Why you should take a tip from Zig Ziglar and apply it to your sales letters

In his seminars and tapes world-renowned motivational speaker Zig Ziglar always talks about the importance of having meaningful, specific objectives. And he'll drive home his point with the rhetorical question: "What would you rather be in life, a specific meaning, or a wandering generality?"

As marketing and business owners, if we want our direct mail efforts to achieve profitable would do well to follow the advice of Zig. But too many sales letters are full of platitudes, vague talk about the merits and quality and service. And, not surprisingly, when a professional direct mail marketing, approaching the company to do a project the typical response is: "The direct mail? Nah, we tried that once, does not work for us."

Nothing can hold the attention of your reader and move up the proposed sale as well as very special and very important and beneficial. This is true in a face-to-face sales presentation and even more true when you are selling on paper.

So if you are a commercial real estate agent with a large national organization does not expect me to be in a hurry to respond to your letter, because: a. You are with a large company; b. Your company has been working with some major local companies.

Instead, give me specific, relevant and significant features and benefits. Because the fact that you are with a national organization that does business with several large local companies in and of itself is "ho-hum", "So what?" Information. But if I offer meaningful, relevant and specific details that lead to these facts "because" the benefit-oriented copy ... then your letter has a fighting chance of success. Then, I just may take the follow-up phone call.

Now, let's take a look, among other things, how well the writer of the letter below uses the traction power of specific significant.

Legend: Standard Text = Original letter (in parentheses) = Ernest criticism and comments in [brackets] = Ernest proposed text NOTE: All personal and corporate names have been changed to protect privacy.

Mr. Frank FarmerSoftTools Inc.1389 NE Fourth St., Ste. 1600Bellevue, WA 98004

Dear Mr. Farmer,

Few decisions are important to the future success of your business, such as where you choose to identify your company and with what parameters.

(A low-gear, opening general. Be sure to open your letter into high gear and catch the attention of your reader. Make it intriguing. Make it interesting. And get fast to a benefit. For example, if you or I had wrote this letter, our openness could have been something like [:) Ouch! Negotiate the lease property in the market today can be a painful and expensive. It can be - but should not be] (In defense of the original opening the writer begins with a focus on the immediate prospect with 2 "your" and "you" in the opening line ... good move)

Fewer still are difficult to make decisions and feel confident you made the right choice. Yet few (try another word) that will make business decisions can be made (passive voice, rarely a good choice in a sales letter) with the same confidence that the relocation with the help of BKP commercial tenant advisory services. This is because with BKP as exclusive representative, you can be sure that there are just seeing all the options, making the operation more economically favorable.

. (All frames Nothing in this paragraph explains - in particular -. What is supposed to give me much confidence in BKP How can I. .. why can I be sure I'm seeing all my options your company? Maintain a bank national data up-to-the-minute space available that can be queried and the search with 187 different parameters? So tell me. The broker should tell the prospect, in particular, how does what he does and how the potential benefits customers. In addition, favorable economic operation sounds like the words of an economist. The writer must use language more colloquial phrase and replace it with something similar) [best deal possible.]

After wages and salaries, the rent is typically the second largest cost of doing business. This is one reason why last year TCI West, Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Puget Power and many other businesses facing Eastside BKP Commercial Tenant Advisory Services as their exclusive representatives. (I'm pretty sure I know the point the writer is trying to do with these two sentences, but can not. He needs to insert the following sentence between them so as to make a logical, coherent sequence that thinking clearly communicates a benefit) [This is just common sense - as well as dollars and cents -. to have common sense, skilled negotiators who work on its behalf]. We not only negotiate the bottom line (especially what it means to negotiate the bottom line?) We have saved time and helped them to make good strategic decisions.

(What exactly does the writer mean by good strategic decisions Give me an example, share a success story with me, add a testimonial Summary: This paragraph would benefit from close to writing and a more logical flow and - you guessed it - .. specific details.)

We are proud of our track record as the Eastside and the nation's number one commercial real estate brokerage firm.

(You are great, but what's the point -. For me -? Of your pride and joy Tell me, what's in it for Jesus, remember me when the perspective is that by reading your letter or she is tuned WIIFM?).

Attached you can find (Stilted formal language that reads like a legal document. Suggest) [I have attached a statement] one page synopsis (synopsis, instead of calling a) [report or special report.] The Eastside office market. If you need advice about your business services, please call or send this information to the moment where you are. (If you intend to send a sales letter always do some sort of offer of meaning. "Please call us" and "store this information" is not an offer. For more information on the processing of response-producing offerings see my article, how to craft stronger, more attractive offers to increase response rates.)

(This letter limps toward the finish line with a very weak, almost nonexistent action called Tip. After the first sentence) [So if you have a lease expiring a moment now to look beyond this insightful report. Better yet, pick up the phone and give me a call at 425-453-6292. We organized a meeting to discuss what you want and need in your next real estate leasing transaction and the BKP and I can do to help you get. Why not give me a call right now? I promise, you'll be glad you did.] (No, this is not a first great, great offer or call to action is. But it's better than what the writer of this letter has now.)

Sincerely,

And SmithBKP Group Real Estate, Inc.

Ernest Nicastro...