Home    Login    Speakers' Bureau    Press Room    Do's & Don'ts    ePolicy Q&A

15 Secrets of Super-Effective Electronic Sales Letters

Are your electronic sales letters doing a good job of opening prospects' doors and closing sales? Or are your eMail messages being ignored(or worse yet deleted) before they are read? "eMail can be an extremely effective sales tool--if you know how to write electronic letters that grab and hold the attention of prospects and customers," said eWriting expert Nancy Flynn, co-author of Writing Effective E-Mail, author of The ePolicy Handbook, and executive director of The ePolicy Institute. "The true @rt of eMail is the ability to write powerful, persuasive electronic messages that open doors, generate leads, and close sales," Flynn noted. With 130 million US workers sending 2.8 billion eMail messages a day, the battle for the electronic reader's time and attention is fierce. That's why it is so important for eMail users, particularly professionals who use eMail as a sales and marketing tool, to cut through the clutter of cyberspace. The best advice for anyone interested in generating super-effective electronic sales letters? Flynn recommends approaching eMail strategically and concentrating on producing eSales letters that are easily read, retained, and acted upon. Bypass the Gatekeeper. Few people have assistants screen eMail. The correct eMail address ensures your eLetter lands in the decision-maker's mailbox. Effective writing decreases the likelihood of your eLetter being trashed before it's read. Focus on the Customer. A generic eSales letter that touts your company's size and capabilities probably means nothing to your prospect. Focus on the features and benefits that matter to the decision-maker. Remove Roadblocks. What's the reader's biggest objection? Address it head-on. If, for example, the prospect doubts your product quality, lead with a glowing testimonial from a respected name in the industry. Write a Subject Line with OOMPH. A small but powerful weapon in the battle to capture reader attention, the subject line can open doors or slam them shut. Subject lines should tell readers what eLetters are about before they're opened. Attracting and Retaining Top Performers , for example, says more than Employee Benefits. Never Begin with Thank You. You only have a few seconds to grab the reader's attention. Start strong. Make your point in the first few words of the first paragraph, then repeat, rephrase, and reiterate. Don't Give Prospects Reasons to Disqualify You. Speedy doesn't mean sloppy. Every eLetter you write reflects on your professionalism and credibility. Spellcheck and proofread. Beware Hidden Readers. If confidentiality is an issue, don't use eMail. There is no privacy in cyberspace. An inaccurate keystroke or the recipient's decision to forward your message could land it on unintended readers' screens, sabotaging sales and sinking careers. Write as Though Mom Were Reading. Don't write anything you wouldn't feel comfortable saying in an elevator crowded with customers, colleagues, and competitors. Hundreds of sexual harassment and racial discrimination lawsuits have resulted from improper eMail messages that were intended as private jokes. Obey the Rules of Netiquette. No shouting. No flaming. no spamming. Translation: Don't write in capital letters. Don't send hostile messages. Don't forward electronic junk mail. Remain Gender Neutral. Your intended reader may be male, but the ultimate decision-maker could be a woman. An eSales letter loaded with masculine pronouns (he, his, him), could cost you this account for good. Don't Use eMail to Deliver Bad News. Without the benefit of body language, facial expressions, or intonation, eMail is no way to deliver bad news. Use the phone to notify a customer of production delays or reject a prospect's credit application. Copy with Care. Send carbon copies (CC) and blind carbon copies (BCC) only to people who need to read your message. Carbon recipients aren't required to reply. So don't get angry when responses aren't forthcoming. Inquire About Attachments. Some companies prohibit the opening of attachments. Before attaching that all-important proposal, ask if the customer would prefer to receive it as an attachment or in the field as part of the eLetter. Resist the Urge to CAPITALIZE!!! The eye is accustomed to reading a mix of upper and lowercase letters. Stick with standard style. And don't slap exclamation points onto the end of sentences!!! Pump up your writing with descriptive language and well-crafted sentences. Acknowledge eMail's Limitations. eMail may be the best way to deliver news fast, but it's not necessarily the best route to a quick reply. Your reader is under no obligation to check in-coming messages regularly, if at all. It is inappropriate to send a follow-up message demanding to know why you haven't received a response. For an immediate reply to a pressing issue, opt for a phone call or meeting. 2000, 2001, Nancy Flynn, executive director, The ePolicy Institute. Flynn is co-author of Writing Effective E-Mail and author of The ePolicy Handbook. Permission to reprint granted, provided the article is reproduced in its entirety and www.epolicyinstitute.com is cited as the source.