Getting a Response to Your Sales Document

Last Updated: August 22, 2009

Get a Response

Personalise

Make sure the reply forms have the customers main details filled in already. Not only does this shorten the amount of work needed to complete the form (which increases likelihood of response), but it also gives the impression that you are waiting for their reply, rather than throwing the response on a big pile.

Give a Name for Reply

If you want people to respond, it helps drastically to include the name of the person they need to respond to. It implies a personal service, which appears much more legitimate when selling from a mail-shot.

Compare these mailing addresses:

“Steven Adams, Direct Radios Limited, Anytown, AN1 7TO”

“Customer Services, Direct Radios Limited, Anytown, AN1 7TO”

Even a ‘friendly’ department (not ‘sales’ or ‘marketing’!) like ‘customer services’ appears unfriendly when presented against the name of an actual employee.

The customer subconsciously thinks “If I have any problems, at least I can contact Steven”, a name provides a human face to a company, and creates stronger trust, which is vital to response and sales.

Free

Use pre-paid envelopes. If the reader doesn’t respond, you don’t pay. Look at it this way; if you were told that it will cost you 25/30p to get a potent ial cus tomer to contact you, would you pay it? Of course you would!

Pre-paid envelopes and postage make a huge difference to reply rates, as it requires no effort to get stamps, and no cost to the reader.

Call to action

Make sure everything the reader has to do is shown to them. Don’t just expect them to post off a reply card without prompting. Tell them to “Send the enclosed reply card today!” If they need to find details before filling in the card say so, otherwise they will just leave it to gather dust.

Don’t forget!

The single most effective way to judge the quality of your sales letter is to ask yourself:

If I received this letter, would I respond?

If not, then its time for a rewrite, and remember, just because you are instantly enthusiastic about your products/services, doesn’t mean your readers will be!

Of course, these tips aren’t just for sales letters; they are useful for any contact letter; writing a CV, a complaint, an enquiry or a follow up/courtesy letter.

Example Letter

Insert Image Here

Send with Colour Leaflet

Direct Radios Limited

100 Any Street

Anytown

Anyshire

AN1 7TO

Tel: 01234 567890

Fax: 01234 567891

Monday 14th April 2005

Mr J Smith

1 Example Road

Anytown

Anyshire

AN4 4NY

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