Guess what? People don’t like sales letters and mail shots. They see them as an intrusion and believe that their only benefit is that they can be recycled and made into something more useful.

It doesn’t matter how long you spend writing that letter, if it is unsolicited it is unlikely to be read. So what have you got to do to grab your reader’s attention? Well that’s simple, write the best sales letter known to man.

The quality of your letter begins even before you have opened a new blank document. Let me ask you a question; before you write do you sit down and work out a plan? You would be surprised at the number of people who don’t. Think back to your school days, I bet your teacher always told you to plan your essays and when you finally took that advice your grades began to rise. So why not do the same for your sales writing? Let’s face it writing without a plan is rather like wading through treacle.

Remember, whatever you write must evolve around your reader. Think about who they are, what makes them tick, where they shop, what is their lifestyle like in fact create a picture of them in your mind.

Now think about this:

• Who am I writing to? – this is your ideal reader, you know, the image that is now in your head
• What do I want to say? – focus on your reader’s needs not yours
• How much space do I have? – know your word count before you start
• How do I want to come across? – friendly, approachable, authoritative, unbiased…
• What’s my deadline? – always important to know
• What do I want to achieve?

The last one is the holy grail of your letter. Is your letter designed to make your reader change their mind about something? Do you want to motivate them into an action? Do you want them to buy something?

Your plan is taking shape. You know who they are, you know what you want them to do, now you can tell them why your product/service is right for them and what it will do for them (the benefits) and you know how to tell them what to do next (call to action).

There, that wasn’t so hard after all. Planning is important. If you are time-limited it is tempting to skip it and dive in – be warned, you will do so at your peril and your letter will be turned into a paper cup.

Sally Ormond

Freelance Copywriter

I have often been mocked for my view that B2B (business to business) sales writing should be treated in the same was as B2C (business to customer). But I laugh in the face of mockery – why should it be different?

• Can a company physically buy something?
• Can a company actually meet you at the coffee shop round the corner?
• Can a company sit down at a table and sign a contract?

Of course not therefore you are writing to individuals, normal human beings within a company. No matter how high up the ladder they are, they are normal, walking, talking and breathing people. So why treat them differently?

There are 4 golden rules to follow in B2B sales writing, stick to these and you’ll be worshiped the world over.

1. Keep it brief – you are writing to people at work so they will be time limited.
2. Business people are human – they also make decisions partially for personal reasons (more profits equal bigger salaries etc). Tap into reason and emotion for the best results.
3. You are writing to sell, so sell benefits – buy this and you’ll save money, save time, make bigger profits, reduce staff turnover, and improve productivity.
4. There is no language called B2Bish – keep it plain and simple; steer clear of cliché and jargon.

Follow these simple guidelines and it will be you who has the last laugh.

Sally Ormond

Freelance Copywriter

Let me take your business to new heights by making every word count.

You have decided to launch your new marketing campaign. You have identified your target market and decided which product you want to promote. You are sat down in front of your PC with a blank screen in front of you. So where do you start?

Ask yourself what is your reader interested in? Let me give you a clue; THEMSELVES.

You must write about your product from your readers’ point of view. Don’t waste precious space telling them what it is: tell them what it does for them. In other words tell them how your product will make their life easier, more rewarding or complete.

I guess you are wondering where the 7 deadly sins come into all of this. They are the keys to tapping into your prospective customer’s emotional desires.

Pride – You can simply make your reader believe you by flattering them. They are important; they have huge amounts of experience and savvy. Make the suggestion that someone with as much talent for making the right decision as they have really ought to be signing up for/buying your suggestion, and they will.

Envy – Tell them people out there already have it and are benefiting hugely from it. They’ll hate to think they are missing out.

Gluttony – People will always want more of something. Be it for taste, comfort, sensation or solace. If you can convince them they will feel contented when they ‘consume’ it you are onto a winner.

Lust – OK, this could be a bit tricky. Try and convince them that this product will satisfy their craving and they’ll snap your hand off. You will also deserve an Oscar especially if you are selling something like carpet cleaner.

Anger – People get angry all the time. The last time I was it was over my mobile phone’s pathetic battery life (which I may add has not yet been resolved). Give your readers a way out of their present frustrations and they will thank you heartily for it.

Greed – This is a major motivator. People always want more of what they already have so promise more and they’ll be faster out of the trap than a greyhound.

Sloth – Yes, we are all inherently lazy. So if your product can save them time and effort they will gladly open their wallets.

Remember, people will try to rationalise their buying decision so all you have to do is provide sufficient objective reasons why buying your product is a sensible thing to do. But people will always buy on an emotional basis first so make sure your pitch presses one of the deadly sins buttons and you’ll be on to a winner.

Sally Ormond

Freelance Copywriter

Let me take your business to new heights by making every word count.

When it is an advert! By all means create a press release to signal the launch of a new website, product or service but the key is to make it newsworthy – that way, your release will be accepted, published and widely distributed.

By following these simple steps, your press releases will be powerful, professional and successful:

Check it!

Once you have written your release, proofread it! Take your time. The more you invest in your company’s first impression the stronger it will be. A poorly structured, badly spelt release will not lead to an avalanche of enquiries.

Flex your muscles

Start off with a strong message. Your headline, summary and first paragraph should clarify your news. Use the rest of the release to provide the detail. Include your keywords in the headline, summary and first paragraph. Add your web address too and tell them who you are, it will add to your credibility.

Be professional

A few lines are all it takes to see if something has been written professionally or not. If you write with hype, slang, direct address or excessive exclamation the chances are that it will be viewed as an advertisement rather than a news article.

Am I bothered?

To coin my son’s favourite catchphrase, put yourself in your customers’ shoes and ask exactly that. Remember, this is your business so you are going to get excited about little things – but are your customers? If you are opening a new shop for example, is that newsworthy? What will make it so unique? Avoid clichés and focus on the elements that set you apart from everyone else. Try tying it in with current news issues, social issues etc.

Illustrate

I’m not suggesting that you turn in to Rolf Harris and ask everyone “can you tell what it is yet?” By illustrate I mean use real life studies to show how you help problem solve or how your product helps your customers. Everyone can associate with real life examples – they are a powerful tool so use them.

Blow your own trumpet

Forget the good old British reserve – your company is a success, you have reached a milestone, you have identified and solved a problem, you’ve hired a new MD. Whatever it is, shout about it. Issuing press releases (for online or print) is a superb way of creating expert status for you and your company. How about writing a tip sheet (a bit like this one) in your field of expertise?

Tease don’t tell

Although you want to use the press release as a vehicle for getting your news out there, if you need to, hold back. If you are launching a new service or product or have a new promotion provide your reader with a link that will take them to your website so they can learn more. If you give them all the information they need in the release why will they want to go to your website? By using this method your call to action will pull them away from reading and push them to take action by clicking onto your site.

Words and voice

Keep your press release voice active, use strong verbs and economise – be clear and concise, make every word count. Also keep away from jargon, I know you all love it but your audience doesn’t!

There you go – follow these simple pointers and you will be producing compelling, informative and above all, readable press releases.

Sally Ormond

Freelance Copywriter

Let me take your business to new heights by making every word count.

Close the blinds, take the phone off the hook and shut your door – what I am about to tell you will revolutionise your business.

Time is one of the most precious commodities of the modern day. It is the one thing many of us never seem to have enough of.

As a copywriter, I am constantly asked what exactly it is that I do. I could go on and on about writing web copy, press releases, newsletters, sales letters, reviews, brochures…..dozed off yet? Exactly, it’s not the most glamorous job in the world.

Instead I tell people that as a copywriter I do far more than sell and put interesting and entertaining words on to paper or screen. By far the most important aspect of my profession is that I save you time.

Whether you run your own business or work for someone else, you know how important time is. There just never seem to be enough minutes in the day to get everything done. Shall I tell you why? Perhaps you are trying to do too much.

Most business people are perfectly capable of writing their own copy. But as your business becomes more successful you have less time. This is why you hire people to help you. After all, the key to success is to surround yourself with people smarter than you in their field of expertise. Your time is precious and you need to use it effectively within your business.

To see your business flourish you need to let go of some of the work. Yes, you would be giving up some control but only to generate and explore new ideas. A copywriter will help you with that. Not only will they write cracking copy, they can also use their creativity to help devise new and innovative ideas.

Copywriting is a highly specialised area which demands specific skills, knowledge and a certain type of personality and therefore it is a position you would want to fill from outside your company. A professional freelance copywriter will bring fresh ideas to your business and will create vibrant copy that will get your company noticed. Don’t get bogged down searching for one with extensive experience within your particular industry sector – ignorance is often the most valuable commodity a copywriter can bring. Their writing will not be dull and lifeless or a regurgitation of your industry norm.

Copywriting isn’t and should not be thought of as another expense. It is an investment. Put your resources into this aspect of your business and you’ll reap the rewards – your time and your company’s revenue will soar.

Sally Ormond

Freelance Copywriter