One of the best golfing tips I ever received came from my wife (of all people). For years she had been urging me to get more excercise than what I was normally getting through work and weekend golf. And for years, I had been brushing her off with every excuse imaginable. Not enough time, too cold outside, do it tomorrow, etc, etc, etc.
My wife, being the cagey woman she is, had a brainstorm and she shared it with me. . . and I'll share it with you.
If you're like me, you probably have a local country club where you play more often than not. For years, I'd been playing at this same club and listening to my buddies say, "What's on the other side of those trees?" or "What's around that dogleg?" Occasionally, I'd have to ask myself those same questions, which one might consider odd. Having spent so many hours on this course, one might assume I should know it like the back of my hand.
Truth is, I didn't know it very well at all. But I do now, and I owe this new-found knowledge to to my good wife.
Her suggestions was simple--and rewarding. Rather walk around the neighborhood (and have to listen to me grumble) she suggested we go to the club and walk a few holes each night. We'd do this in the evening when there were fewer players out and about. We'd pick three holes to walk, a different set each night, and as we walked I'd "look" at the hole's layout.
It's remarkable how much of the geography of a hole you miss when you're concentrating on playing that hole. Concentration is a good thing, don't get me wrong on that, but simply walking the hole, with no purpose other than being there, allows you to see just about everything there is to see on that particular hole. Also, when you're walking in the late day, you aren't being pushed by the group behind you. You can take your time, walk at your own comfortable pace, and take in the scenery, one step at a time.
A really great idea is to grab a score card and jot down notes as you go along. If you're into it, you can pace off distances, make little notes on how the ground rolls, or keep a note on just about anything for that matter.
After a few weeks of this, and a few times around all the holes at your course, you WILL know your course like the back of your hand, and your buddies will be amazed at how much better you are playing.
On top of that, you get some very good low-impact exercise.
But there is a big difference between the kind of letters that boost sales and the kind that bust your budget. With a direct mail piece, the difference between success and failure often comes down to effective copywriting (or the lack of it). So let's talk about some of the ways you can write your way to a better sales letter.
Here's a 5-part plan for copywriting that will help you get better results from your direct mail marketing campaigns:
This is an important step in the process, but it's one that many first-time copywriters gloss over or skip entirely.I would argue that research and preparation account for more than half of the writing process. It's a lot easier to craft a strong message when you've done the necessary homework. As for the topics of your research, see items 2 - 5 below.
How many pages will your letter be? Will you create a simple one-page mailer, or a multi-part "letter kit"? Are you going to include other items, such as a small brochure or price sheet? Color printing or black and white? By answering these and other logistical questions in advance, you'll be better able to shape your message accordingly. This will also help you determine the cost for your mailing, which is necessary for budgeting purposes.
What do you know about the people on your mailing list, the ones who will receive your letter? What sort of challenges do they face, and how can you help them overcome those challenges? What do they hope to achieve? What are their biggest fears, and how do they relate to what you're offering? How can your products or services help them achieve their goals?
If you've followed along with the prescribed steps up to this point, you should have a pretty good idea who you're speaking to with your letters. Now you must answer the next logical question. What is it you want those people to do when they read your message? This needs to be a specific goal, because you will write your entire message around it.
Step 5 - Shape Your Message Accordingly
Up to this point, you have created the skeleton of your letter. You now have a clear picture of your audience, your objective, and the logistical components of your mailing. So you are ready to think about the actual content you need to write. Essentially, your message will bridge the gap between your audience and your objective.
So ask yourself, what must I include in my letter to encourage my readers to take the action I want them to take? How much, or how little, do I need to tell them? What information should I include? Testimonials and success stories? Before and after photos? Statistics? Information about a free trial or some other bonus?
It's important to note that the steps are presented in this order for a reason. You shouldn't begin writing your sales letter until you've done the necessary research and planning. If you move through the process in this order, you'll have a much easier time developing your message.
This article gives you a good idea of the basic steps involved in writing a direct mail sales letter. Obviously, though, this is not an all-inclusive tutorial. There is much more to learn about each of the steps presented above, and if you're serious about direct mail success you will continue your research.
You don't necessarily have to become an expert copywriter. In my experience, anyone with a great product and decent writing skills can create a strong sales letter. But with that being said, you can certainly improve your end product by learning more about the process through which it is created. I recommend you buy at least one book on copywriting. You'll find plenty of these books at Amazon and other online booksellers.
Both Robert Partain & Gurr are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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