Direct Mail Sales Letters - 10 Key Elements to Creating Marketing Pieces That Get Results

If you want to have any success with your business, you already know you need to advertise. While there are many methods available in today's marketplace, the one best suited for any small business with a limited budget is without a doubt, a well written direct mail sales letter.

While a well written sales letter definitely has the most potential for generating a flood of new business, it also has the potential to be a huge failure if not done correctly. You see, consumers today are absolutely bombarded with marketing materials and advertisements. So much so that if your piece doesn't stand out from the crowd, it could easily get lost in the avalanche of junk mail.

So, to help combat this potential disaster with your next direct mail piece, here are 10 key elements that will help you deliver a super-successful marketing piece:

1. Use An Attention Grabbing Headline

With so much advertising already competing for your prospect's attention, it's critical to your success that you grab their attention right off the bat. In fact, you should think of your headline as the ad for your sales letter. You MUST give your reader a strong reason to read what you have to say or you might as well save the postage and printing costs.

2. State the Problem Your Prospect is Having

Right off the bat let your reader know that you understand the pain and frustration they're feeling. No matter how big or small the problem may be in reality, the pain and frustration they're feeling is very real and it represents an opportunity for you to be the hero.

3. Agitate the Problem

After bringing the painful problem to their attention, paint a picture of what this problem is costing your potential customer in terms of health, wealth, time, status, or frustration. Helping them really feel the pain of the problem will urge them to continue reading as they're now looking for a way to eliminate their pain and frustration.

4. Paint a Picture of a Brighter Future

Once you've painted a clear picture of what this problem is costing them, it's now time to repaint the picture and give them an image of what it could look like. Just as you painted a clear picture of everything this problem is currently costing them, you want to paint an equally vibrant picture of what life COULD be like if this problem no longer existed.

5. Lay Out Your Solution

Now that they have a clear picture of what life could look like without the frustrating problem affecting their life, tell them how your solution can make that happen. Don't just list all the various features associated with your product or service, but smother them with the numerous benefits they'll receive as a result of your solution.

Sure, you need to describe your process and how you'll accomplish this pain-free picture you painted, but be sure to explain each step in the process in terms of how it will benefit them.

6. Overcome Objections

Unfortunately, no matter how well you paint the pain-free picture and describe your process for making it happen, your potential customer will have some questions or objections. Don't worry, its human nature to be skeptical.

However, it does require that you address as many of these objections as you can. This can be accomplished by including a FAQ section, testimonials, before-and-after pictures, or listing your qualifications. There are numerous ways you can overcome these questions and you should employ as many as it takes to help set your prospect at ease.

7. Present A Valuable Offer

Remember, the whole point of your direct mail sales letter is to eventually get sales. As such, it's critical to the success of your mailing to present your prospects with an offer that gets them to move to the next step in your marketing process.

However, don't assume that just because you listed all your various products or services that they're going to jump all over it. You need to present them with a very clear offer so there's no confusion as to what the purpose of the mailing is.

8. Create A Strong Call To Action

Again, don't just assume that because you sent a sales letter that lists your phone number or website somewhere on the letter that your prospect knows what to do next. Tell them exactly the steps they should take to respond to your offer and tell them exactly how to accomplish each step.

For example, "Pick up the phone right now and call (704) 444-5555, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to schedule your FREE, no obligation estimate." Don't assume anything or leave anything to chance.

9. Create Some Urgency

Unfortunately, we live in a society of procrastinators. Unless you give your prospects a reason to respond to your offer immediately, chances are pretty good that your sales letter will end up stuck on a refrigerator never to be looked at again or in some pile of papers the does little more than collect dust. Avoid this undesirable fate by giving your offer a deadline, limiting the number of packages available, or by using any number of 'urgency creating' devices.

10. Don't Forget the P.S.

Believe it or not, the P.S. is the second most read part of any letter, following only the headline. As such, it's important to include one that restates your offer and chief benefits your prospect will receive. If necessary, repaint the picture of what life would be like without the problem and remind them of your offer for creating this new scene.

Include these 10 elements and watch your next sales letter pull like a super-charged magnet.

Remember, a powerful direct mail sales letter can be a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal, if done correctly. Include these 10 elements in your next letter and prepare yourself for the surge of new business that will surely be headed your way.