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Does the total package get the reader involved — through action
devices, compelling copy or some other technique? Yes No
Is copy easy to read n visually as well as grammatically? Yes No
Does the letter have a P.S. that emphasizes a major point already
noted in the body copy? Yes No
Have you asked for the order — or for whatever action you want
the reader to take? Yes No
What's Your Score?
16-18 yes answers should be a winner. Go with it!
13-15 yes answers is "iffy." Think about revisions to strengthen it.
12 or fewer yes answers — back to the drawing board! SIG
ROSENBLUM'S 10 SECRETS OF BETTER SALES LETTERS
Sig Rosenblum has not only created hundreds of successful direct mail sales letter for a wide variety
of clients, but he also creates some brilliant self-promotion direct mail. Included in one of his
self-promotions is a valuable checklist of "Secrets of Better Sales Letters," which is digested here:
Secret 1: Select Selling Ideas. Good writing, as such, has little to do with the successful sales letter
— one that jolts the reader out of his indifference. You may fashion the fancy phrase but people
may still turn from you with a yawn. Without selling ideas, your letter will not work. It may
impress. It may even entertain. But it will not sell.
Secret 2: Hop the Fence. Use a you-oriented approach. But don't just stuff the word "you" into
your letter. Using "you" won't do it. Your letter should be built around the needs, fears, desires,
profit, and happiness of the reader. It should proceed from his side of the fence. And that's where
you should be when you write it.
Secret 3: Don't Waste Words. This doesn't mean terse, clipped, stingy writing without the transitions
that give grace and style. But use your blue pencil on sentences filled with fat and bloated
with bombast.
Secret 4: Be Specific. If your new screwdriver works faster, tell the fellow at the other end of the
mail route how much faster. Tell him the number of additional screws he can drive. What will he
save in dollars and cents? Or time? If you use flabby, fuzzy claims such as "very fast" and
"improved performance," a snicker of skepticism will cross the reader's mind. Don't shirk the
essential drudgery. Get the facts. And get them to the reader. Be specific.
Secret 5: Be Believable. It is not enough for your sales story to be true. It must sound true, too.
What do you do when there is an embarrassment of riches — when the plain facts seem exaggerated?
Use testimonials that ring true. Develop solid facts and figures that build your case point by
point. Be believable.
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