What do the best offers comprise?

Your offer is the most important part of your sales letter. A great offer can overcome mediocre copy but great copy cannot overcome a mediocre offer. Your offer should be irresistible. The best offers are usually an attractive combination of price, terms, and free gifts. For example, if you were selling a car your offer might be a discounted retail price, low interest rate, and a free year of gas.

What extra incentive can you give in your sales letter?

To motivate people to take action they usually need an extra incentive. People are more motivated to act by the fear of loss rather than gain. That’s exactly what you are doing when you inject scarcity into your letter. When people think there is a scarce supply of something they need they usually rush to get some of it. You can create a feeling of scarcity by telling your reader that either the quantity is in limited supply or that your offer is valid for only a limited time period.

5.18. What should you close your letter with?

A good sales letter will continue to build emotion, right up to the very end. In fact, your letter should continue to build emotion even after your call to action. Using the “risk of loss” strategy, tell the reader what would happen if they didn’t take advantage of your offer. Remind them just how terrible their current state is and that it just doesn’t have to be that way. Always include a postscript (P.S.). Your P.S. is the third most read element of your sales letter. In your postscript you want to remind them of your irresistible offer. If you’ve used scarcity in your sales letter, include your call to action then remind them of the limited time (or quantity) offer.

There is one more most read element in sales letters. What’s it?

Call to action: You must spell out how to make the order in a very clear and concise language. Whether its picking up the phone and making the call, filling out an order form, faxing the order form to your office etc…. you must tell them exactly how to order from you. Your call to action must be “action-oriented.” You can do this using words like “ Pick Up the Phone and Call Now!” Be explicit and succinct in your instructions.

What are the parts of a sales letter? Can you characterize them?