Good letters are good for business. Here are 20 simple rules for writing persuasive direct mail and business letters that if followed, will render you closer to the goals you seek.
1. Think First
Before you write, determine the objective of your letter. What do you ant to achieve? Plan every point you are going to make. Make a scattergram of all points. Write a zero draft. Write a first draft. Write a final draft.
2. Stay on Track
When writing a letter, don't ramble. Your letter can be long, and that's ok, but ensure that you aren't confusing your reader by veering off course.
3. Say What You Mean as Soon as You Can
Make sure your letter has all the facts your reader needs. If your point is not crystal clear, rewrite your letter. It is better to invest in a rewrite, than to salvage a misunderstanding or squander resources in a failed message.
4. Replace 'I' and 'Our' With 'You' and 'Your'
Readers are interested in their problems, not yours. Don't talk about yourself (which is what you do when you use "I," "we," "my"). Instead, talk to your reader. Write, "you will receive" instead of "we will give you." This is an excellent rule for all those advertising copy writers whose ads brag, "We are the most reliable." "We are the largest." "We make a difference”
5. Use Active and Action Verbs
The easiest way to improve a letter is to use active verbs. Change, "It is our policy to provide each and every member with a high level of customer service" to "We treat you right." Put action in your letter everywhere possible.
6. Make Your Letter Easy to Read
Use simple, declarative sentences. Put the subject first, the verb next, and the object last. Write as though the reader has a seventh-grade education.
7. Paint Pictures!
Your letter should be visual. Help your reader to see what you want her to do.
8. Express, Don't Impress
Don't send your reader to the dictionary, he or she is not going. Save your vast vocabulary for a college faculty cocktail party. Readers aren't impressed by your fancy words or even by your technical knowledge.
9. Your Readers Can See Your Smile or Frown
Write your letter with a smile on your face and you will be more persuasive. The same is true for talking on the telephone.
10. Friendly Letters Make Friends
Don't get too businesslike. Your letters are supposed to make friends , so write in a friendly way.
11. Ditché the Cliché
12. Buzz the Buzzwords
How sick are you of "paradigm shift" and "out-of-the-box" and "reengineering" and "synergy?"
13. Grammar, Please!
Poor grammar is like poor manners: it signals a lack of caring. Grammar makes language clear. If proper grammar "interferes" with your message it is likely that your message is jumbled. Use punctuation! Punctuation makes sentences easier to read and to understand. It's fine to use long sentences, but break them up with commas or colons...or with dots — or dashes. Buy and read a style and grammar book such as "The Elements of Style" by Strunk and White.
14. Open Up Your Letter
Vary the look of your letter. Long, crammed paragraphs are intimidating. Short, open paragraphs are digestible. Underlining can serve a purpose. Flashy graphics are not always better. Red is alarming. Green means "Go!" Try different things out.
15. Personalize Your Letter
Put something of yourself in everything you write. Your letters will be warmer, more acceptable, and more impactful.
16. Very???
Drop "very" and improve your sentence.
17. Don't Boast. Give Facts.
Give the facts and let the reader decide for herself if your membership is the richest, fullest, and most meaningful.
18. Quote Someone
Quotes in letters make them easier to read, more interesting, and add third-party endorsement for credibility.
19. Quantify the Benefits
In dollars, how much money will your members earn or save? Always be specific: tell your story using near-exact percentages, dollar savings, number of awards, hours of time, miles of road.
20. Ask and Ye Shall Receive
End your letter with an action request. Tell your reader exactly what you want her to do.