Sales letters

Get Attention

”HOW TO _____________________”

Identify the Problem

“There’s nothing worse than getting

Provide the Solution: 

It will solve all your problems!

Present your Credentials

• Prestigious companies (or people) you have done business with.

• The length of time you’ve been in your field of expertise.

• Important awards or recognitions.

Show the Benefits

features of your product without talking about the benefits.

Give Social Proof:

People users

Make Your Offer:

combination of price, terms, and free gifts

Give a Guarantee:

Turn your money back

Inject Scarcity:

“This offer is only good until (future date) after which the (product or service) will return to its original price.”

Call to action:

like “Pick Up the Phone and Call Now!”

Give a Warning or Close with a Reminder:

(P.S.).!!!

Useful language

Attracting the reader’s attention

• Use an eye-catching heading.

Ask questions, for example, “Why throw away paper?”, “Are you having trouble ...”

• Make a statement which appeals to the target user.

“If you are looking for a way of saving money…”, “This is why it is important to have ...”

• Give an amazing fact or statistic.

“Did you know that 5% of companies benefit from these great savings?”

Describing benefits

• You will save time and money by…

• A key feature of our product / service is…

• You will benefit from substantial discounts of up to 15%.

• The product is designed to…

Providing evidence of reputation / service / customer satisfaction

• We have over 20 years’ in this field.

• Testimonials from our customers are available upon request.

• At X, we have the skills and experience to ...

Encouraging action

• For further information, please contact us on the numbers given below.

• Please telephone, fax or post the coupon right away.

• Phone us FREE quoting the reference number on this leaflet.

• If so, give us a call at X and set up an appointment with one of your friendly operators.

Offering advantages:

• Save up to 5% if you reply before the end of this month.

• Accept a free gift when you place your first order.

EBQUIRY

1. Opening lines

If a prospective customer addresses a supplier for the first time, it is useful to tell something about his/her own business, the kind of goods he/she needs and for what purpose they are required. A first inquiry sent to a supplier normally includes the following:

Tell your supplier what sort of firm you are:

• We are a co–operative wholesale society based in Zurich.

• Our company is a subsidiary of Universal Business Machines and we specialize in...

• We are one of the main producers of industrial chemicals in Germany, and we are interested in...

How did you hear about the firm or obtain your potential supplier’s name? These are the possible variants of this part of the letter:

• We read your advertisement in…

• We have heard of your products from…

• We have seen your current catalogue showing…

• We were given your name by the Hoteliers' Association in Paris.

• You were recommended to us by Mr John King, of Lasworn & Davies, Merchant Bankers.

• We were advised by Spett. Gennovisa of Milan that you were interested in supplying...

• The British Embassy in Madrid told us that you were looking for an agent in Spain to represent you.

• We were impressed by the selection of gardening tools that were displayed on your stand at this year's Gardening Exhibit/on held in Hamburg.

• Our associates in the packaging industry speak highly of your Zeta packing machines and we would like to have more information about them. Could you send us...