1. Be the customer as you write. This is the most important aspect of a good sales letter, but it's often overlooked. Imagine yourself as the reader of your letter, and write what the customer wants to know--not what you want to say.

2. Organize your letter. Sales letters, just like high school term papers, need an introduction, a body and a conclusion. In the introduction, tell why you're sending the letter. The body is your "sales pitch," where you'll explain why your offer is irresistible. The conclusion wraps it up by briefly bringing your points together and asking the customer to take advantage of the offer.

3. Make it easy to read. Many sales letters are thrown away without being read simply because they appear too complicated. Don't let this happen to you. Use the following guidelines:

?P Write in a conversational style, just as you would normally speak; formal tones are usually unnecessary in sales letters.

?P Use short sentences. Once you start writing more informally, you'll notice your sentences will get shorter.

?P Compose short paragraphs. People like to have breaks in their reading. If it doesn't flow smoothly and sound natural, rewrite it.

?P Edit and then re-edit your letter. Besides being difficult to read, misspelled words and grammar errors destroy the credibility and effectiveness of your letter.

4. Capture your reader's attention. Headlines are not limited to ads. They can also be used in letters to tell readers something they want to know in a bold way that grabs their attention.

You can also use longer headlines--up to three or four sentences--to present important information. In either case, always make the headline compelling so customers want to read the rest of the story.

5. Get your readers interested. Involve the reader in the letter by bringing it to life with a steady flow of interesting information. Write in an active voice.

Build on your sentences and paragraphs so the reader is encouraged to continue reading. Every sentence needs to be interesting; a reader can become bored quickly.

June Van Klaveren, owner of Compelling Communications, a copywriting firm in St. Louis, recommends including a handwritten note or an arrow in a different color ink to highlight an important fact and retain your reader's interest. "

I also include a `P.S.' at the bottom of the letter," says Van Klaveren. "You can count on this and your headline being read because you've piqued the reader's curiosity."