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The 10 Laws for Writing Letters that Get ResultsThe 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? About the author: 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/marktse Circulated by Article Emporium 35 Quick Tips for Writing A Press Release Quick Tips for Writing A Press Release... Layout 1. 1-2 pages in length. 2. Double-space. 3. 1.5 to 2 inch margins. 4. Use company stationary with logo and slogan. 5. Avoid bright or dark-colored paper. 6. Center "News Release" at top. <... Battling Internet ADHD: Ten Tips for Writers Write for a reason Get to the point. One of the basic references for Web design is Steve Krug's, Don't Make Me Think. My book for Web writers (not yet available in stores) will be called, Don't Make Me Yawn. The Great Democracy that is the Web has spawned far more spam and... Where Can I Publish My Book? "If you write without getting published, then there is no use in writing at all.” Those are words of wisdom from someone who wants you to seriously consider publishing your book. 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I can't state this often enough or strongly enough: you must have an attractive, easy to use Website that lets your visitors do four things: a. Buy your book. b. Register and download sample chapters or get your e-newsletter. c. E-mail friend... Seven Secrets of Writing a Book that Sells It's one thing to write a book, it's an entirely different thing to write one that's a saleable, viable, marketable product. Ensuring the success of a book is something even the biggest publishers have never been able to guarantee. Mitigating circumstances, flash trends, and world ... Finish Your Book Already! I owe the completion and success of my book to a big cardboard box that saw me through the entire process. I found this box and filled it with any and all information I could find on my topic ‘advanced presentation skills for speakers and business presenters.' I printed out article... If you are chasing the most up-to-date opinion pertaining to love poetry. If you are chasing the most up-to-date opinion pertaining to love poetry. When you're seeking the best information about love poetry, you'll find it hard unscrambling quality advice from inexpert love poetry proposals and directions so it is wise to know how to moderate the in... How to Create a Media Frenzy for Your Book Prepare talking points before making media appearances. Many new authors spend so much time and energy trying to get in the newspaper or on radio that when they get there, they don't know what to say. But if you take an hour to prepare concise, compelling comments about yo... Writing For The Web: Where To Get Article Ideas A friend and I were talking the other day about writing. He liked to write, but even so his biggest problem was finding things to write about. My friend was astounded at the volume of writing that I do - at least one article and something as many as six, per day... 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, <...
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