Effective Sales Letters Make You Stand Out
by Alan Sharpe
Published on this site: August 30th, 2005 - See
more articles from this month
For two winters I heated my house with an old fashioned woodstove.
I learned the art of reviving a bed of dying coals each chilly
winter morning, adjusting the kindling, firewood and dampers
just right so that the stove would heat my turn-of-the- century
farmhouse for the longest period possible.
I had the choice of four vendors to buy my hardwood from.
All were local, all sold at the same price, and all had the
same quality of hardwood.
But only one supplier, a character called Joe Meiser, advertised
same-day delivery at no extra charge. Joe got my business.
Joe got my business because he differentiated himself from
his competitors in a way that appealed to me. You need to
do the same to remain competitive.
You need to decide what makes you different from your competitors,
and you need to promote that uniqueness in your sales letters.
Just make sure your differentiator is compelling and actually
differentiates you.
"Quality Service" is not a differentiator. It's
a given. So is on-time delivery and the ability to meet budgets.
Instead, differentiate your firm based on your competence
in your industry or market category. Or be first at something.
Or invent something. Just make sure that your differentiator
is relevant and attractive to your prospects.
Joe Meiser also had a great guarantee. If you know anything
about heating your home with a woodstove, you know that Joe
sold and delivered his wood by the bush cord. One bush cord
measures 4ft wide x 4ft high x 8ft long. He dumped it in a
big pile on my front lawn, and I then had to stack it in neat
rows around my property, by hand. Here was Joe's guarantee,
always delivered with a straight face but a twinkle in his
blue eyes:
"I dump your eight bush cords in your yard with my truck,"
he'd say. "You try da wood. If you don't like it, you
bring it back and I give you new stuff."
Alan Sharpe is a business-to-business direct mail copywriter
who helps businesses attract new clients using direct mail
marketing. Sign up for free weekly tips like this at http://www.sharpecopy.com
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