October 6th, 2009 by Bruce
Regardless of whether you’re doing online marketing or niche marketing, you need the right components on your salesletter like guarantee, sub-headline and so on to improve your immediate conversion.
Here are 13 elements of a salesletter to get flood of sales…
1. Headline: Get your readers attention immediately.
And, to get their attention, you should speak directly to your target audience. One of the ways to do this is to use a pre header, in smaller type, just above the main headline. It’s a bit like shouting out someone’s name in a crowded room. It gets their attention above the hubbub. It says: “To all copywriters . . This is for you – take a look!
It also gives you two shots at getting attention. Here’s an example of a pre heading: “If you haven’t got a million dollar yet . . . read this”
That then leads the reader into your main headline, which should carry the main benefit of the product, preferably with a time scale. For example, “How To Change Your Life In Seven Days As A Copywriter…”.
2. Immediately support the claim made in your headline (which should be as outrageous as the proof will allow), with a testimonial (preferred) or some other proof (such as cheques, bank statements, merchant account screenshots, et cetera)
3. You might have a sub heading, explaining the benefit in more details. After which you gently lead the reader into the body of your letter and build interest by establishing your credibility, showing them you are just like them and demonstrating you have the knowledge/ authority/experience to solve their problem. This is just about the only time you can talk about yourself, rather than the prospect’s problems and desires.
4. Define the problem, sympathies with the reader, and then lay on the agony of the problem in the most graphic terms possible.
5. Introduce the product as the perfect solution. Then, whet the reader’s desire with the product’s benefits and say what these benefits mean to them. For example: This CD player has a digital graphic equalizer (that’s the feature) that means you can adjust the sound profile (that’s the benefit bestowed by the feature) which means you can match the sound to the room, so your favourite music sounds great in any room of your house (that’s the higher level of benefit, demonstrating the product in a way the prospect can personally relate to).
6. Intensify the reader’s desire by showing them testimonials from satisfied customers, which show the product in action. This not only provides proof of your product’s effectiveness, it also provides Social Proof, which reassures the prospect other people have already bought and been satisfied.
7. List any additional items the reader will get as part of the basic package (excluding any time-sensitive bonuses you’re keeping for later). Also plant a scarcity element into the conversation at this stage – or earlier. For example, there are only a certain number of this particular deluxe model available.
8. When the reader is reeling under the full impact of all what he’s going to get, point out that this package is so good they’ll naturally understand that it’s not going to be cheap. Then build further perceived value in the mind of the reader by comparing the cost of some alternative high price solution, like a personal consultation and so on.
Then reveal the price, which will be minimized by comparison with the high price the reader has been made to focus on. Always include a reason why you can offer this product so cheaply, whilst retaining all its virtues. For example, it might be a digital product, so there is no shipping or product cost, so you are happy to pass on the savings to the prospect.
9. Enhance the attractiveness of the offer even more by listing the bonus items they can receive provided they order by a certain deadline. An alternative – and even more effective way is to offer the first X number of buyers the bonuses. This adds a further element of danger.
Why?
Because, with a fixed deadline, the prospect will “put off” ordering until five minutes before your bonus deadline – assuming they don’t forget all together. But by introducing the thought of a scarcity – and an unknown scarcity at that, you really light a fire under your prospect. After all, the more they want the product, the more they think the world and his dog is snapping up the last copy right now!
10. Introduce your guarantee. This should be as generous and as long – 90 days minimum- as you can make it. Try to make sure the customer actually comes out better than when they started. For example, allow them to keep the bonus items, even though they get a full refund. A good strong guarantee will go beyond simply reassuring the customer they aren’t taking a risk. It will also demonstrate your absolute faith in your product.
11. Ask for immediate action by stressing the scarcity factor you already planned back at item 7 and working on the prospect’s self interest by showing what they will lose if they don’t act quickly.
12. Always include a couple of Post Scripts. One restating the main benefit and the other telling the reader of another loss they will suffer if they don’t act right away or another benefit they will gain (peace of mind, once they’ve ordered the product or discovering the secrets five minutes from now – if it’s a downloadable product)
13. Lift letter. It’s always a good idea to include this as a last chance to persuade a wavering prospect. In conventional mail order this would be in the form of an envelope marked “Open only if you are still undecided”. On the internet, this would simply be a “Click here if you’re still undecided” button that takes the prospect to another page on the website.
Either way, the prospect would then see a new letter with all the testimonials listed with a statement to the effect that all these people had gone through the same dilemma as the reader is now doing. But all the people who wrote these testimonials finally ordered the products and were very pleased they did – as the reader will also be delighted . . . It’s also a good idea to restate the guarantee and list the bonuses that will be lost if the reader doesn’t order right away.
It’s sterling and proven rule of getting the customer to take action that they are more motivated by the thought of what they will lose rather than by what they will gain. Forbidden fruit, I suppose.
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