Basic formats of letter

Basic formats of letter Full block format Your address Date Inside address Salutation Letter body sincerely Signature Typed name ST:bd Cc:jeremy isaacs

Full block format with subject line • Same pattern except • Subject: MARKETING OF NEW PRODUCT • Salutation

Modified block format • your address • date • Inside address • Salutation • Letter body • sincerely, • signature • name • etc

Semi modified block format • It also has the same format as modified block format only that the paragraphs in body are indented

Simplified format • Your address • Date • Inside address • Subject • Letter body • Signature • Typed name • etc

Adjustment letter • responses to letter of complaint also called adjustment letters can take three different forms • 100% yes_ you could agree 100% with the writer of complaint letter • 100% no_ you could disagree 100% with the writer of complaint letter • Partial letter_ you could agree with some of the writer’s complaints and disagree with other aspects of the complaint

100%yes letter • this letter is like a good news letter. In the introductory paragraph state that you agree with your reader’s complaint and will honor his or her recommendations for adjustment

Example • Thank you for calling our attention to your problem. We will be happy to replace your defective material

In the discussion portion, explain what happened, why the problem occurred and how the problem will be avoided in the future

Example • I have looked into you order and discovered the cause of the problem. The o-scopes were damaged during shipment. They were stacked too high, which led to breakage while handling. I have met with the carrier who agrees that the packages were handled improperly. I assure you that none of these problems will occur again. Also, I am sending a service technician to check on your other o-scopes from this order

In your conclusion paragraph, try to maintain customer satisfaction • Example • Acme has worked with your company for many years and I look forward to continuing this business relation ship. I apologize for the inconvenience. Please call me at 2930840 if you have any other question

100% NO LETTER • If the customer is wrong, you have no way but to say NO. however you still want to maintain friendly customer relationship. Although you will deny customer’s request for adjustment you want to keep that customer. so you will have to follow the pattern of bad news letter

Introduction • Begin the introduction with a buffer • Thank you for your letter regarding the xyz material. We were sorry to hear the malfunctions your customers are experiencing. Although such occurrences are rare as you know, products occasionally are damaged in shipment.

Discussion • in the discussion potion precisely explain what happened providing facts, figures and incontestable detail. then state the bad news

Example • After researching the matter thoroughly, we found that the problem was created by the shipping company. They stacked the boxes too high which led to damage during handling. Since the damage was caused by the carriers and was not due to our negligence during manufacturing, we cannot replace the o-scopes

Conclusion • in the conclusion use positive words and provide the reader an alternative • To assist you in solving this problem, we have contacted Archie Cox, the shipping manager at ABC Freight(8262). He expects to hear from you soon. If we can help you in any other ways, please call

Partial adjustment • Life is complex. sometimes you can agree with part of complaint letter and disagree with the rest of the letter. For this purpose, you are going to write partial adjustment letter.

Introduction • In the introductory paragraph, state the good news first, as always you want to be diplomatic, winning the reader to your point of view

Example • Thank you for your letter regarding the XYZ material. I was sorry to hear about the malfunctions your customers are experiencing. Since we pride ourselves on our products’ quality, I am happy to replace the ten defective o-scopes

Discussion portion • The ten-oscopes, which were damaged during shipment due to packaging problems, will be replaced within six to eight weeks. I am unable to send a service technician to troubleshoot the remaining 26 o-scopes. That service is not part of our contract with you.

Conclusion • Your reader will not be completely happy with you. You’ve provided some relief but not all that was requested. The last paragraph is your opportunity to win back a bit of the reader’s good faith in your company.

Example • If any of the other o-scopes malfunction, please call us immediately. We stand by our products, as you know from having been one of our satisfied customers for over a decade. I’ll be happy to help you in anyway I can

SALES LETTER • WHAT IS A SALES LETTER? A sales letter is a document designed to generate sales. It persuades the reader to place an order; to request additional information; or to lend support to the product or service or cause being offered. It influences the reader to take a specific action by making an offer--not an announcement--to him. To sell, the sales letter must be specific, go to the right audience, appeal to the readers needs, and it must be informative.

PART OF THE SELLING PACKAGE: The job of the sales letter is to sell, not to tell. The letter alone does not always do the entire selling (persuading) job. Other pieces of support literature that amplify the selling points, illustrate the product or service, or provide technical information, may be needed. Supplement the letter with a brochure or product sheet if necessary, and if you do, mention it in the body of the letter.

RESEARCH: Preparing your sales letter means you need to understand the product or service being offered, the market, and the readers needs. There is no substitute for product or service knowledge. Any source of information should be considered. On-Line resources, ads, brochures, articles, books, reports, newsletters and newspapers, and in-person interviews, are good sources.

ELEMENTS OF A SALES LETTER, SIMILAR TO MOST ADS: • Keep these basic components in mind: • The image, if used, is near the headline. It helps to catch the reader's eye. • The headline is usually 3 - 30 words long. It grabs the reader's attention, and tells him what the ad (sales letter) is about. It makes a promise regarding what the item you are selling will do for him. • The sub-headline or lead paragraph is optional. Sometimes it's used to expand the headline. (More on the sub-heading later.) • The body: it expands the theme, fills in details, offers proof, and shows how you plan to fulfill the promise you made in the headline. The closing, or call to action, urges the reader to take the next step you want him to take.

ON THE IMAGE: If you have a logo or design for your business do not use it in the sales letter unless it is truly relevant to what you are offering. You are not selling your business name, or logo, you are selling benefits that the buyer will realize if he buys your product or service. Use a specific image that is germane to your headline, lead, and theme, or do not use one at all. Stay with words.

ON FORMATTING THE SALES LETTER: • Use your business or a personal heading or nameplate, minus the logo. The next component is the headline. Type the headline in a few short lines where the inside name and address would go. Or, you could consider centering the headline or putting it in a text box to grab attention. You may want to add color or shading to the box for more attractiveness. • You can follow the headline with an inside name and address block of the reader, and a greeting. Another way to do this is to use a form letter without an inside name and address block using a general greeting that represents the readers' interests. "Dear Tire Purchaser," would be valid if you were selling HP 90's. (One inch margins all the way around are fine.)

The important thing is the sequence, not nameplates and inside address block. Again it goes like this: • a) Your business or personal nameplate, b) image and headline, c) inside address block, if you use one, d) greeting, e) lead paragraph, f) body, g) closing.

JOB OF THE HEADLINE: • 1) Must have a headline. If your sales letters don’t have a headline that reaches off the paper and grabs the reader by the throat…you are sunk. Start paying attention to headlines. • Ideally, the job of the headline is to: • a) get the readers attention, b) target the audience, c) list a benefit, d) make a promise.

This draws the reader into the rest of the copy. Headlines of 10 words or more tend to generate more orders or leads. Headlines that promise a benefit also tend to sell more. • Always shoot your big gun first: use your main selling point in the headline. Remember you only get 7 - 10 seconds to hook the reader. If the biggest benefit of what you are selling is cost, then list that first.

Examples of Headline • How to save 75% - 80% on office systems furniture • How much more profit could your company make if I could show you a way to increase the response rate to your current advertising by 10%...25%...or more?

Remember: The headline has a benefit and makes a promise. The promise should be unique to what you are selling, and one that your competitors are currently not talking about. Use "power words" in the headline. Try: "You." "Free." "Proven." "Imagine." "How To." "Fast." "Cheap." "Enjoy." "Now." "Learn." "Introducing," and so forth. In the body of the sales letter you will begin to offer proof.

SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO START: There are many possibilities for opening your sales letter, that could persuade the reader to buy. Here are some that I have used. Experiment, and create one that is right for your offer.If you have trouble identifying your product or service's unique selling point, or beginning your letter, consult a competent copy writer. • Tell a story that the reader can identify with, in conversational tone • Make an announcement of a new product or service, a one of a kind event, or important news, showcasing your unique selling point • Address the reader as your equal: "Dear fellow tire purchaser . . . "

You could go with something provocative, perhaps a quote • You could open by identifying the readers problem, one that your product will solve • Ask a question • Let the reader in on some secret or little known information

SUB-HEADLINE OR LEAD PARAGRAPH: This part of the sales letter is optional. It can be used to expand the promise made in the headline or used to deliver a 2nd major benefit of the product or service. A sub-headline can also be used as the second part, to answer a question posed in the headline. For example, Part 1 could say: "Want to double your part-time income during the next 90 day period?" Part 2 could say: "Well, here's how to . . .

BODY OF THE LETTER: Here, using the same tone and staying with the spirit of the headline, you begin to give details of your unique selling point. You continue talking about the benefits and offer proof of the claim you made early on. You share the details of the benefits. You prove your case or claim. Remember, by the end of the body, the goal is to create an emotional response that will cause the reader to do what you are now going to tell him to do.

CLOSING OR CALL TO ACTION: you ask the reader to order, support, or to contact you for the specified reason you must make it easy for him to reply. Support the sales letter with a post card or prepaid envelope, and an order form. If not appropriate, supply a toll free telephone number, an Email link, and or your URL. Always close with a thank you and use a signature at the end of the letter. Save one of the best points for last: Always use a Post Script. For example, "If you order before March 1, we will include a free . . ." Or "Money back guaranteed . . ." Or "Discount is good until . . ."

Basic formats of letter