Sales Letters And The Cost Of Integrity Written by Ginger Geracitano

Agonizing, isn't it? The entire process of deciding on which words to use when presenting your product or service to potential clients is probably the most critical process that any business owner faces.

Although the majority of my experience is based on offline efforts, I'm finding that sales strategies on the internet aren't much different. Why?

Simply put, to effectively sell anything, you must appeal to your prospect's emotions.

Human nature doesn't distinguish between cyber space and the 3D world!

How Successful Can An Honest Salesperson Be?

I hate hype, and headlines that blow reality right out the window. Popular theories dictate that we model our own efforts after what has already proven to be successful.

Successful should, in this case, translate into actual sales made, resulting in satisfied customers. Just because you see a sales letter plastered all over the internet, does not make it successful! Some people would have you believe that marketing is a numbers game, you know... 'those with the most ad exposures win'.

If your sales letter isn't effective, it doesn't matter how many times it's exposed... it just fails that many more times!

Exaggerated claims and outrageous headlines may appeal to your prospect's emotions, but do they lead to satisfied customers?

You tell me. Do you think the person that bought the product claiming to earn them $10,000 by next Tuesday was satisfied? Probably not.

So, how do we effectively write an honest sales letter? Some people will tell you that there's no place for honesty in advertising. I don't believe that's true today.

I believe that today's consumers are better educated, and more cautious about any purchase they make. I've found that not only is an honest approach effective, but I have no problem sleeping at night.

Simple Guidelines Of Writing An Effective Sales Letter, While Keeping Your Integrity In Tact:

(*) Establish "NEED": Right off the bat, you need to make sure that your reader realizes that they have a need that you can fill. This is done most effectively by introducing the 'need' in your headline. Don't assume your prospects are aware that they have this need!

(*) Establish "TRUST": Before rushing right into how you can solve your prospect's need, tell them why they should trust you enough to continue reading your offer. How you do this depends on the method of delivery of your Sales Letter. A letter to your established customer base, or list subscribers may not concentrate as heavily on this point. On the other hand, the home page of your sales site, which is most likely to be visited by strangers would need to be stronger in this area.

One way I establish trust, is by admitting a downfall or imperfection in the product. Backed up by an offsetting benefit that outweighs the defect will prove to your reader that you are indeed keeping their best interest in mind by NOT insulting their intelligence by assuming they won't notice the defect. Strengthen your endorsement by being honest.

(*) Establish "YOUR BRAND": This is a topic that entire businesses have been built on, so to remain very basic for the purpose of this article, let me just put it to you this way; don't use the words of another! Your own personal testimonial, outlining your own experience with the product or service will serve you much better in the long run, than for example, the letter recommended for use by the affiliate program you're writing about. How many affiliates before you have

(*) Establish "EXCITEMENT": Don't misunderstand me here, I don't mean the dreaded, and *abundantly abused* hype that we see every single day here on the internet! By 'excitement', I mean BE excited about your product... convey *why* you're so excited about it to your readers by thinking like a customer. What is it that made you believe in your product enough to buy it yourself, or to develop it, if it's a product of your own creation? What is it about your product that is going to make your prospect say to themselves, "I've GOT to have this"?

The one rule I never see anyone mention on this topic is that you MUST state the obvious when writing a sales letter! Never assume that your reader will immediately see the value in your offer. S-P-E-L-L it out for them!

(*) Establish "EASY FOLLOW UP": I don't believe that "less is more" when it comes to sales letters, but I do believe that you don't have to state your entire case in your first page. Your own 'style' will dictate how long your sales letter is. To keep your reader interested, consider the following tactics to keep your sales letter a reasonable length:

- Offer additional information through the use of an autoresponder. Follow up is the key to sales success. Don't allow your readers to conveniently forget that they have a need that you can provide a solution for!

- Use text links to more information. If you feel that there is an aspect of your product that needs to be explained in detail, but don't want it to break the focus of your sales letter, lead to the information through a link that reads something like this... "For more info, click here." (It's SO important to provide the information necessary to overcome any possible objections by your reader. Surveys taken by your target market beforehand can help to identify possible objections. Once you've identified them, you can deal with more effectively.)

- Always offer to allow your prospects to get to know more about you, and your business by inviting them to subscribe to your newsletter. You do have a newsletter, don't you?

(*) Ask For The Sale! Years and years of sales training offline have this last point echoing in my ears to this day. Most failed sales attempts are due to a lack of 'asking for the sale', or as it's referred to online, 'providing a call to action'. Try this... which of the following 'calls to action' do you react open mindedly to?

Example 1: Click Here To Purchase Today!

Example 2: You can begin realizing success immediately by simply clicking => here

If you begin the sales letter process by first being honest with yourself about your offer, you'll be better prepared to make an honest presentation to your reader. Keep in mind that your goal is to produce satisfied customers, not just sales numbers, and I believe your 'success' will increase on many different levels...

The only things you lose by writing your sales letter with integrity are dissatisfied customers. I know that my prospects are informed, and have realistic expectations when they make a purchase from me. If you can't say the same, maybe it's time to change your 'style'?

Ginger Geracitano is an E-Zine editor, and Business Coach. The Portal To Success E-Zine, recently ranked the #1 'graphics and design E-Zine' on the internet, provides Business Success training every Friday! Subscribe: http://theportaltosuccess.com/join.html