Direct mail pointers

Sales letters, fliers etc, can be difficult to create at the best of times, yet they are a powerful way for you to develop a cost effective marketing device, which keeps your clients up to date with new items and offers and provides prospects with information to entice them to deal with your business.

Here's some, easy, yet powerful tips to assist you to produce an effective sales letter.

• Identify the objective of the letter? Think very clearly about what you want the letter to do: promote a special event or raise awareness of a product or service you offer.
• Get attention quickly. You have about 5 seconds to get the reader's attention and persuade him/her to read the rest of the letter. So use a strong headline for a powerful attention grabbing effect.
• Make it easy to read. Keep the paragraphs short and to the point. Readers who skim the page can get most of the information if the typeface is 11-12 point in size.
• Outline the benefits. Concentrate on benefits rather than features. A product that offers great features is nice, yet if it adds or simplifies their lifestyle in some way this would be well worth mentioning.
• Try to build a partnership between you and the reader: Talk in terms of the reader, not you, keeping the language positive and encouraging.
• Tell the reader what you want them to do. If you want them to read a brochure, fill out a coupon, tell them. If you are going to phone them, tell them when they can expect your call.
• Set it out in a font (typeface) that is easy to read, avoid all capitals in the body of the letter and keep headings simple. Highlight key words in bold or underline them for emphasis, this way even skimming the document will give them a starting point.
• Pictures or symbols are good, providing they are relevant and play a useful part in conveying the message. Consider how the end product will be reproduced, if the image losses some quality in the process, be careful of the negative image this can promote.
• Have an excellent phone manner when following up on the letters, courtesy and good manners can get you a long way.
• Mail often enough throughout the year to keep their attention and focus on your business, avoid being a nuisance with too much junk mail. 12 weekly is a good separation.
• Use words that entice the person to read further, a compelling letter is just like a compelling novel, it compels you to read on with high interest levels.
• Use a guarantee, this takes out all of the risk for the buyer, and eases their tension, so you can overcome some basic buying objections early on in the sales process. No risk means a great guarantee.
• Once your database of customers builds, consider targeting only the longer-term repeat customers, (ideal clients,) it will pay bigger dividends in the long run.
• Ensure the success of any direct mail campaign by following up people on your database with a quick phone call to at least see if they received the material, its amazing how many fortunes have been made by a few strategic follow up calls.
• Do not expect the letter to 'sell' to the prospect, its aim is to get them to call or drop in so they can buy from you, nothing else. Making letters that people want to read may be the hard part, taking their orders should therefore be the easy part!

Have a go at doing a simple one page letter and if need be find out more about writing persuasively so you can really get the prospects highly intrigued and want to call your business for more information.

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