All good creative work – in any field, not just writing – comes from within. It starts as an idea. That idea becomes a personal interpretation that provokes a wide response.

 To help cultivate the process, I have described in 12 steps how to create a sales letter. There are two reasons why this step-by-step method helps:

1. You have a framework to guide you as your letter develops.

2. It breaks a big, difficult project into more easily handled chunks.

 Creating an effective sales letter is a big project – you can’t churn one out in a couple of hours while fielding telephone calls. It takes me around two to three days to create a letter. That time includes researching the market and deciding which main benefits to offer, etc. Then, of course, there is usually a brochure, coupon or other insert to go with it – but the letter is the major element. 

The value of a good sales letter

The sales letter is the foundation of all marketing work. A good letter can, with a few changes, be used in a direct mail pack, on a website, or transmitted as an email promotion. It can also be adapted to create an advertisement, leaflet or loose insert. The letter – and its theme – can be used for many years, so a sales letter is a worthwhile and necessary investment.

Sales letters fall into two basic categories: offer-led and benefit-led.

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