A Stupid Question

This is a stupid question but it has to be asked.

Does your sales letter create as many sales as you would like?

What proportion of them respond to your advert?

What is just as important, how many of those that responded actually purchased your product?

How can you improve the response rate?

How many new email addresses did you capture?

Do you have an 'opt in' strategy so that you can mail them later with more offers without being accused of spamming?

Let us look at the sales letter first.

The headline.

Does it stand out? Does it grab your attention?

Does it shout, "READ ME, READ ME, READ ME".

On the other hand: Does it give a tantalising hint at something interesting inside. Something of real benefit to the reader.

Does it ask a question that can only be answered by reading the content of the letter?

The letter itself.

Is it speaking to a group of people? Or is it a one to one conversation?

How many times does it say 'You' compared with the number of times it says 'Me, We or I'.

Your readers are not interested in you or what a marvellous gadget you are offering. No, they are only interested in what it can do for them. How much better off they will be if they invest their hard earned cash in your enterprise.

Will it help them to become rich, a better person, happier or better looking, Will it make them more attractive to the opposite sex?

Convince them of just one of these, or similar things and the price will not matter.

It all boils down to "What's in it for me."

The old adage: "Sell the sizzle, not the steak" is as relevant now as it was in the old days of door knocking.

Let's go back to the original sales letter. How good was it in the first instance? Were you happy with the initial response? if so, what went wrong? Has it become stale. Would a makeover put it right? Perhaps it just needs a new headline.

If the click through rate is good, it would appear that the headline is doing it's job. Should the ratio of purchases to clicks-through be poor I would suggest that the text of the letter is not up to scratch.

The problem may not be in the letter, or the headline. It could be that you are not aiming your advertising at the right people. Whatever you are selling, a very large percentage of the population will not be interested in it. You must find those who are the most interested in your particular product.

You would not think of advertising fishing rods in a boxing magazine.

It is amazing how many things are aimed at e-zines and other media that have little or no relevance to the product.

Let us assume that we are advertising in a selection of ezines. How do we know which ones to use? The surest way is to sort out some likely ones and subscribe to them. Ask for some back issues. Get a feel for the type of readership. Would they be likely to be interested in your product? Or have you another product that would interest them? I have had some of my best product ideas from reading an ezine that had no relevance to what I was selling at the time.

I generally try the cheapest adds first, if I am sure that the readership is right for my product and the cheap ad' pulls even a few sales, I then put a similar ad in the best position in the ezine, knowing that if the small ad' works, the bigger ad will surely make a good profit.

Should the cheap ad' not work, don't give up yet. You can generally get a good idea of what is working by studying the other ad's in the ezine, especially those that appear week after week in more than one ezine. Type out a similar ad' but for your product and see how it goes.

Copy other people's methods but don't copy their adverts. As soon as someone has written something, it immediately becomes their copy write and you would need their permission to reproduce it. (The main exception is if you paid that person to write it for you.) In that case it is best to decide who is the owner of the copy write before you start.

Don't give up. If you have faith in what you are selling, you must find the best methods of advertising it.

Then it is up to you to write the best advert that you can. Always remembering that it is the headline that must capture the reader's attention. Without a good headline, the best advert in the world will be overlooked and just a waste of space, time and money.

I hope I have given you something to think about. In this business your adverts are your shop window. The aim is to get their attention and invite them to come in and take a closer look. I wish you all the best in your business ventures, remember, You are a very important member of the community. Without the small businesses, the world's economy would collapse over-night.

By for now.

About The Author

Robert J Farey

Bob has been on line for over five years. He loves affiliate programs because all of the technical stuff is done by the owners of the programs. Leaving him free to concentrate on the promotion side of the business. If this article has set you thinking. Please take a look at: http://www.33daystoonlineprofits.com/video/?robertjay

---

Make Your Prospects Speak

You've probably heard people speaking about someone that he was... Read More

Failed Salespeople Share Similar Traits

We are each responsible for our own success - or... Read More

The Art And Science of Closing - How To Close More Sales Right Now

One of the questions I often get asked as a... Read More

Sales Skills for the Non Sales Professional

Have you ever wondered how in the heck you're going... Read More

Really WINNING Over Customers

Three qualities are needed to sell anything in life. They... Read More

How To Write A Solution - Savvy Sales Letter to To Get Clients

Too many sales letters are shaped into paper airplanes and... Read More

The ?Shocking? Sales Strategy of Saying THANKS!

I would like you to begin thinking of mailboxes in... Read More

10 Boundless Ways To Anchor Down More Sales

1. Multiply your marketing and advertising efforts on the Internet.... Read More

Better Listening Skills = More Sales

Today's business environment is intrinsically tied together by ongoing information... Read More

Make Your Referrals Count

Just because we receive a referral, it doesn't mean that... Read More

Get Tough

You deal with rejections, frustrations, disappointment, and possibly disrespect on... Read More

Bite Your Tongue

Most people don't realize how powerful a negotiating tool silence... Read More

5 Steps to Selling Anything Technical

One of the most difficult things we deal with as... Read More

Increase Sales - Overcoming Barriers

Ever thought to yourself, "If only my team members would... Read More

Sales Letters - How to Write Them

You could just send out your brochure to potential customers... Read More

The Most Underused and Powerful Method of Lead Generation

Are you worried about whom you'll sell today so you... Read More

7 Keys to Turning Cold Calls Into Warm Calls

Let's face it when it comes to cold calling many... Read More

Top 5 Characteristics of Great Salespeople

I am a big believer that great salespeople generally realize... Read More

Unlocking the Myth of Hypnotic Communication

Unquestionably when the word hypnosis pops-up in a conversation or... Read More

Make More Sales By Airing Your Dirty Laundry

There's an old saying, "Don't air your dirty laundry".If you're... Read More

If You Respect Them, They Will Buy -- Closing the Sale

We've all had the unfortunate experience of being convinced by... Read More

How To Write A Killer Sales Letter

I sit down and look at my notebook. Then, I... Read More

Cutting Through Stalls and Objections

It's the prospect. If stalls and objections frequently come up... Read More

Grrr! Why Arent I Making SALES?!

Selling online can be very difficult, more difficult than in... Read More

Top Ten No Money Promotion Ways That Create New Clients and Fast Sales

Better than offline promotion such as press releases, talks, or... Read More

How To Master The Art And Science Of Super Salesmanship In 3½ Minutes Flat!

Dear Friend,You #1 weapon in advertising will always be...Superior Salesmanship.I... Read More

Selling White Space

Almost all Internet Marketers have a basic idea of what... Read More

Are You a Sales Professional?

Many sellers like to describe themselves as professionals, but what... Read More

Body Language, Five Key Ingredients

When making your living in the sales industry, and working... Read More

The Pipeline: Curious, Desperate, Inspired?

You do have a "Pipeline" don't you? You know, the... Read More

Direct Sales and the Use of Clipboards

Do you ever feel that when you are doing direct... Read More

How to Build Rapport in 7 Seconds!

I had my first official sales training by a man... Read More

Like It or Not... You?re in SALES!

Mention the word sales or salesman and two out of... Read More