Writing Your Sales Letter


Now, we will cover each and every component of your sales letter - from top to bottom,
chronologically - in detail.


Headline

You must have something at the beginning of your web page that you do not see on majority
of the web pages out there - a headline!

This is a hard and fast rule: your sales letter must have a headline. That is the first thing your
prospect is going to look at when he visits your web site. Not having a headline is like looking
at a headless person!

Your headline serves as an advertisement to your prospects. Your headline must grab the
attention of your visitors or else they will not read the rest of your sales letter. This is very
crucial - the headline will make or break your sales letter!



The size of your headline should be bigger than the rest of the text in your sales letter (like the
screenshot above). You may want to color and stylize (e.g. underline, bold, italic, highlight, and
strike-through) your headline text.

Since your letter's headline is the first contact your prospect has with your message, it must
reach out to him. Promise him a benefit. Tell him how he will be better off if he reads the rest of
the letter.

Headlines can be classified into the following 5 basic types:

[1] News Headlines

This form tells your prospect something he did not know before. "Now - a copy machine that
copies in color" is an example of this type headline.

[2] Promise Headline

Here, you are promising something if the prospect follows your advice. For example: "Switch to
XYZ Abs Flex and you will no longer see those spare tires in 6 weeks - guaranteed!"

[3] Selective Headline

Headline such as "To all who are suffering financially" or "Bald men - lend me your ears" limits
to a specific group of prospects. Caution however, that this type of headline can eliminate
potential customers so use carefully or draw in targeted prospects to read your sales letter.

[4] Curiosity Headline

The purpose of this headline is to arouse the prospect's interest enough to make him read your
letter. An example of this headline would be: "Do you have trouble going to sleep at night?"
The drawback, however, is that this headline often appears "cute" or "clever" and sometimes
even deceptive.

[5] Demand Headline

Watch out for this one as most people resist pushiness. "Do it now!" or "Get your copy today!"
headlines generally can be improved by changing to less obtrusive words such as: "Call for
your key to success!"

Effective headlines often combine two or more of these kinds.

Warning! Remember that when your message is printed in all upper-cased or capital letters, it
is difficult for your prospect to follow and remain interested in your offer.


DOES THIS LOOK COMFORTABLE TO YOUR EYES?

I bet this sentence is easier to read and comfortable for your eyes compared to the upper-
cased sentence above.


Even in headlines, ALL CAPITAL LETTERS should be refrained from being used. Even if you
plan to use ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, limit this to only a selected few words, and make sure
they are "hot buttons" or meant to grab your prospect's attention.


Sub-headline

This is the next most important component after the headline. Your sub-headline serves as a
"hook" that will encourage your prospect to read further.

Basically, your sub-headline summarizes your sales letter and must elaborate on the benefits of
reading your letter thus creating the urgency for your prospect to read - today, and no later!

You can also provide the "if problem, then solution" scenario in your sales letter. Usually, your
sub-headline is smaller than your headline in size, and bigger than the regular fonts on your
web page.

Examples of a sub-headline are:

Do you think you could learn something from someone whose websites are all within the top
1% of all sites visited online and several of which are in the top 1/10th of the 1% of all sites
visited online?

At last, the truth will be unveiled in 212 power-packed letter-sized pages, PDF Format, so that
YOU can CURE your asthma and get your breath back in the comfort of your own home!


Addressing Your Prospect

Below your sub-headline, comes the "From", Date and Greeting lines.


From: [Insert Your Name Here]
Date: [Insert Automatic Script That Show today's Date]

Dear [address your prospect],


Alternatively, you can write the following sentences:

· From the keyboard of [Your Name Here]
· From the desk of [Your Name Here]
· From the laptop of [Your Name Here]

This is important as your prospect wants to know where the letter he is reading comes from.

As for the script that automatically show today's date, your prospect would appreciate you
having him aware of the most recent date. Therefore, there is absolutely nothing wrong with
using a date script. In fact, it is the same as using a direct mail piece where the date is located
at the top of the letter.

You can search the Internet for a free date script, but I will save you the trouble by including
the following HTML codes into your web page below which I have personally found and used.



Now, address your prospects with a:

Dear Friend,

If you want to target a specific group of people or qualify your prospect, you can be more
accurate in your address. For example, if the only type of people who will be interested in your
ringworm remedy are those who are suffering from such infection, you can address:

Dear Ringworm Patient,

If you are targeting another Internet Marketer as only they will be interested in your offer, you
can address:

Dear Internet Marketer,

While this makes your sales letter as laser-focused as possible, be warned that you can
possibly lose potential customers who are not whom you addressed. For example, maybe a
non-Internet Marketer can also be interested in your product but is not an Internet Marketer?

If your target market is broad, you will be safe to use "Dear Friend" to address your prospect.
Not only is it a friendly approach, almost anyone can pass by as a friend.


Introduction Paragraph

Address the problem(s) your prospect is facing that you are going to solve.

Now, the biggest challenge in writing an effective sales letter is keeping your prospect
involved, engaged, and interested in reading your sales letter from top to toe.

If you forget for a moment to emphasize the "What is in it for you" nature of your offer, your
prospect will tune out, turn off, and click away from your sales letter.

So, write your introduction to notify that there is a problem your prospect is facing. No, do not
create a problem. Address the problem that already exists. Your prospect, like anyone else
alive, is already having enough problems. You want to reduce as many problems as possible
for your prospect and that is why your prospect should be interested in reading your sales
letter.

If he is your target prospect, he will confirm and agree the problem you have addressed.

Below is an example of an introduction of a sales letter addressed to asthmatic prospects:

Dear Asthmatic Friend,
My name is John Doe and I have something to share with you.
At the tender age of 2 years, I was diagnosed as asthmatic. This marked the beginning of a
what-seemed-to-be-never ending struggle between life and death with a condition that almost
destroyed my health life.
I remember vividly the pain and the deep agony I went through. I even tried to pretend that
everything was all right!
Asthma, If You Were A Somebody, I Would Have Murdered You Terribly.
Now it's a small wonder why I wage a personal crusade against asthma even to this day.
The sleepless nights, constant hacking cough, the frightful feeling of suffocation, and
continuous wheezing brought pain beyond words in the chest area, which can only be
described as very unpleasant and difficult to manage.
It was a childhood stripped off from the frolics, merriment and fun. I felt like an outcast when it
comes to curricular activities. I envied my friends who don't seem to have my health problem.
Not being able to participate in sport activities and events, missing school on a regular basis
and frequenting the hospital became a habitual routine and one that left an indelible and a
disturbing effect on the psyche. The scar that was made on my health was, needless to say.
So, I had a dream.
I wanted to eradicate asthma once and for all. I decided that it is too expensive to deny myself
of a good and healthy life so I didn't take too long for me to spring into action and set out to
look for a cure.
At that time, I didn't know how to do it but backed by confidence and a small array of hope, I
knew it was possible.
I continued life as it was. But I didn't lose focus of my main goal. In trying times, all I was armed
with was faith.
After all the intensive research, buying books on the subject, traveling to other countries,
meeting health experts and doctors, and trying out countless ways to cure my asthma disease,
I felt it was time to go for a medical test. I did just that.
I was nervous until the report came out. As I read through it, my frustration built over the years
have stopped. I knew my primary goal was achieved.
I Did It!
The report surprised my parents and family members. I was, too, though I knew what I had
done to bring such results.
Only in my adulthood did I realize that my asthma was congenital and that I was born with it.
Asthma, as a chronic disease, can only be described with absolute profundity and in detail by
someone who has actually experienced the terrible effects of this condition first hand.
That said, I am qualified to explain how asthma can affect the psyche, how both internal and
external factors can influence our well-being and lifestyle... and needless to say, the solutions!
Fear, anxiety and even the fright of a probable attack can be most disheartening and a ghastly
experience. However, there is no need to worry anymore.
Now, the reason I'm telling you this is NOT because I want to impress you, but to impress upon
you that asthma is a disease that can be totally eliminated without having to burn a BIG hole in
your pocket on your part - because I already did that for you!

From the sales letter introduction above, notice that:

· The writer has addressed to a specific group of people, namely people who are
suffering from asthma. He has got quite a huge demand here, as there are about 300 million
people from around the world who are suffering from this painful, killing disease and that
people do go online to search for a cure.

· The writer addresses and confirms the problem his prospect is facing, which in this
case, is the asthma disease. Note that if the prospect is healthy or has other kinds of health
problems, this letter is obviously not meant for him as the solution the writer has applies only to
asthma patients.

· The writer connects very well with his prospect. The writer has something in
common with his prospect and can relate his experience to him. The writer was an asthmatic,
too. The writer suffered from tight breathes, wheezes and coughs at night like any other
asthmatic people. His experience can be easily understood and appreciated by his prospect
because they both have had them, too!

· The introduction was interesting, especially to the asthmatic prospect. He, too,
would definitely like to murder asthma if it were a "somebody"! The writer was good at telling
his story on how he had asthma at a very young age and later ventured on to search for a
cure.

· Most importantly, the writer has already got a cure that his prospect can definitely
use!

You will want to write your sales letter in an almost similar manner, no matter what solutions you
have or market you are targeting.


Announcing Your Solution

Now, what? Follow through with the solution! Become a problem solver in writing. Once you
confirm the problem your prospect is facing (and he probably nods to that), introduce your
solution.

Your solution can come in the form of a tangible product, digital product, membership access,
or even a service!

Example #1: Digital Resale Rights Club

http://www.digital-resale-rights.com/



Example #2: Megapreneur Million System

http://www.megapreneurmillions.com/





Benefits vs. Features

Copywriting 101, Lesson 3: What happens when you do not explain the benefits of your
product in your sales letter?

Answer: No sales!

That is right. You do not have to be a savvy copywriter to know that. But somehow, most of
us make this terrible mistake.

More often than not, features are often being mistaken as benefits. I have been asked by
friendly business associates to review their sales letters and sadly, this is a common mistake I
always see in their sales letter. If I were in the shoes of a potential customer, I am more
interested in how a product can benefit me than know what it looks like. Recall the last time
you bought a product, online or offline. Why did you buy it? Did you buy it because of its
features? Or did you buy it because it can benefit you or solve your problem?

To learn the distinct definitions of benefit and feature, see below.

· Benefit. According to the Pocket English Dictionary's definition, it means an
advantage; to be useful or profitable to. In the case of selling your product on your web page,
you want to tell how useful or how your product can solve your prospect's problems.

· Feature. According to the Pocket English Dictionary's definition, it means
characteristic. In the case of selling your product on your web page, you want to also tell your
prospect in what form your product is (digital or physical).

The following are examples of benefits and features:

· You sell slimming powder on your web page (physical product). The feature of your
product is easy-to-digest powder packed in a tin or carton. The benefit of your product is that
consumers can now lose weight the easy way!

· You sell turtle pellets on your web page (physical product). The feature of your
product is small and easy-to-digest green pellets for your pet amphibians. The benefit of your
product is that it is easy for your pet amphibians to consume and grow healthily because they
are going to get all the nutrition they can get in the pellets!

· You sell an information product on your web page (digital product). The features of
your product are .PDF format and have Master Resell Rights. Therefore, the benefits are your
customers can download it instantly as soon as they pay and they have an income opportunity
to make money and keep all the profits to themselves!

All in all, write BOTH features and benefits of your product. But sell a SOLUTION, NOT a
product!

I know you are cringing when you hear this. All these while we have been talking about selling
your product or service through your sales letter but remember, you do not buy a product for
the sake of buying a product! And neither do anyone else on this planet. You buy a product
because of getting the benefits or solving your problems! You did not buy a refrigerator
because it was a refrigerator, did you? But you bought one because it sure is going to be a
problem keeping your food out in the open!

Top Internet Entrepreneurs know this business principle very well. This also explains why
exclusive product membership sites continue to thrive and grow. Their selling point is not in the
product but the solutions and benefits the product gives.