Sales Letters and Brochures

Marketing

Regardless of your intentions

You still need to: • capture attention, • hold interest, • influence attitude • and call for action.

Here we go with marketing plan again

• Define your sales/marketing objective or purpose

• Define/describe target market• Consider target market’s

objections• Build trust• Call to action• Offer an incentive

Writing Brochure Copy

• Create a concept you can hang your copy on.

• Find words and phrases your target market identifies with

• Brainstorm/Cluster• Come up with your hook: What is your

hook or concept? • Write your line: problem=solution• Call to action: Incentive. Don’t forget to

motivate the reader to act.

What is a sales letter?

• designed to generate leads and orders• persuades the reader to place an

order; to request additional information, or to lend support to the product or service or cause being offered.

• influences the reader to take a specific action by making an offer

What is a sales letter?

• The job of the sales letter is to sell, not to tell

What is a sales letter?

Preparing your sales letter means: • you need to understand the product

or service being offered, • the market, • and the readers needs.

Call me

Maybe

Sunday morning

Easy

The product, the market and the reader

• What does the product or service do for the one who needs it?

• What can the reader gain from buying it? • What is unique selling point of the product or service?

A car, for example, has four tires (feature). If those tires are HP 90's, and are proven to reduce accidents by hugging wet roads, then we have the benefit of those tires. Stress that the reader is less likely to have an accident, if he buys the tires. Or, for example, consider the Michelin Tire ad on TV: it promises to protect children, if you have them in your car.

• How do you plan to market the product or service? • Who is your prospective buyer? • What motivates a person to buy this item?

Elements of a sales letterAren’t they just ads?

• The image, if used, is near the headline. • The headline is usually 3 - 30 words long. • It makes a promise regarding what the item

you are selling will do for him. • The body expands the theme, fills in details,

offers proof, and shows how you plan to fulfill the promise you made in the headline.

• The closing, or call to action, urges the reader to take the next step you want him to take.

What are the challenges?

• How do you start a letter?• When should you present the offer?• How long should a sales letter be?

Here we go again with steps – 10 of them

1. Headlines and photos2. Salutation3. Opening line(s)4. The offer5. Stop mid-sentence6. Details7. Letter length8. The end9. Signature10. Postscript

Headlines and photos

Is it a business letter or is it consumer-oriented?

Headlines and photos

Is it a business letter or is it consumer-oriented?

Salutations

• Dear Kevin O’Doherty• Dear Kevin• Dear Mr. O’Doherty• Dear Globe and Mail Reader• Dear Communications Manager• Dear Cat Lover

Opening

Dear Friend,

    I could just kick myself! A couple years ago, my wife and I bought a new home. After we moved in, our neighbor asked us over for coffee. What a shock! He had the same house design, but it was full of all the extras we couldn't afford—like a fireplace, panel doors, tile, oak cabinets. It was stunning. When I asked how much it cost, he smiled. "Nothing. I knew how to get the extras added on free." And it was so simple, I could have done it, too. If I had only known the secret!

Opening

Which is best?

Opening

The Postscript

The Offer

The Postscript x2

The Offer

Stop mid sentence

The Postscript

Brochures

Build Trust

Create Empathy and understandingTell a story that matters

Share your expertise

So here are the basics

Make it personal and make it interesting

This weedkiller will stop weeds from damaging your driveway

Doesn’t it drive you crazy when weeds destroy your driveway? Well, you don’t have to put up with it anymore…

Make the message strong, clear and simple

Do you ever get the feeling that you are paying too much for your gas and hydro bills?

Looking for savings on your energy bills?

Use intrigue or a promise to attract interest

Reduce the appearance of wrinkles

Discover the secret to younger looking skin

Consider a strong sales offer

Sunday Sale – big discounts

Amazing! 2-for-1 (or two for one) on all items this Sunday!

Present the benefits clearly and use sub heads

These children need your help

You can send these children to school

Advertorial Best practices

• Use a strong newsworthy headline that fits the editorial style of the publication

• Create a compelling lead paragraph 5 Ws

• Tell – don’t sell

Advertorial Best practices

• Use subheadlines to offer a break and point to important information

• End with Problem = solution• You are an industry leader• Call to action – what do you want me

to do?• Other supporting materials (e.g.

photos)

Include a straightforward call to action

So why not find out more?

Don’t miss out. Simply call 1 855-444-9583 right now.

Give a reason to act immediately

You simply won’t find a better deal

Don’t forget – this incredible offer ends this Sunday