Sales letters theory

Sales letters theory
Business letter
business communication

1. Business Sales letters Unit-4_Letters Prepared by Ms. Foram Patel

2. Sales Promotional Letter Introduction : It is one way of publicity. Publicity has a very important role to play in a competitive society. No business can be done successfully without publicity. Publicity and advertisement are an impersonal form of salesmanship. A sales letter is just a part of publicity and advertisement.

3. 12/07/2020 12 th july , 2020 12 july 2020 july 12, 2020 july 12 2020

4. SALUTATIONS OPENING SALUTATIONS CLOSING SALUTATIONS COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE

5. SALUTATIONS OPENING SALUTATIONS DEAR SIR DEAR MADAM SIRS MESDAMS RESPECTED COMMITTEE MEMEBRS/JURY

6. CLOSING SALUTATIONS COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE YOURS TRULY/FAITHFULLY/ SINCERELY

7. Advantages of a sales letter It is easy to avoid a salesman but not a sales letter. It can find its way easily and quickly to any person anywhere and at any time. It is more particular in its appeal for it is addressed to a selected class of customers . It has a personal touch because it gets all the attention as there is nothing that comes in between the reader and the message. ( Eg . Different advertisements in a newspaper) It can quietly wait till the addressee has enough leisure to go through it. It is quite cheap. It has the advantage of having a personal touch and has far less riccsk of missing the aim .

8. Objectives of a sales letter The letter must educate, persuade and convince. Promoting the sale of a product. It introduces new goods in the market more effectively, quickly, at a lower cost and in a wider area. It widens the market for existing products without much cost. Repeated appearance of a sales letter has the effect of a reminder.

9. It educates the customer in selecting the right type of goods and also in better understanding of products. It creates and maintains goodwill among the customers by offering quality products. It functions as a salesman wherever a salesman cannot visit the customers. It keeps the customers constantly in touch with the company and its products. It introduces the salesman to the prospects.

10. Three ‘P’s of Sales Promotion Prospect: To write an effective sales letter, a person must put himself in the reader’s place. Only then can he understand the reader’s response to the message carried by the letter. Understanding the prospects is understanding their wants and offering goods from their point of view. Product: The writer must have the knowledge of the product that he is selling. He must fully conversant with the plus points of his own product as well as those of the competing products. Proposition: A proposition is an offer of items – prices, documents, warranty, and money – back guarantee, performance, repairs, replacements, services, etc. Every customer studies these terms very carefully and weighs in his mind the comparative advantages of the terms offered by different sellers.

11. Functions of a sales letter : Attracting attention Arousing interest Educating and convincing Stimulating desire Securing action.

12. Attracting Attention and arousing interest: being an uninvited guest, a sales letter must attract the reader’s attention and arouse interest in its message through its physical appearance and appealing opening sentence. Like a smart, well dressed salesman, attracting the prospect’s attention, a sales letter has to attract the reader’s attention through its physical appearance – good stationery smart letterhead, good printing, good envelop and good typographical arrangements. A sales correspondent should remember that his letter has to arouse the reader’s interest in product or service , of which the reader (customer) does not know or which he never thought of buying.

13. Given below are a few methods of writing opening sentences for sales letters: A striking statement: SAVE 45% ON YOUR ELECTRICITY BILL. Here is the NEW FUEL that costs half the ordinary fuel but burns twice as long ……………. You can EARN AN EXTRA Rs . 500 per month if you ……………… A VITAL MESSAGE TO EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO HOLD ON TO HIS MONEY.

14. A startling offer: Here is the book we consider so important that we will send you a copy to read for 10 days – AT NO RISK ON YOUR PART. Here is a secret that will help you make more money in the next one year than in all life before. Invest Rs 500 a year in these Growth Stocks; Retire with Rs . 50,000 in 10 to 15 years.

15. 5. Using “if ……” and “When …….” Openings: 1. If you want to become an ideal housewife, consider the following ……. 2. When your husband comes home with a tired face …….. 3. If your car brakes are failing you at crucial moments ……. 4. If you wish to earn DOUBLE PROFIT this year, read this …….   6. Asking or offering a favour: May I ask a favour of you…….The kind of favour I would not mind doing if I were in your place? May we take a moment of your time this morning? Will you help us to help you? I want to do you a favour.

16. 3. Offering a gift – a “bribe for listening”: 1. FREE for you – the Reader’s Digest Pocket Diary, if you …………….. 2. Here is your FREE COPY of ………. All that you have to do is to stick the YES Ticket on the enclosed postage – free card and send it TODAY.   4. Using the “you are special” approach: This letter is for the smartest girl in your office, that is ……… Dear Miss …….. There are certain people whom we are glad to welcome as special customers – and you are one of them. You are the man who ultimately decided every important move made in your organisation. That is why …………….

17. 7. Asking a question: 1. Do you want to cut down your office overheads? 2. Is increasing electricity bill troubling you? 3. How much profit do you want? 4. Did you enjoy your holidays last summer? 5. When you buy a cooker, what points do you consider? 8. Using quotations from well-known persons: Quoting a proverb or epigram. Starting with a parable. Making appeals to buying motives.

18. 2. Educating and convincing: Once the reader’s interest is aroused, the sales letter writer should go on to educate and convince him. This is done by referring to “Selling Points” of the product, the service or the proposition offered. If the beginning has been successful, the reader would want to know more about the product. It is here that a writer should give a full description of what he is offering. This can be done only with the full knowledge of the subject – matter. An important this is that the body of the letter should dwell on the product in such a way that it tells the reader how it is beneficial to him.

19. Education and conviction are gained through guarantee, free samples, free trials, testimonials, reference to reputed users, to receiver’s experience, statistics of acceptance, tests of the product in use, offers of comparison, case histories etc.

20. 3. Simulating Desire: Having told about the goods or service or proposition, the correspondent should now instil in the prospect (customer) the desire to buy. If education and conviction have worked, the reader’s resistance will surely give away. If the letter makes an appeal to some human desire, it will immediately catch the reader’s imagination and prompt him to accept the offer. No sales talk can be effective if the prospect has no desire. On the other hand if the prospect feel the strong desire to own something, he does not need much sales talk. So arousing desire is one of the very important functions of a sales letter.

21. 4. Securing Buying Action: The attention gained, the interest aroused, the education and conviction achieved, and the desire created will all be in vain if the conclusion does not induce or motivate the reader to follow a definite course of action. The conclusion urges the reader to instant action. Many devices are used to secure prompt action from the reader. A few examples are: limited time or quantity offer, offering discounts, premiums , sample, trials , offering special service, giving notice of increase in price, making an appeal to personal pride, making response easier by enclosing post –card, order blank, business –reply envelop etc.

22. P r e p a r e d by F O R A M P A T E L