Part 31
How to Analyze Your Sales Letters To Find Out If They Have Sales Power
(by Marlon Sanders)
One of the easiest, fastest and simplest ways to learn marketing and find good ideas is to study the advertising of others. The following questions provide a template you can use to dissect sales letters and direct response ads in order to isolate the strong and weak points.
But most importantly, you can also use these questions to evaluate your own sales letters.
When you have finished creating your sales letter, you’ll also want to use this list as your final check sheet to make certain you haven’t omitted any important points. You want to make certain you hit all these buttons in your copy.
What is the appeal in the headline? What about the headline grabs your attention? Your headline must result a benefit or an end result the reader wants. Do NOT talk about you, who you are, what you’re selling. Talk to the customer about their problems and their wants.
News? Offer?
Big benefit? Story?
How to?
How does the letter hook the reader in and gain interest? What is the concept behind the first paragraph? Does it begin with a story? Does it ask a question? Does it bring up a problem the prospect wants to solve? The opening of your letter must grab readers and pull them into the copy.
What are the features and benefits? Label each on the ad or letter. Each feature must have an accompanying benefit.
What word pictures and images are created by the copy? Does the copy make you feel an emotion? If so, how is this emotion created? People buy based on emotion and feeling. Your copy needs to appeal to BOTH logic and emotion. Here are common emotions to look for and use.
Pride? Fear? Exclusivity? Guilt? Greed? Love? Romance? Other?
Are stories used? If so, how? Are quotations used? People love stories. A lot of successful sales letters are built around a story.
What is the thrust or idea behind the letter? Bargain?
Sale?
Special offer?
Building value? Reason to act now? Other?
Look again at the features and benefits. Do you believe you will acquire the benefits presented if you purchase the product or service? Why or why not? A sales letter must be believable.
Do you find the benefits compelling enough to spend your money for the product? Why or why not? Watch for letters that describe benefits in such a way that you HAVE to have them and feel you can’t live without them! You want your sales letters to make the benefits come alive for the reader. Good sales letters often paint a mental picture of the reader enjoying and benefiting from the product or service.
If a price reduction is offered, is a reason given? If so, is the reason believable? Do NOT just reduce your price. Give a reason for your reduced price. If you sell your product or service at a lower price than the competition, explain how and why you can do this. Otherwise, the prospect will assume you’re selling inferior quality.
Does the letter build credibility and trust? If so, how is this established? When you market online, you must build credibility.
Does the letter use testimonials? If so, do they focus on specific results or vague platitudes? Strong testimonials paint a picture of the end result – the problems solved by the product or the benefits gained.
If the letter uses bullets, do they arouse your curiosity? Do they summarize the results you get or the problems you solve by purchasing the product? Do you find them intriguing and compelling or boring and bland? In the case of information products, do they stimulate your curiosity to the point you feel you MUST know the information?
Does the copy offer a reward for taking action now? Your sales letters must give people strong reasons to act today. This is commonly done by offering free bonuses or a price discount for ordering before a deadline.
Does the letter or ad offer any other reason to take immediate action? Another common action-inducer is a limited supply or quantity or limited availability.
Analyze the logic of the letter. Does it flow and make sense? Put a bracket around the main logic themes or ideas of the letter.
Is the product or service offered supported by a money back guarantee? Do you feel the company will keep the result or weasel out through loopholes? Why or why not?
Strong sales letters usually have a very compelling and believable guarantee. Prospects should feel like your company is taking all the risk not them. They need to feel like they risk nothing by ordering and stand to lose a lot if they don’t.
Do you feel the company is offering you more than your money’s worth, less than your money’s worth or an even exchange? Successful sales letters often sell dollars of perceived value for dimes.
Does the copy have a formal or informal tone to it? Is the letter or ad closer to a boring business presentation or a stimulating fireside chat?
Other thoughts to consider
If your letter passes the above questions, then the problem is either your list or the match of your product to your list.
The single biggest element in the success or failure of any offer is the list it’s presented to. If your offer isn’t working, TRY A NEW LIST! Or develop a new source of prospects. Advertise in different places than you have been.
The other element to examine is the product you’re offering to your list. Send a survey with 12 possible products to your list. Let the members of the list tell you which product they most want to buy and at what price.
If you’re interested in learning more about Marlon Sanders and his products, visit:
https://www.salesletters.com/sales-letters/how-too-differentiate-your-product-or-service-using-an-attribute/
