Letters Can Have The Impact You Want
Wednesday 10 November, 2004
In terms of the total volume of jobs, more than anything else, I am asked to write letters. It probably means that lots of marketers and managers realise the value of a crisp, clear communication that motivates people to act. Be it email, fax, SMS or mail, the communication has to be weighted just right.
I have a business contact who is a customer of a US online rich media supplier. She received an email recently that addressed her as, ‘Dear Billing Person’. Now that must have immediately given her a warm fuzzy feeling about the company! I think it might take out some sort of prize for the most ‘customer-vicious’ expression I have heard this year.
That’s the classic way NOT to start.
In direct mail, it is the letter that has more power than any other element so it needs to receive your utmost attention – whether you are writing it or evaluating it.
- Make it personal:
The more you can make it sound like one person writing to another, the better. Make it conversational. Use simple words and, where appropriate, try to include some short sentences. Only use words and phrases that your readers will be comfortable with.
- Make it involving:
If you talk about a subject in general terms with national statistics and global comparisons, it may be very interesting but it won’t involve many people. You need to talk about things that interest your reader. If your letter is expressed in terms that make sense in his/her life, then your reader will become involved. And once a reader is involved, there is much more chance of getting a response.
- Promise benefits:
It might sound obvious and I know it has been mentioned so many times, yet it is regularly not practised. Emphasise the major benefits and keep it simple. The restaurant offers an award-winning chef from France. That’s a feature. No one actually wants an award-winning chef from France. What diners want is the delicious taste of a genuine French meal (that the award-winning French chef can produce). The tastes and delights of a special meal are the benefits that the advertising should stress.
- Get attention and generate action:
With thousands of promotional messages whizzing by every day, if you don’t get attention, you might as well stay in bed or have a day at the races. So in the preparation stage, put whatever time you need into ensuring that you get attention. Then be sure to tell your target market exactly WHAT you want them to do and WHEN YOU WANT THEM TO DO IT!
You can’t receive a complete lesson in powerful letter writing with four dot points, but if you follow these, you are heading in the right direction.
Author Credits
Frank Chamberlin is a copywriter and Masters Lecturer in direct marketing at Monash University. His company, Action Words, provides all sorts of copy for large and small clients. He’s well known as the Melbourne lecturer for the Australian Direct Marketing Association Certificate Course. Phone 03 9481 1410; www.actionwords.com.au; enquiries@actionwords.com.au