- from unwelcome pest to welcome guest
- say it with a headline
- root for the underdog
- lumpy mail
- “believability” is even
more important than “credibility. - Facts and credibility only support
persuasion. - answer the question: why
should the reader bother? - Demonstrate the value!
In case you had illusions to the
contrary, no one is sitting around
hoping and praying that he will receive
your sales letter. When it arrives, it is
most likely an unwelcome pest. How
do you earn your welcome as a guest?
By immediately saying something that
is recognized by the recipient as
important and valuable and beneficial.
Gimmicks too
often fail. Saying something of genuine
importance and interest to the recipient
usually succeeds.
You say it with a headline.
our natural tendency
to root for the underdog. When this
headline refers to something you have
thought about doing, but talked yourself
out of, you’ll want to know if the
successful person shared your doubt or
fear or handicap.
Who Else Wants
?I like this type of headline because of
its strong implication that a lot of other
people know something the reader
doesn’t.
In many cases, a multidimensional
object is used to intentionally make the
envelope “lumpy,” to arouse the
curiosity of the recipient.
You’ve got to
reach out and grab the reader where he
or she lives — immediately — then do it
again and again and again.
One or two
sentences of less-than-compelling
interest, and your reader will abandon
you.
Re. #2: You don’t necessarily have to
hire photographers and get photos taken
for you. Stock photos can be purchased
or licensed from many different sources,
such as Google.
However, “believability” is even
more important than “credibility.
”The facts about your business, such as
years in business, clients served,
proprietary methods, and so on are
important, but not nearly as persuasive
as what clients have to say about their
real-life experiences with you, benefits
realized, and skepticism erased.
Facts and credibility only support
persuasion.
Consider offering a free initial
consultation or a free package of
informative literature; this may break
down barriers of skepticism and
mistrustA
answer the question: why
should the reader bother? Similarly, you
should work at making the intangible
benefits of your product tangible. This
can be accomplished with before/after
photographs, slice-of-life stories, case
histories, or other examples.
Demonstrate the value!
gotta-break-a-few-eggs-to-make-an-omelet school.
If you are operating
in a tiny or limited market where people
talk to each other a lot, you may want to
be especially cautious about this.
