|
How to Convey Trustworthiness in Direct Mail Marketing Sales
Letters
|
By Alan Sharpe
[Hits: 21100]
|
|
A person or business that might buy from you is called aprospect. But they might just as accurately be called a skeptic.We live in the age of the spam filter. And call-display. We livein what fellow-copywriter Herschell Gordon Lewis calls, ¡°The Ageof Skepticism.¡±
Your sales letters must overcome your reader¡¯s built-in baloneydetector. Your prospective customers are on their guard. Here,in no particular order, are some tips on how to prove yourtrustworthiness on paper.
1. Third-party endorsements
If yourproduct has won an industry award for innovation, say so. Ifyour service was ranked among the top 10 in your industry by atrade publication or other impartial group, mention that.Leverage the positive press you¡¯ve received.
2. Testimonials
If your clients have saidkind things about your company, your products or your customerservice, cite these accolades in your sales letters, with theclient¡¯s permission, of course. Solicit these testimonialsoften, and file them. Wherever possible, use the testimonialsthat speak to the concerns and challenges facing each particularprospect that you write to. To increase believability, cite thefull name, job title and company (and website if the testimonialappears online) of each person who gives a testimonial.
3. Industry accreditation
If your companyis ISO 9000 certified, and if that is of value to yourprospects, say so. If you are members of your industryassociation, or the Better Business Bureau, and if saying sowill increase your believability, mention that as well.
4. Longevity
The longer you have been inbusiness, the easier you are to trust. So mention your years inbusiness or the year you were founded, whichever sounds the mostimpressive and plausible.
5. Industry leadership
Are you the leaderin your industry? That¡¯s worth a mention. You can demonstrateleadership in terms of annual sales, breadth of product line,market share, number of employees, number of customers, andnumber of countries where you have a presence.
Special challenges
If your company isbrand new, unknown, or cannot say any of the above things, thereare still ways to communicate trustworthiness. Incorporate yourbusiness, since having Inc. after your name makes you lookestablished. Get a toll-free number. It says ¡°big business¡± and¡°customer service.¡± Offer a money-back guarantee. Offer ¡°nomoney up front, pay later¡± terms. Add the years that yourpartners have been in business and present that figure as yourcombined years of experience. Locate your office at aprestigious address in the same neighbourhood where yourcompetitors are known to do business (Madison Avenue, New York,for advertising, Saville Row, London, for men¡¯s suits, and soon).
? 2005 Sharpe Copy Inc. You may reprint this article online andin print provided the links remain live and the content remainsunaltered (including the "About the author" message).
|
|
|
|
