The 10 Laws for Writing Letters that Get Results
The following is a letter in response to a question about how to
write sales letters. This is something you could model in
layout, tone, and ideas, to write your own letters. By the way,
this is where your letterhead should go.
Dear Fellow Chicago Seminar Attendees,
Jerry Jenkins asked me to tell you how to write letters that get
read and get results. That’s a tall order! Well, here’s what I
think the “laws” are:
1. Know what’s in it for your reader.
Get out of your ego and into your reader’s ego. Complete this
sentence: “Get my book so that you can…(fill in the blank).”
Your book (or whatever you are selling) is the feature. What
people get as a result of having your book is the benefit. Focus
on benefits. Always! Without this, your letter will bomb.
2. Write a headline that telegraphs the key benefit to your
reader.
ALWAYS use a headline. There is only ONE exception to this rule.
When you personalize your letter, the “Dear (whoever)” opening
becomes your headline. There are few headlines more powerful
than the reader’s own name. The headline is THE most important
part of your letter! Spend nearly all of your time on it.
3. Be brief.
Say what you have to say in terms of the reader’s self interest
and shut up. This does NOT necessarily mean a short letter. If
you are trying to make a sale, and the reader has never heard of
you or your item for sale, you may have to write four or more
pages to get your message across. If all you want is a return
call, a one page letter may do. Don’ be afraid of length. People
will read any length of copy AS LONG AS IT’S INTERESTING!
4. Always use a PS.
Always. Why do copywriters who charge upwards to $15,000 to
write a sales letter and have weeks to draft it always use a PS?
They are always read. Always.
5. Look good.
Visual attractiveness accounts for 70% of your letter’s impact.
Use short sentences, short paragraphs, bulleted points, indented
paragraphs, subheads, etc. Some people will just skim your
letter, so engaging subheads and bulleted points help reach them
instantly.
6. Outline first.
Use a planning tool to help you think through your message. Or
talk to a friend. Or to a tape recorder. Or to yourself. This
also helps you get comfortable with speaking your letter rather
than writing it.
7. Write first, edit last.
Turn your inner editor off. You can rewrite later. For now,
write spontaneously and quickly to get your ideas on paper.
8. Ask for something.
Why are you writing? You want a call. Or an order. Something.
Say so!
9. Get a reader.
Find one person to read your letter OUT LOUD in front of you. If
he (or she) has trouble reading your letter, if he wrinkles his
brow or stops to reread a sentence, rewrite those places. Don’t
skip this step! It’s the secret of many professional writers.
10. Rewrite your letter again.
Is it the best you can do? Be honest! If not, throw it away and
call the person instead. Or hire a copywriter to write it for
you. Why waste your time or your reader’s with something that
doesn’t communicate in a persuasive and interesting way? (I
rewrote this letter 24 times!)
Well, there you have it. Of course, there are more rules, laws,
ideas and suggestions for writing letters that get results. You
should always guarantee whatever you are selling, for example,
and always offer proof for all of your claims. But the above
will get you rolling.
Sincerely,
Joe Vitale Hypnotic Writing
http://www.HypnoticWriting.com/g.o/marktse
(ALWAYS Identify yourself. People look here to see who the
letter is from.)
PS—Notice that you read this PS?
PPS—Notice that you read this one, too?
—————————————————– Hypnotic
Writing course, by Joe Vitale (recognized by many as the best
copywriter in the U.S.), shows you how to use “hypnotic” tricks
in your writing to get people to more easily agree with you. A
must for anyone who wants to write persuasively.
http://www.HypnoticWriting.com/g.o/markts
Joe Vitale
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/the-10-laws-for-writing-letters-that-get-results-352.html
Related Law of Attraction Posts
Is asking for payment from a third party against any laws or individuals rights?
I am a wedding photog who performed photography for a couple back last July. They have yet to have paid me the balance on their account. I still have their portraits sitting on my desk. I do not charge for portraits, digital images, or any product; Simply charge for the time spent at the event.
After numerous attempts through phone calls, email and letters, all with no result, I made one last ditch attempt to collect payment for the time spent and deliver the pics by writing both the bride and grooms parents (who were listed as alternate contacts on the original contract) to offer them the chance to get the pics.
I was forced to enter a case through small claims court to get the remainder of the payment owed, plus the interest accrued. They are countersuing, claiming I violated their rights by trying to collect payment thru a 3rd party.
Do they have any case? I know I do . I have sufficient contracts, etc. I want to know about THEIR chance for collection against me.
Thanks!
I am in Oregon
One last thing: It is my understanding that a creditor that collects its own overdue accounts is not subject to the FDCPA (Fair Debt Collection Practices Act) and is entitled to attempt the collection of a debt. Also, Collectors usually are prohibited from contacting such permissible third parties more than once, which I did not do….
If you have a signed contract by all means take them to court and get your money. Do it as soon as possible before your time to do it run out.
References :
No. They have no case. You have a contract … they violated the contract by not paying you as agreed. You have a legal right to make reasonable efforts to get paid and that INCLUDES contacting them at known places they may reside like family homes, work places, restaurants they visit, etc.
Only possible issue would be if you were harassing them excessively, trespassed, or did something illegal to attempt to get the money … like if you went to their job and sat down in front of their desk every day for a week and caused a bunch of trouble … .or …. if you broke into their house looking for money.
Provided you followed the law … you’re legally entitled to collect the money they owe you and them claiming you tried to collect through a 3rd party …. is just a bunch of BS.
Good Luck.
References :
If the parents are on the contract , either as the contracted party or a contact for them , then you would seem to be in the clear.
All you did was contact a person on the contract to attempt to resolve payment.
References :
If you are in the US, you broke the law by informing another person about the legal debt of another.
IF your contract was with the bride and groom, you by law are restricted from even telling anyone else, including thier parents that any money is even owed, and most certainly you can not attempt to collect from a 3rd party not part of the contract. ( if they were part of the contract they would not be a 3rd party)
So if you did not havve a contract with the parents, and only had a contract with the bride and groom, you are in serious ( very serious) trouble, you violated federal collection laws and not only can they bring civil charges, but can also report this for criminal action also.
So if his is the case and your contract was only with the bride and groom, you had better try to settle, give them the photots free and see if they will just forget all of this.
And you can not at all name them in the law suit, only the people you actually had a contract with.
A contact is just that, someone to contact to give the photos to, if the parents did not actually sign the contract, you have violated thier rights.
I would hire an attorney ASAP to get you out of this mess and settle with these people
References :
Provided that you didn’t violate any debt collection laws, they have no grounds to sue you for attempting to collect a lawful debt. Contacting a name they give you after failed attempts to contact them does not violate federal statutes. I’d have to know what state you are in to know if you have local debt collection statutes.
References :