The letter has long reigned as king of the mailing package. Even though a letter may be mailed to thousands, if done properly it has an aura that creates the feeling of a personal message from one person to another. Put simply, the assignment of the letter writer is to make appeals that will satisfy one or more human wants of the prospect. Let’s look at a few of the components that go into a successful missive.
Benefit Analysis
Before you write any copy, it is very important to dig out every selling point you can, and translate each selling point into a customer benefit. The more benefits prospects perceive (i.e., the more benefits you can point out to them), the more likely they will buy. Suppose you’re writing copy to sell a portable countertop dishwasher. A 10-minute operating cycle is a selling point; the benefit is that it gets you out of the kitchen faster. The fact the machine is 18 inches in diameter is a selling point; the benefit is that the dishwasher will fit on a countertop and not take up floor space.
Wants and Needs
With your benefits down on paper, you now have to decide on the appeals that will do the best selling job. Creative people refer to this in different ways. Some talk about how you “position” the product in the prospect’s mind. Others refer to “coming up with the big idea” behind the copy. What is it about your offer and benefit story that is most appealing? When you stop to think about it, people respond to any given proposition for one of two reasons: to gain something they do not have or to avoid losing something they now possess.
Long or Short?
“Do people read long copy?” The answer is “Yes!” People will read something for as long as it interests them. An uninteresting one-page letter can be too long. A skillfully woven four-pager can hold the reader until the end. Thus a letter should be long enough to cover the subject adequately and short enough to retain interest. Don’t be afraid of long copy. If you have something to say and can say it well, it will probably do better than short copy. After all, the longer you hold a prospect’s interest, the more sales points you can get across and the more likely you are to win an order.
Follow the Formula
(Here’s a guide from Bob Stone on what your letters need to overcome human inertia. After all, that final step — getting action — is the moment of truth.)
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Promise your most important benefit in your headline or first paragraph. You simply can’t go wrong by leading off with the most important benefit to the reader. Some writers believe in the slow buildup. But most experienced writers favor making the important point first. Many writers use the “Johnson Box”: short, terse copy that summarizes the main benefits, positioned in a box above the salutation.
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Immediately enlarge on your most important benefit. This is crucial. Many writers come up with a great lead, then fail to follow through. Elaborate on your most important benefit right away, and you’ll build up interest fast.
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Tell readers specifically what they are going to get. It’s amazing how many letters lack details on such basic product features as size, color, weight and sales terms.
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Back up your statements with proof and endorsements. Most prospects are somewhat skeptical about advertising. If you can back up your own statements with third-party testimonials or a list of satisfied users, everything you say becomes more believable.
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Tell readers what they might lose if they don’t act. People don’t like to be left out. A skillful writer can use this human trait as a powerful influence in his or her message.
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Rephrase your prominent benefits in your closing offer. The stronger the benefits you can persuade the reader to recall, the easier it will be to justify an affirmative decision.
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Incite action. Experienced advertisers know that once a letter is put aside, they’re out of luck. So wind up with a call for action, and a logical reason for your recipient to act immediately.
Bob Stone is co-founder and chairman emeritus of Stone & Adler Inc., now a Young and Rubicam company. Ron Jacobs is president of Jacobs & Clevenger Inc., Chicago. This article was excerpted from the 7th edition of “Successful Direct Marketing Methods” (McGraw-Hill).
