Writing Better Letters!(Brief Article)

There is really no such thing as a bad letter because they all are communication. But there are strong letters and there are weak letters. For example, this is a weak letter:

Dear Mr. Big,

I would Like to introduce myself and my product. I know that you are a very busy man and so I'll endeavor to be brief. I'm sure that you would like to increase production without increasing costs, thus increasing your profit.

As per the attached brochure please be apprised that our product blah, blah, blah ... rest of three-page sales letter.

We can probably make a living sending letters like this but if you and I want to earn a good living, there are ways to do it better. Here are some suggestions for the above letter-snippet.

Limit the I, me, we, ours. Letter writing 101. Yet look at the letters that come to your desk. Better yet, look at the letters you and your people are sending. We should all have a rule that no letter that starts with "I" shall ever leave our office! The "you, your" words should outnumber the "I, me" words at least four to one.

Don't sound like a doormat. "You are busy" implies that I am not. "I'll be brief" implies that what you have to say is not all that important. We do the same thing on the phone: "Thank you for taking my call, I know that you are very busy, I'll be brief." Sounds to me like he probably shouldn't have taken the call after all. Just eliminate these phrases from your writing and selling.

Be appropriately brief. The most powerful sales letters are on one side of one sheet of paper. What was the last great four-pager you remember? Every time I come up with a situation I think is an exception, someone shows me how to do it easier and shorter.

Don't try to get too much into one letter. It's really hard to get across a six-point program in a letter. Better to use the letter to get an appointment. Or send a series of letters. Or send an attachment with the letter, where the letter is written to generate the necessary interest in reading the attachment.

Try to be different. Remember how many of our competitors are writing to our clients and realize that we might make a...