Sales letter
Encyclopedia
A sales letter is a piece of direct mail
which is designed to persuade the reader to purchase a particular product or service in the absence of a salesman. It has been defined as "A form of direct mail in which an advertiser sends a letter to a potential customer." It is distinct from other direct mail techniques, such as the distribution of leaflets and catalogues, as the sales letter typically sells a single product or product line, and further tends to be mainly textual as opposed to graphics-based. It is typically used for products or services which, due to their price, are a considered purchase at medium or high value (typically tens to thousands of dollars). A sales letter is often, but not exclusively, the last stage of the sales process before the customer places an order, and is designed to ensure that the prospect is committed to becoming a customer
.
Since the advent of the internet, the sales letter has become an integral part of internet marketing
, and typically takes the form of an email or webpage. Unsolicited sales emails are known as spam
, although spam typically consists of emails which are much shorter than a normal sales letter. Offline, unsolicited sales letters are known as junk mail.
. The font
, layout, line spacing, paragraph formatting, images, etc. all have an effect on the efficacy of the letter.
, clickthrough to the checkout, etc.
Direct mail
Advertising mail, also known as direct mail, junk mail, or admail, is the delivery of advertising material to recipients of postal mail. The delivery of advertising mail forms a large and growing service for many postal services, and direct-mail marketing forms a significant portion of the direct...
which is designed to persuade the reader to purchase a particular product or service in the absence of a salesman. It has been defined as "A form of direct mail in which an advertiser sends a letter to a potential customer." It is distinct from other direct mail techniques, such as the distribution of leaflets and catalogues, as the sales letter typically sells a single product or product line, and further tends to be mainly textual as opposed to graphics-based. It is typically used for products or services which, due to their price, are a considered purchase at medium or high value (typically tens to thousands of dollars). A sales letter is often, but not exclusively, the last stage of the sales process before the customer places an order, and is designed to ensure that the prospect is committed to becoming a customer
Customer
A customer is usually used to refer to a current or potential buyer or user of the products of an individual or organization, called the supplier, seller, or vendor. This is typically through purchasing or renting goods or services...
.
Since the advent of the internet, the sales letter has become an integral part of internet marketing
Internet marketing
Internet marketing, also known as digital marketing, web marketing, online marketing, search marketing or e-marketing, is referred to as the marketing of products or services over the Internet...
, and typically takes the form of an email or webpage. Unsolicited sales emails are known as spam
Spam (electronic)
Spam is the use of electronic messaging systems to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately...
, although spam typically consists of emails which are much shorter than a normal sales letter. Offline, unsolicited sales letters are known as junk mail.
Components
The sales letter is split into several key sections. In addition, other sections may be used, such as sub-headlines.Headline
The headline is the most prominent text on the sales letter, and is designed to be among the first item the reader attends to.Body copy
This section is typically quite long, with 4, 8 and 16 page letters being common formats. This section will typically contain testimonials from the firm's customers as well as pictures and information about the product. On the internet, the body copy may include embedded video or audio.Call to action
All sales letters include a call to action which is intended to get the customer to commit to purchasing the product or service, typically without any further intervention.Graphic design
The graphic design of a sales letter is an important part of the brandingBrand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
. The font
Font
In typography, a font is traditionally defined as a quantity of sorts composing a complete character set of a single size and style of a particular typeface...
, layout, line spacing, paragraph formatting, images, etc. all have an effect on the efficacy of the letter.
Development of sales letters
Because of the direct response nature of sales letters, they can be carefully tested on an ongoing basis to determine which version performs best in terms of converting readers to customers. Sales letters are typically developed incrementally, with split testing of various elements. This allows the marketeer or copywriter to confirm which headline, body text or graphic design converts best. On the internet, it is possible to track additional variables, such as the open rate of emails, the bounce rateBounce Rate
Bounce rate is an Internet marketing term used in web traffic analysis. It represents the percentage of visitors who enter the site and "bounce" rather than continue viewing other pages within the same site....
, clickthrough to the checkout, etc.