There are many ways of writing a great sales letter, and no rules are hard and fast. For a start, many essential elements in the process are nothing to do with the letter itself.

To begin with, you must always kick off with a well-researched and clean lead list before writing anything. It's also important to run tests changing just one element of the letter at a time, and not send out too many letters until you're confident you've got a hot one. After all, it's always easier to scale up positive results than recover from the expensive failure of sending out thousands of untried letters. On top of this, you must also have a fantastic product or service to sell (or should aspire to have one).

When it comes to crafting your sales piece, you should attempt to tell a compelling story that answers your target reader's ultimate question - 'What's in it for me?' To answer this properly, you need to entice the reader to buy by outlining tangible benefits, whilst remembering that no one likes to be sold to.

To give your target reader the chance to arrive at the conclusion you want them to - and buy from you - there are certain prerequisite elements you must include, that act psychologically on your prospect. Here are the main seven.

1. A great headline

Always use a benefits laden and emotive headline that grabs the reader's attention. The purpose of the headline is to make the prospect read the first sentence of your letter - so it's very important and you should try several. The first line of the first paragraph should then include the main benefit of your product or service.

2. An irresistible offer

Don't just offer a 10% discount - be creative. Get into the mind of your target reader and consider what benefits are making them buy your product. Zero in on this need and tailor your offer to match their desire.

3. A cast iron guarantee

Take the risk out of the reader's buying decision by offering a strong guarantee to sweeten the pill. In general, people don't like asking for their money back or complaining unduly, so if you're confident about your product or service and respect your customer - you shouldn't have a problem. A solid guarantee always adds credibility.

4. A strong call to action

Don't forget to ask for the sale! Tell your reader what to do and how to buy from you. Give them a phone number or email address - but don't confuse them with too many options. Think of it like a funnel - you want your prospect to go down the channel you have created for them - without them thinking you're pushing them into it.

5. A PS that reiterates your offer

After you've signed the letter, always include a PS that restates your offer and how the prospect can contact you. This gives one last chance for you to funnel the reader into buying from you.

6. Relevant testimonials

Comments from satisfied customers are only useful if they are benefit driven, so choose ones that answer the 'What's in it for me' question. Don't just stick in ones that say how great you are - no one likes a clever clogs.

7. Strong graphic design

This last one is nothing to do with copywriting. Great design can paint pictures where words seem clumsy, and if you include high quality images, guarantee shields, logos and colour schemes - design can complement your copy and add that extra bit of class that turns a good sales letter into a great one.

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