What if we called long sales letters something else?
Yes, oh yes! It’s obvious from yesterday’s comments on my article “Do long sales letters work?” that most of you hate them. And yet you still recogonise that this is the way generally adopted to sell products or services online.
It’s interesting. We hate to be sold to and yet we love to buy.
No matter what our monthly budget is, we still find ourselves buying this, that and the other online and yet when we are faced with a hard-core sales pitch for a particular product it can be a real turn off for a lot of you.
Now I am not here to convince you that the long sales letter is the right and only way to sell things online.
Everyone of you has a different business, different target client and different branding. Just because something works for one business, doesn’t necessarily mean that it will work for another.
But what if we called long sales letters something else?
What if we called them “everything that your target client needed to know about before purchasing your product or service”?
What if these web pages where incredibly helpful to your clients and presented all the information in one place which made it simple and easy for them.
You see, I think it’s the word “sales” that puts a lot of business owners off from using the concept.
Yes, there is no doubt that a lot of internet marketers use the long sales letter formula to the extreme because they have no intention of building up a loyal list of subscribers. They want to [and need to] sell there and then.
But what if you looked at the long sales letter formula – the buying psychology behind it – broke it down and wrote in a way that wasn’t salesy? Wrote it in a way that presented everything in a conversational and friendly way?
What if you presented your product so that your target clients didn’t feel like they were being sold to but instead they enjoyed buying from?
What do you think?
Other articles you may be interested in:
- Do long sales letters really work?
- 7 Steps to Attracting New Clients to Your Business
- When is the right time to sell?
4 Responses to “What if we called long sales letters something else?”
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Personally, I think it’s more about the content and the fit than the length. If someone’s talking to me like I’m an idiot, I definitely won’t buy, but if they engage with me on an equal level with relevant points to make I’ll read on, especially if it’s something that I’m interested in or solves a problem I’m having at the moment. Yes, I have bought some really great products from ‘long sales letter’ pages.
When I think about it, if it’s someone I already have a ‘relationship’ with, i.e. I subscribe to their newsletters or have bought something from them before I’m more inclined to sit and read what they’re saying. In the same way if someone I trusted recommended a page to me and said that I’d find this product/service useful I’d read it and probably buy – OK, I’d skim read it for the relevant points and make a decision based on that.
How about calling it an online brochure? I’ve bought things online and offline from very lengthy brochures, e.g. when you’re thinking about enrolling on a course or buying a new car, you take the time to sit down and go through what you get and how it all works before making a decision.
In fact, writing this has given me an idea….I usually write a hard copy brochure and then re-purpose the content for the ‘sales page’ AKA online brochure. Any thoughts on whether people would prefer to read a short summary and then click to download a brochure as a PDF? We do it with ebooks, why not brochures?
Actually, who I am kidding? Everyone’s doing this! Go to any university website and you can download a prospectus. Look at the high ticket retailers and you can download a spec for what you’re buying.
Maybe we’re too caught up in the whole ‘internet marketing’ world and the ‘personal development/make money online’ world to see what’s going on elsewhere!
[Reply]
What do I think? It would be incredibly hard to write a sales letter that didn’t instantly push my ‘patronised button’. Agreed, adopting a conversational style is attractive because it’s how we engage in every day life and, provided the author doesn’t cross the invisible line between professional chumminess and pub talk, would be my preferred approach.
In my mind the best way to overcome a sales letter rejection is to nurture a relationship with your audience via interesting content, exchanges etc., PRIOR to offering them a service. Doing this has the added benefit of eventually being able to target them specifically because you already KNOW them. (Not meaning to state the obvious)
So rather than the long sales letter approach, a better philosophy might be to tickle me under my chin, stroke my belly and then offer me, your friend, a service that will improve my business. (In short, make me comfortable beforehand.)
Excellent, well written and engaging subject, many thanks.
[Reply]
I think that the best sales letters do exactly what you’re advocating. You gotta remember, though, that what’s patronizing to you may be perfect for someone who isn’t necessarily as bright, advanced or as experienced as you are.
Overall, though, I do agree with your point. Sometimes, the strong come-ons and obvious attempts to push buttons can be too much.
[Reply]
I do think there is a cultural difference between the US and Europe in terms of acceptance of long sales letters.
Also long sales letters are often used by internet marketers often as a single landing page without the context of a blog or website – so for example if you have a long sales letter Karen on this site you still build confidence in you and your personal brand as we can see the context of the business and navigate to other page.
However the fact is that long sales pages do convert and there is a model/template to follow as taught by the leading copywriters that increases conversions.
One alternative which I think is converting people now however is the use of less copy and using an online video to share the story that would have previously been shared on the long sales letter.
I do know that I have purchased some VERY expensive products and programmes based on a long sales letter, but thinking about it it was only after I had had the opportunity to connect with the person usually through a webinar or teleseminar before making a decision to purchase – the person had taken away the risk of me purchasing with testimonials from people I trusted and too offering a guarantee.
Thanks for opening up the debate.
[Reply]