How to Write Direct Mail Letters that Sizzle
There are many components in a direct mail package. There may be a brochure that describes technical details. A lift letter to give the reader one final push towards buying the product. And a buck slip which re-emphasizes a key benefit.
But the letter is the heart and soul of the direct mail package. It will do nearly all the selling and convincing. The letter must grab the reader’s attention … hold his attention…and convince him to take immediate action.
Since the letter is such a vital part of the selling process, give it your best shot. Pump it full of enthusiasm and convincing arguments. Use all your power of persuasion to get readers to buy. Below are six ways to help you craft compelling direct mail letters
1. Write in a Natural Conversational Style
Your letter should sound genuine and personal. It should sound like on human being talking to another!
Don’t write as though you were composing a college essay or legal document. No one likes reading that kind of stuff. It’s intimidating, cold and impersonal. By contrast, your letter should sound warm and friendly.
The best way to achieve this conversational style is to write the way you talk. Write in everyday language. Include all the figures of speech, conjunctions and imperfections of human speech. Even the most educated individuals enjoy reading clearly written letters. Clear simple letters are much easier and more pleasant to read than stiff business prose.
2. Focus on the Reader
When you write copy, always focus on the reader and their needs. Don’t focus on your company or even the product you are selling.
People are not interested in what you did. What awards your company won. How big your company is or how successful. People are primarily interested in themselves. They are wrapped up in their hopes, their dreams, and their problems. They are only interested in your product as a means of filling one of their needs or solving one of their problems.
The most effective copy addresses the needs, feelings and desires of it’s audience. Show the reader how your product can make them healthier, happier, more wealthy or more beautiful. One way to ensure that you are focusing on the prospect is to address them as ‘you’ in your copy. This is called the “you orientation.” Try to develop a mental picture of your audience and then write to that person.
3. Keep it Interesting
You can’t bore people into buying your product. If your letter doesn’t hold their interest all they way through they’ll trash it.
Keep your letter moving at a breathless pace. Pump it full of fascinating details, specifics and tidbits. Don’t stop for a breather. If you do, you’ll loose your reader for good. Spell out the benefits clearly and concisely. Tell the reader why they should buy and why they should do so now.
4. Be Enthusiastic
One of the best ways to make your letter interesting is to sound enthusiastic.
Enthusiasm is vital to selling and advertising.
Have you ever had one of those telemarketers call and try to convince you to buy something or make a donation? They sound about enthusiastic over what they are selling as you or I would be about having to attend a funeral. They talk in a low drone and you know they are simply reading a script. Did that person convince you to buy or donate? Probably not. Why? Was it because the product was inferior? Or the cause wasn’t worth supporting? Of course not. But they were so unenthusiastic that their sales pitch didn’t convince you one bit!
Whenever you sit down to write a letter, cultivate a little enthusiasm. Your argument will sound much more convincing. Write as though you’ve just discovered the most wonderful product in the world and you are telling your friend about it.
The best way to sound enthusiastic is to be enthusiastic. Get hyped up and excited. Then start writing. Write fast. Write furiously. Let the words flow. At this point, don’t worry about your grammar or punctuation. Just write. Later on you can go back and fix anything that needs to be fixed. If you write slowly, contemplating every word you put down on paper, you’ll suck the enthusiasm right out of your letter.
People are drawn to enthusiastic writing the way moths are drawn to a light bulb. It captivates. It charms. It’s contagious. Your enthusiasm will rub off on your readers. They’ll be won ever by your arguments without even knowing it. Before they realize it they’ll be reaching for the phone to call in an order or be filling out the reply device.
If your letter sounds like a stuffy old book no one will read it. And no one will buy what you are trying to sell. Breathe some life into your letter. Spice it up. Give it a healthy dose of enthusiasm. It’ll rub off on your reader and you’ll have a much better chance of making a sale.
5. Empathize with the Reader
Direct marketers often talk about what they call affinity groups. Affinity groups are people who share the same interests and hobbies. Horse owners, freelance writers, baseball players and joggers are all examples of affinity groups. These people love to talk to others who share their feelings, interests and enthusiasm.
As a copywriter, empathize with the reader. If you’re writing to horse lovers, sound enthusiastic about horses. Write like a horse lover. This immediately identifies you as a friend and an ally. When people view you as a friend, they are much more likely to buy whatever you are selling.
6. Make Your Product Sound Irresistible
When writing copy, your goal should be to make the product sound so irresistible and appealing that it is easier for the reader to accept your offer than turn it down. If you are selling boxes of fruit or cake mixture, make your reader’s mouth water. If you’re selling a 20’ inch plasma TV make the reader believe he can’t fully enjoy his evening entertainment without one.
Describe your product and it’s benefits in a compelling fashion. Make it sound so desirable that the reader’s first impulse is to send for it immediately.
Remember, people buy primarily based upon emotion, not logic. So get them stirred up. Appeal to their emotions and convince them that they definitely need your product. Make them believe that if they refuse to purchase your product, they are doing themselves a tremendous disservice.
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