fifteen minutes a day?
The intention of a sales letter’s opening is to present a common problem among your target audience and then hint that you have the solution. It doesn’t give everything away; rather, it entices the reader to keep going.
The pitch: The body of your sales letter is where you explain your product or services. This section should convince the reader that your solution is just what they’ve been looking for. Again, you don’t have to reveal everything in the body, but you should provide enough information to sway the reader toward a purchasing decision.
Your pitch can include:
- A brief description of why you created your product or services
- The aspects of your products or services that make them different from other products like them
- The problems your products or services will solve
- Any benefits your target market will realize by using your products or services
This is also the place to include testimonials from satisfied customers: “Reading Fixing Your Face in a Flash helped me go from frumpy to flashy and still keep up with my toddlers! –Bea Consumer” You may not have any customers at this point—but you can still get testimonials. Give out sample products or services to your friends and family, and ask them to write a few sentences to describe their experiences using them.
The call to action: At the end of your sales letter, indicate what it is you want the reader to do—visit your website and purchase your products. Special deals, discounts and free bonuses are great ways to encourage a purchase decision. You can even place a time limit on your extras to create a sense of “Act now!” urgency. A sample call to action:
Are you ready to learn the shortcuts to beauty that will restore your confidence and have you feeling good in no time? Click here to order Ima Businessmom’s exclusive e-book today, and you’ll save 50 percent off the retail price of $19.99. You can get Fixing Your Face in a Flash for only $9.95 with this special offer.
Order Ima’s e-book within the next seven days and receive a free special report: The Twenty Best Time-Saving Combination Cosmetic Products for New Moms. Click here to order your e-book and bonus special report now!
You can find many sample sales letters online that will help you structure your own letter for the best results. If you find a sales letter that seems particularly convincing, you might want to use it as a template to write your own.
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