Before You Write…
- List all the features of your product.
- List all the benefits of your product.
Note: the benefits are what the features do you for your customers.
- Decide on your USP (unique selling proposition). What makes your product different and better than your competitors’ products?
- Spend time “in” your target market (talking to them on forums, spending time with them offline, etc) to get to know them better.
- Once you know them better, profile them. List everything you know about them, including age, gender, where they live, educational level, what their problems are, what motivates them, etc.
- Do your market research. Ask yourself:
- What are others charging for similar products?
- How can you justify your price?
- What kinds of guarantees are they offering?
- What are the selling points for their offers?
Writing the Sales Letter
Headline
- Did you use a pre-headline?
- Did you address your prospects directly, whenever possible?
Example: “attention allergy sufferers”
- Did you put your biggest benefit in your main headline?
- Does your main headline arouse curiosity (where possible)?
- Does your main headline ask a question that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”? (If so, consider rewriting – people will answer the question and leave the page.)
- Does your headline grab attention?
- Does your headline make your target market want to keep reading?
- Does your headline enter the conversation that’s already going on in your prospects’ heads?
- Did you use trigger words in your headline?
Example: Secrets, free, you, guarantee, discover, reveal, amazing, announcing, new, revolutionary, proven, etc.
- Did you put your main headline in quotes?
- Is your headline in big, bold font?
- Did you create a post-headline, which elaborates on the promise of the main headline?
Opener
- Did you create an opener that “hooks” your reader in one or more of the following ways:
- By telling a story about someone just like your prospect whom had the same problem (and overcame it). Helps build rapport.
- By sharing a relevant statistic.
- By immediately elaborating on the pain of the problem.
Example: “agitating” the problem.
- By immediately elaborating on the benefits your prospect could get.
Example: How they’ll get rid of the problem.
- By asking questions to qualify the reader while simultaneously engaging him.
- Did you connect with the reader emotionally? (Typically by empathizing – demonstrating that you truly understand the problem and/or telling a story.)
- Did you get your prospects to imagine the pain of their problem?
- Did you get your prospects to imagine what it will feel like to finally solve this problem?
- Did you build a case that your product or service is the best solution to this problem?
State the Benefits
- Did you create a bulleted list of benefit statements, which list the benefits of your product or service?
- Did you weave together the features, benefits and advantages of your offer?
- Did you create compelling bullets that arouse curiosity, whenever possible?
- Do your bullets help prospects imagine what it will be like to use the product to solve their problems?
- Do your bullets excite the prospects?
- Do your bullets use trigger words?
- Are your bullets nice and tight, conveying a benefit in one sentence?
Offer Proof
- Do you offer proof to back up your bold claims? Examples include:
- Testimonials
- Endorsements from famous others
- Case studies
- Pictures
- Screenshots
- Videos
- Audios
- Are you using only your strongest forms of proof?
Note: This is particularly important when it comes to testimonials – use only the strongest ones.
- Does your proof look credible?
Example: Are the testimonials verifiable?
- Are you putting relevant proof next to your claims?
Example: If you claim that your product is easy to use, then post a video showing just how easy it is to use right after that claim.
List the Price
- Have you built your case that this is a good product? In other words, have you thoroughly demonstrated the value of your offer? If not, do that before you list the price (price before value will lower your conversion rate).
- Did you justify the price? Did you show prospects that they’re getting much more value then what they’re paying?
Note: You need to justify both high and low prices.
- Did you “anchor” the price? For example, did you suggest to prospects that they could be paying a higher price first, and then later you told them the actual price (which was lower than you first suggested)?
Example: “You’ve probably seen others charging $500 for this product…”
- Did you break the price down into its smallest unit?
Example: If you have a monthly subscription fee, you might say it’s just 55 cents per day (rather than $16.50 per month).
- Did you compare the price to something other everyday item?
Example: “This book is just $10 – the price of a small pizza…”
Guarantee
- Are you offering risk-reversal (a guarantee)?
- How many days?
Note: The longer, the better.
- Is it conditional or unconditional?
Note: Unconditional is better.
- How do customers obtain this refund?
Example: Send the item back, call you, email you, etc.
Bonuses
- Are you offer bonuses to help prospects make the buying decision?
- Are your bonuses directly relevant to the main offer?
- Are your bonuses desirable and valuable?
- Did you state the main benefits of these bonuses?
Call to Action
- Did you specifically and explicitly tell your prospects what you want them to do next?
Example: “Take out your credit card and click the “buy now” button now to get started…”
- Did you put a “buy now” button or link next to each call to action within your sales letter?
- Do you give them a good reason to buy now, such as by creating a sense of urgency? Possibilities include:
- Scarcity – limited number of products available
- Limited-quantity discount offer
- Limited-time discount offer
- Limited-quantity bonus
- Limited-time bonus
- Deadline – offer ends on a certain day
- Prospects will have to wait if they don’t order now.
Example: You’re offering an eclass, with the next one not starting for two or three months.
- Reminding them if they don’t take action, they’re going to keep experiencing their pain.
P.S.
- Did you include a P.S. (postscript)?
- Does your postscript do one or more of the following:
- Reiterate the main benefits?
- Mention a new benefit?
- Remind prospect of bonuses or guarantee?
- Remind prospects of reason to buy now?
Example: Scarcity.
- Mention your unique selling proposition (USP)?
- Create another call to action?
Other
- Did you sprinkle bolded, attention-getting subheadlines throughout your copy?
- Do the subheadlines give the “skimmers” the gist of your offer?
- Is your copy easy to read in terms of short sentences, short paragraphs, lots of white space, etc?
- Is your copy easy to read in terms of grammar, sentence construction?
Hint: Have someone else read it out loud to you… if they pause or stumble, you have problems in that part of the copy.
- Do you state your USP (unique selling proposition) in the letter?
- Do you build credibility?
- Are your claims believable?
- Are your claims specific?
Note: Specific claims are more believable.
- Is your ordering process easy?
Example: No hoops to jump through, like needing to register for an account BEFORE the prospect can order.
- Are there any leaks on your sales page, such as external links?
