| Your direct mail package clears a major hurdle as | | | | company make more money and be more |
| your prospect opens the envelope. One hand reaches | | | | competitive.Are you selling an award-winning product |
| in and pulls out the letter while the other sets the | | | | with good reviews? If so, here's another way you can |
| envelope aside. Unfolded now and in full view, the | | | | put your positive press to good use...with this |
| reader glances down at the first couple of lines.The | | | | straightforward opening that cuts to the chase and |
| moment of truth has arrived and you are -- in the form | | | | gets right down to business:Windows User Magazine |
| of your letter -- face-to-face with your prospect. Your | | | | voted it the Best Windows Utility of 2004. |
| fate is in their hands. And the next three to five | | | | PC Magazine says it's "...essential...hard to imagine |
| seconds will largely determine whether your marketing | | | | running Windows without it..." |
| effort succeeds or fails. Because it's during these | | | | PC Computing says it's "...a lean and mean |
| critical first few seconds that your prospect decides | | | | program-launching machine that should be found on |
| whether or not to continue reading.That's why the | | | | every Windows user's computer..."This is what |
| foremost objective of your opening is to capture the | | | | legendary copywriter and direct marketing Pro |
| prospect's attention. Every competent sales person | | | | Herschell Gordon Lewis calls the "here's what the |
| knows that this is step one in the selling process, for | | | | experts say" opening and no lead-in is needed. |
| without attention there can be no -Interest | | | | Immediately after the salutation you launch right into it |
| Conviction | | | | by quoting the favorable comments of industry |
| Desire | | | | experts.3.Build Rapport - As you know, in the beginning |
| Close"OK. Show Me What You've Got."Have you | | | | of every sales presentation you make a concerted |
| ever had this happen to you in a face-to-face sales | | | | effort to build a rapport with your prospect. You try to |
| presentation? You're escorted into your prospect's | | | | find common ground. Interests that the two of you |
| office. And no sooner than you shake hands and | | | | share. You look for opportunities to pay sincere |
| settle into your chair the prospect, arms folded across | | | | compliments.Starting your sales letter off in a similar |
| his chest, stares across the desk at you and says: | | | | fashion can be a good way to capture the favorable |
| "OK. Show me what you've got."While this type of | | | | attention of your prospect. For example, you're a tour |
| "show me what you've got" reception is rare in | | | | guide and your specialty is scuba diving expeditions. |
| face-to-face sales presentations, speaking from | | | | You target a list of known scuba divers and this is |
| experience I can tell you it does happen. On the other | | | | how your letter opens:You and I are part of a |
| hand, "show me what you've got" is likely to be the | | | | remarkable group. |
| prevalent attitude you encounter when "selling on | | | | Someone who's never been on a scuba dive could |
| paper." Keep this fact firmly in mind as you craft your | | | | never understand it.See how the writer creates an |
| letter opening and you'll avoid the type of dull and | | | | immediate rapport with the prospect? The core |
| irrelevant openers we all see way too much of in our | | | | message here is, "you and I are part of a very |
| mailboxes. Most important, you'll make the most of | | | | exclusive and very cool group." What if the writer had |
| those critical first few seconds when your prospect | | | | started off instead by saying, "You are part of a |
| focuses on your letter.Three Effective Ways To | | | | remarkable group." The impact wouldn't have been |
| Open A Sales LetterThere are literally hundreds of | | | | nearly as strong, would it? That's because "You and I" |
| effective, attention-grabbing ways to open a sales | | | | infuses the line with the magical element of |
| letter. Here are three that I have found to be | | | | rapport.Here's another example from a B-to-B mailing:If |
| particularly profitable, all of which are easily adaptable | | | | you're like I am, before you make a big decision you |
| to any number of direct mail marketing situations:1. Ask | | | | make sure you have all the facts. Just logical, isn't it? |
| a question - A good question is immediately reader | | | | When the stakes are high, there's no such thing as |
| involving; it provokes thought and will draw the reader | | | | "too much information." (But too often we get too little |
| into your message. Here are a few examples from | | | | information.)The subtext here is, "You and I are smart |
| my client files:If I could show you a way to slash your | | | | guys. Before we make a big decision, we do our |
| health insurance costs by 40% -- and still get | | | | homework."Paying someone a sincere compliment can |
| top-quality care...would you be interested?A similar | | | | also be an excellent rapport builder and letter-starting |
| version of the same opening:Fed up with the high cost | | | | technique. Just be sure there's some basis for the |
| and burdening state mandates of ordinary health | | | | compliment. (This speaks to the importance of good list |
| insurance plans?And here's another question-asking | | | | selection.)Here are a couple of examples, the first from |
| opening. One nicely set up with a provocative lead | | | | a subscription solicitation letter for Bon Appetit |
| in:You may regard this as "none of my business." But | | | | Magazine:Congratulations!You know more about sound |
| I'd appreciate your digesting this information before | | | | nutrition and smart consumer shopping than any |
| reaching that conclusion.Here's the question: Are you | | | | generation before. You cook with more imagination. |
| paying too much for payroll services? And getting | | | | You serve with more style.The next example comes |
| short-changed on service?2. Be Direct and To The | | | | from a letter sent out by a collision repair shop to build |
| Point - In many cases you're likely to be writing to the | | | | new referring relationships with insurance agents.You |
| classic, type A, dominant-driver personalities that make | | | | didn't get to be as successful as you are by accident. |
| up a majority of the world's business owners and top | | | | Far from it. You got there by knowing your business. |
| executives. One effective approach with this audience | | | | And by knowing what's important to your clients. |
| is to open your letter in a very direct and to the point | | | | Before you write your sales letter think long and hard |
| manner such as -You've got enough people trying to | | | | about what type of opening will work best. Because |
| waste your time with products and services you don't | | | | surviving your moment of truth -- when your prospect |
| really want or need. I'm not one of those | | | | is at point blank range with you and your company -- |
| people.Or...Right off the bat I want you to know one | | | | will determine whether -checks come in |
| thing. I won't waste your time.This letter - every word | | | | the phone rings |
| of it - is about how my company can help your | | | | your follow-up phone call gets through. |