Sales letters

Sales letters

 

A sales letter is a piece of direct mail which is designed to persuade the reader to purchase a particular product or service in the absence of a salesman.

It defined as “A form of direct mail in which an advertiser sends a letter to a potential customer.”

 It is distinct from other direct mail techniques, such as the distribution of leaflets and catalogues, as the sales letter typically sells a single product or product line, and further tends to be mainly textual as opposed to graphics-based. It is typically used for products or services which, due to their price, are a considered purchase at medium or high value.Since the advent of the internet, the sales letter has become an integral part of internet marketing, and typically takes the form of an email or webpage.

Objectives of Sales Letter

1. To stimulate sales when it is selling or it is not increasing as per expectations.
2. When it is intended to convey a change in product or quality or programme.
3. To offer of new varieties of a product to the present customer or perspective one.
4. To open up new markets for an old product or a new product.
5. Repeated appearance of a sales letter act as reminder. It helps the customer to remember the product or the service of a firm whenever he is in need of it.
6. It educates the customers in selecting the right type of goods and also in better understanding of products and services.
7. It creates and maintains goodwill among the customers by offering quality products and services.
8. It functions as a salesman (with it force of persuasion, education and conviction) wherever a salesman cannot visit the customers.
9. It also keeps the customers constantly in touch with the company and its products and services.

A sales letter must possess the AIDA formula

1.Attention

It must catch the attention of the readers by using attractive opening sentences to  his interest.Attention can be created using a picture or text.  e.g “All are doing it why not you?’

2. Interest

Gaining the reader’s interest is a deeper process than grabbing their attention. This is usually a clear statement of the reader’s problems, needs or wants. What’s new? What’s in it for the reader?

Remember, the reader isn’t interested in you or your products. They are interested in what you can do for them.It must produce a sense of conviction by supporting what you claim by facts and figures and results.

3. Desire

The letter should create a desire. The desire to eliminate or minimize the potential for future loss or the desire to gain something (prestige, more time, more profits, etc.). Provide a compelling reason to buy from you instead of your competition. This is called your “USP” or “Unique Selling Proposition”. It’s a unique advantage customers get only if they buy from you.The USP can be a unique technology,design,lower process etc.

4. Action

Last but most important, your sales piece must have a call to action. You must ask your customer to do the action that you want, weather it is to buy or to click on a web site. Explain how and make it so easy for them to do so (as many payment methods as possible) that they will feel left out or disappointed if they don’t. For Example:

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