Over the years, certain ideas have emerged about which parts of the sales letter are required. Copywriters tend to be an opinionated bunch, and many have written books about this very issue.
In this article, I will explain what I believe are the four essential elements of sales copy. Others may argue that other elements are essential too; however I believe these to be the most important.
1. Your headline.
The headline is the most important element of any sales letter. Here's why.
Most of this is quite logical if you give it some thought. The sales letter headline sets the context of the letter. It helps the reader set the expectation of what the rest of the letter will cover. If the reader cannot see a good reason to continue reading... based upon the headline... in all likelihood, they will not.
You can easily comprehend why it's a good idea to make sure the headline is "just right", no matter how long it takes.
2. The offer.
What is being offered to prospects? If that in itself is not attractive to the prospect, or even if it's not positioned in such a way that makes them see why they would want it, you will be disappointed in your sales. Quite simply, the offer has got to be done right.
3. Testimonials.
Although there are exceptions, generally testimonials are going to be a very important piece of the building we call sales letters. There's an ancient saying that goes like this: "let another praise you and not your own lips". People today, just like people of times gone by, tend to be distrustful when others praise themselves. Testimonials break though much of the natural aversion and allow our satisfied customers to speak on our behalf.
4. Objections.
This part of the sales letter is called by various titles, and here's what they all mean. Let's assume for a moment that we were to sell our product or service in person. If we did this, the majority of our prospects would have one or more reasons to delay a purchase, or worse, not purchase at all. To help guide them to a buying decision, those objections must be reasonably answered.
Selling in print is no different, and reality carries more importance for meeting objections than face-to-face sales. The reason is simple: as copywriters, we will not have the opportunity to answer our prospects' objections individually. We must therefore proactively predict their objections and meet them head-on.
Parting thoughts.
I am fully aware that these four elements alone do not a sales letter make. However, the copywriter would do well to spend the majority of time on these particular elements. They will "make or break" the sales letter. The business owner can make the process much easier by collecting good testimonials and by creating excellent products that his or her target market is actively seeking.
In this article, I will explain what I believe are the four essential elements of sales copy. Others may argue that other elements are essential too; however I believe these to be the most important.
1. Your headline.
The headline is the most important element of any sales letter. Here's why.
Most of this is quite logical if you give it some thought. The sales letter headline sets the context of the letter. It helps the reader set the expectation of what the rest of the letter will cover. If the reader cannot see a good reason to continue reading... based upon the headline... in all likelihood, they will not.
You can easily comprehend why it's a good idea to make sure the headline is "just right", no matter how long it takes.
2. The offer.
What is being offered to prospects? If that in itself is not attractive to the prospect, or even if it's not positioned in such a way that makes them see why they would want it, you will be disappointed in your sales. Quite simply, the offer has got to be done right.
3. Testimonials.
Although there are exceptions, generally testimonials are going to be a very important piece of the building we call sales letters. There's an ancient saying that goes like this: "let another praise you and not your own lips". People today, just like people of times gone by, tend to be distrustful when others praise themselves. Testimonials break though much of the natural aversion and allow our satisfied customers to speak on our behalf.
4. Objections.
This part of the sales letter is called by various titles, and here's what they all mean. Let's assume for a moment that we were to sell our product or service in person. If we did this, the majority of our prospects would have one or more reasons to delay a purchase, or worse, not purchase at all. To help guide them to a buying decision, those objections must be reasonably answered.
Selling in print is no different, and reality carries more importance for meeting objections than face-to-face sales. The reason is simple: as copywriters, we will not have the opportunity to answer our prospects' objections individually. We must therefore proactively predict their objections and meet them head-on.
Parting thoughts.
I am fully aware that these four elements alone do not a sales letter make. However, the copywriter would do well to spend the majority of time on these particular elements. They will "make or break" the sales letter. The business owner can make the process much easier by collecting good testimonials and by creating excellent products that his or her target market is actively seeking.
About the Author:
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