The 10 Laws for Writing Letters that Get Results.

"The 10 Laws for Writing Letters that Get Results."
By Joe Vitale

The following is a letter in response to a question
about how to write sales letters. This is something you
could model in layout, tone, and ideas, to write your
own letters. By the way, this is where your letterhead
should go.

Dear Fellow Chicago Seminar Attendees,

Jerry Jenkins asked me to tell you how to write letters
that get read and get results. That's a tall order!
Well, here's what I think the "laws" are:

1. Know what's in it for your reader.

Get out of your ego and into your reader's ego.
Complete this sentence: "Get my book so that you can...
(fill in the blank)." Your book (or whatever you are
selling) is the feature. What people get as a result
of having your book is the benefit. Focus on benefits.
Always! Without this, your letter will bomb.

2. Write a headline that telegraphs the key benefit
to your reader.

ALWAYS use a headline. There is only ONE exception to
this rule. When you personalize your letter, the "Dear
(whoever)" opening becomes your headline. There are
few headlines more powerful than the reader's own name.
The headline is THE most important part of your letter!
Spend nearly all of your time on it.

3. Be brief.

Say what you have to say in terms of the reader's self
interest and shut up. This does NOT necessarily mean a
short letter. If you are trying to make a sale, and
the reader has never heard of you or your item for
sale, you may have to write four or more pages to get
your message across. If all you want is a return call,
a one page letter may do. Don' be afraid of length.
People will read any length of copy AS LONG AS IT'S
INTERESTING!

4. Always use a PS.

Always. Why do copywriters who charge upwards to $15,000
to write a sales letter and have weeks to draft it always
use a PS? They are always read. Always.

5. Look good.

Visual attractiveness accounts for 70% of your letter's
impact. Use short sentences, short paragraphs, bulleted
points, indented paragraphs, subheads, etc. Some people
will just skim your letter, so engaging subheads and
bulleted points help reach them instantly.

6. Outline first.

Use a planning tool to help you think through your
message. Or talk to a friend. Or to a tape recorder.
Or to yourself. This also helps you get comfortable
with speaking your letter rather than writing it.

7. Write first, edit last.

Turn your inner editor off. You can rewrite later. For
now, write spontaneously and quickly to get your ideas
on paper.

8. Ask for something.

Why are you writing? You want a call. Or an order.
Something. Say so!

9. Get a reader.

Find one person to read your letter OUT LOUD in front
of you. If he (or she) has trouble reading your letter,
if he wrinkles his brow or stops to reread a sentence,
rewrite those places. Don't skip this step! It's the
secret of many professional writers.

10. Rewrite your letter again.

Is it the best you can do? Be honest! If not, throw it
away and call the person instead. Or hire a copywriter
to write it for you. Why waste your time or your
reader's with something that doesn't communicate in
a persuasive and interesting way? (I rewrote this
letter 24 times!)

Well, there you have it. Of course, there are more
rules, laws, ideas and suggestions for writing letters
that get results. You should always guarantee whatever
you are selling, for example, and always offer proof
for all of your claims. But the above will get you
rolling.

To Your Success,
Keith Choy
The Regular Internet Guy

P.S. To learn how to use "hypnotic" tricks in your
writing to get people to more easily agree with you,
check out Joe's course (recognized by many as the best
copywriter in the U.S.) from the link below

=> http://www.wealthmountains.com/recommends/HypnoticWriting