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A sales letter is a personalized sales pitch that is sent by email. Its recipient is either a specific person or a group of people, the so-called target audience, selected according to certain parameters. The main purpose of the letter is to sell some kind of service or product.

They are used by small businesses, private entrepreneurs and big brands. In this article, we ll show you how to write a sales letter for your mailing list that will convert readers into customers.

Read also: Real-life examples of selling texts

What a letter should sell

The letter should sell a specific product or service. Less commonly, it is used to sell groups of the same goods – for example, when they give a discount on a certain section in an online store. Sales letters are used in:

• auto sales funnels – in this case, they sell a certain service / product, often presented on the website or landing page;
• chain of sales letters – they are often used to sell complex products, products with difficult choices or services in the field of information business;
• mailings – they are usually made according to the customer base, and the letter sells a certain product with discounts or other benefits for buyers;
• accompanying a commercial proposal – in this case, the sales letter more strongly reveals the advantages of the company, often sells complex products;
• responses to user requests – letters are also relevant for complex products, and usually precede the response of a real person from the company;
• in many other customer acquisition chains.

It is interesting: Selling structure Landing Page

How to write a sales letter

Let s take a look at creating a text for a sales letter point by point. We will write an offer from an internet marketer to the owner of the site of the company drilling the well. To write an effective letter, follow a simple 9-step algorithm.

Step # 1: create an informative headline

That s right – the title or subject of the email should be informative, useful and understandable. Tell the reader right away what you are suggesting. Can use USP or marketing headline templates for newsletters… In this case, do not use exclamation marks and “spam” words: “shock”, “sensation”, “free”. If you include them in the subject line, there is a good chance that the email will not be missed by automatic spam filters in email services.

Step # 2: press on the sore spot

After the headline, show that you understand the client s pains and needs. Create a good intro or subtitle. Describe the problem the reader is facing. If you send letters to a wide target audience, you can list several problems – this way you have more chances to “get to the point”. But the introduction does not need to be stretched – it tires the reader.

Step # 3: offer a quick solution

Tell us briefly what you can do to help. In short, because the main offer is best placed after the trust block, in which you show your expertise. You can indicate the main characteristics of the product or the main result of the proposed service, while indicating the time for solving the problem – 1 day, 2 weeks, a month.

Step # 4: Demonstrate Post-Purchase Condition

Show what will change in the life of the reader after purchasing or ordering a service. Explain how the deal will affect him, showcase a picture of a brighter future. This will help subconsciously nudge the person to buy, because it will evoke positive emotions and strengthen a pleasant association with your company.

Step # 5: provide evidence

Everything that you wrote before must be confirmed with words. Show your expertise – what you ve done before and what came out of it. But remember that you shouldn t artificially “inflate” the sales letter – usually short letters have a higher conversion rate compared to long ones, except in difficult areas.

Testimonials, case references, or letters of recommendation can be used as evidence. You can also show the logos of the companies you worked with, especially if they are well-known brands.

Related article: Social proof in text

Step 6: describe the proposal in detail

Tell us about what you are selling. Describe in detail the service and the result that the reader will receive after the transaction, or present the advantages of the product. You can also place a USP here if it looks appropriate. Try to write through the benefits of the client – show why your product will be useful to him.

Step # 7: give a bonus

The bonus that the reader gets if he answers right now usually spurs him on to a purchase. But you can also give a regular bonus without a timer with a countdown, date limitation or other conditions. In any case, a discount, an additional gift or a promotion will do the trick – the reader will be interested in the offer even more, and the desire to save money will push him to feedback.

Step # 8: justify the price

Name the cost of the product right away, or at least indicate an approximate price fork so as not to force the reader to spend too much time figuring out the amount. If the low price is not included in the USP, justify it: show that the service or product is really worth the money. Tell us what exactly the cost consists of, and what the client pays for in the end.

Step 9: leave a call to action

Call to action or the button “go to the site” is the most logical conclusion of the sales letter. Encourage the reader to order – write what he should do to contact you: answer a letter, call or fill out an order form on the website. If you do not provide links to the site, do not forget to leave contacts – for example, duplicate your email address and indicate your phone number.

Sales letter example

If you follow our step-by-step algorithm, you get something like this sales letter:

Of course, the letter in our example is far from ideal – it can be improved and refined. And the algorithm we have proposed is not the only correct one: for example, many people dispense with “quick fix” blocks, or describe their proposal as briefly as possible. To find your effective algorithm for creating a sales letter, test standard schemes, look for different approaches and communicate with customers. This will help you understand what they need and can offer interesting solutions to their problems.

Related article: The best mailing services

Let s sum up

• Create informative headlines without spammy words.
• Talk about your clients pains and show that you understand them.
• Offer a quick solution to the problem – your product or service.
• Demonstrate the state of the reader after the purchase – show that he will feel good.
• Prove that you will do a good job – show reviews, cases, reports.
• Describe your proposal in more detail.
• Give a bonus with or without a time limit.
• Justify the price if it might seem high.
• Leave a call to action and contacts.

What do you think, is it worth adding some blocks to our standard scheme? Or do you need to shorten the information? Share your opinion in the comments!