Sent out any sales letters/emails lately? Sales letters can be extremely powerful; marketing studies show that they outperform other direct mail formats such as brochures and postcards. But before you get to see how effective they are, you have to write one. Here’s how to write a sales letter that will wow your readers and persuade them to buy your product or service. See the sample sales letter to customers at the bottom of this article..

The headline of the letter needs to get the reader’s attention. Its job is to make the reader want to know more (and actually read the rest). The secret? Make sure the headline makes a specific promise that relates to your prospects’ needs or interests. If, for instance, you offer domestic cleaning services, don’t use a headline such as “Want Cleaning Services?” in your letter. Instead use something such as, “Your Whole House Sparkling Clean – We Do It for You so You Don’t Have to!”

As the headline is so important, brainstorm several and pick the best. Place the headline before the salutation in your letter.

O Is for Offer Now we’re into the body of the sales letter. You need to tell your prospective customers what you’re offering them first. The trick is that you have to make them want your product or service. So think like a prospective customer or client when you’re writing this section of your letter and answer the question “What’s in it for me?” In other words, what are the benefits to the customer of making this purchase?

For instance, “For less than $150 you can have your entire home clean and sparkling, without enduring the nasty stink of chemical cleaners.”