Page 219 - DENG102_COMMUNICATION_SKILLS_II

Communication Skills-II

notes Before you begin, you should be familiar with what your sales letter intends to promote and the
people you intend it to reach. This may require a little research and some brainstorming, but
without preparation your sales letter will be less effective. Then decide on the features that best
highlight the good or service; identify its selling points, in other words. Bigger, brighter, stronger,
faster, cheaper, etc., are common selling points when writing a sales letter. Once you have made
a selection, you must persuade the readers that the benefit of your offer outweighs the cost. In
other words, convince them that what you have to offer is a good deal.
A sales letter persuades the reader to place an order; to request additional information; or to
lend support to the product or service or cause being offered. It influences the reader to take a
specific action by making an offer – not an announcement – to him. To sell, the sales letter must
be specific, go to the right audience, appeal to the readers needs, and it must be informative.

Keep in mind that people do business with people. When you personalize your sales letter,
addressing the reader by name, you recognize that person’s individual importance and their
value as a human being.

Identifying Prospective Target

A sales letter should be addressed to a group of prospective buyers who meet an established set
of criteria. Selecting their names should be done carefully, ideally with the help of a professional
who specializes in direct mail marketing. He or she will be able to assist you in constructing a
mailing list tailored to your specific needs.
Once assembled, the names of your potential customers should be placed in the salutation and
inside heading of your sales letter. They should also be included on the top line of your envelope.

Establishing Objective

The objective of a sales letter is threefold:
1. To attract attention
2. Generate interest
3. Induce a purchase

Your sales letter may not induce an immediate purchase, however, it should, at the very least,
meet the first two objectives. It should provide its readers with enough information to heighten
their brand awareness about who you are and what goods or services you have to offer. They
may return as a customer in the future.

Formatting the Sales Letter

Working from an outline is the simplest way to draft a sales letter.
Heading and Image

Use your business or a personal heading or nameplate, minus the logo. The next component is
the headline. Type the headline in a few short lines where the inside name and address would
go. Or, you could consider centering the headline or putting it in a text box to grab attention. You
may want to add color or shading to the box for more attractiveness.
In the inside heading of the sample sales letter, the reader is identified by both his name and the
position he holds.
The image, if used, should be near the headline. It helps to catch the reader’s eye. The headline is
usually 3-30 words long. It grabs the reader’s attention, and tells him what the ad (sales letter) is

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