Gic Number For Writing Sales Letters

When I write sales letters for my clients, one rule I always start with is The Rule of 7.

I learned about The Rule of 7 from one of my good friends who once ran for political office. In his campaign, he made certain that his name appeared seven times in all of his radio spots.

Why? Because that's generally the number of times required before a name "magically" sticks in the mind of a prospect. The Rule of 7 is often used in radio and television advertising. But this isn't an isolated occurrence-the number seven seems to be a bit magical in other areas, like prospecting and linguistics.

Do you know the average number of times experts say you need to make contact with a prospect before they will be ready to commit?

Seven.

Can you guess how many times linguists say a person must use a word before it becomes a true part of their vocabulary?

That's right-seven.

This "magic" is the reason I try to repeat my client's product name or business name seven times in the sales letters I write for them.

The truth is, we're not really talking about magic, here. It's really about generating recognition for a name or a concept. It's about embedding something in a prospect's subconscious mind. It's about branding. I use The Rule of 7 to write sales letters, but the idea can be applied to other areas of marketing, too.

Every person and every thing has an identity-and branding is about more than just a logo. A brand identity is about who you are, what you offer and the benefits of choosing you over the competition. The name you choose to operate under-whether your personal name, your business name, your product name, or your website address-is a link to all of that information. Repetition, which is what makes The Rule of 7 work, strengthens the recognition and recollection of your brand.

Now, all the "experts" may come back later and say that "seven" isn't the right number after all. It's nine. Or it's five. Or it's eight-point-three. But it doesn't really matter, does it? Seven works well as a general rule. (Besides, it is a lucky number.)

Of course, I know that fulfilling The Rule of 7 is no guarantee a prospect will accept an offer. But I know using the rule increases the chance that a prospect will see my name or the name of one of my websites and think, "Oh, yeah, I remember Seductive Sales Letters" or "I remember Matthew Cobb." Recognition and recollection-that's what The Rule of 7 is all about.

One word of warning, though. Just because seven times is good doesn't mean that seventy times is even better. Repeating the same name over and over again can grow annoying and cause prospects to quit reading. And then, you may not even be able to fulfill The Rule of 1.

About The Author

Matthew Cobb is an independent copywriter/consultant who operates Seductive Sales Letters. Visit SeductiveSalesLetters.com and sign up for the official monthly publication, The Seductive Sales Letter Clinic.

---

Sales Brochures - 9 Steps to Success

Even in this day of websites, many customers want to... Read More

The Biggest Mistake In Selling!

Some trainers and sales managers teach that there are prospects... Read More

No Regrets

Here's a chilling thought. If you were to die tomorrow,... Read More

A Little Something Special Goes a Long Way

Keeping the 80/20 rule in mind; that is that 80%... Read More

Your Clients Buying What Youre Selling

Linda felt like she had reached a plateau in her... Read More

Sell YOU With Your Small Talk (Yes You Can)

Want to build a relationship -- sell yourself for a... Read More

Never Stop Selling

The question: "When should a growing company slow down its... Read More

Recommending Products Vs. Selling Them

Some of the best sales people I have ever met,... Read More

Gatekeepers

When I ask salespeople to define what a gatekeeper is,... Read More

Everything Follows the Pitch

If you asked me to point to the heart and... Read More

Closing Sales Is Not A Problem, It?s A Process

In my opinion, the most overrated topic in sales training... Read More

Creating More Effective Proposals

The need for good proposals - the business kind, not... Read More

Model Dell: The Art of the Affiliate Coupon

Along with having an innovative supply chain, there's another reason... Read More

Write Fundraising Letter Overlines That Donors Cant Resist (Includes Samples & Examples)

The headline that appears over the salutation in a fundraising... Read More

Selling Services

Selling a service isn't the same as selling a product.... Read More

A Stupid Question, but it has to be asked

This is a stupid question but it has to be... Read More

An Introduction to Store Fixtures

Everybody is familiar with the old retail chant, "Location, location,... Read More

Customer Service Revival

Value is in the Eye of the BeholderSales today is... Read More

6 Ways To Get More From Your Promotions

1. Settle On The Right Way ForwardThe purpose of your... Read More

Warming Up To Cold Calls

Will you do just about anything, including sending out hundreds... Read More

Sales People have an advantage as entrepreneurs

Zig Ziglar use to say in seminars and on tapes... Read More

Touchdown! Closing Skills for Successful Selling

It's early January 2004. The Green Bay Packers are just... Read More

Dont Call Me

The March, 2004, issue of Psychology Today reports on an... Read More

Lessons Learned At Gunpoint

"If you do anything foolish or try to get out... Read More

Consulting Versus Selling

Consulting Vs Selling, How we can make sales by not... Read More

If I Wanted To Sell For A Living, I Would Of Majored In It In College

By a show of hands, how many of you grew... Read More

Are You REALLY Listening?

Being a good listener requires more than just keeping quiet... Read More

Cold Calling Pressure Reduction

Who likes cold calling? Most salespeople don't like cold calling,... Read More

Why Are Customers So Indecisive?

Do you know why your customer won't buy? You've given... Read More

First, Fast, And Foremost . . .

First - being before all others. Fast - moving or... Read More

Everything in Life is Selling

Robert Louis Stevenson said 'Everything in Life is Selling' and... Read More

At-ti-tude, n

At-ti-tude, n.One of Webster's dictionaries describes the word attitude as:a... Read More

Money Does Talk!

When buying something, you can buy in one of two... Read More