Creating Effective Sales Messages in Print and Online

Sales messages use persuasion to promote specific products or services. Although you may not have to write sales letters in your career, you can use the techniques of effective sales letters to help you promote your ideas, your organization, and even yourself.

Professionals follow the AIDA pattern (attention, interest, desire, and action) for persuasion, which works well for written messages. Messages following the AIDA pattern open with an attention-getter.

Read the following attention-getter, and answer the following question.

It's 5:30 a.m. The sun is sending its first rays of light over the treetops. You are sipping your morning coffee with an eye on your bird feeder outside the window. You suddenly spot a green violetear, an extremely rare species in your location, and want to share your sighting with your closest friends and fellow enthusiasts. How you wish you could simply snap a picture with your cell phone and post it for all to see! Well, now you can at MyBirdWatch.com.

Which hook does this attention-getter use?

• Startling statement
• Personalized action setting
• Product feature

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate answer.

The interest section of your sales message should use  to develop selling points you identified in your prewriting phase.

What techniques overcome resistance and improve the credibility of a product? Check all that apply.

• Including performance tests, polls, or awards
• Sending unwanted merchandise
• Using a celebrity name without authorization
• Listing names of satisfied users

What should the closing of your sales message include? Check all that apply.

• Starting facts or statistics
• Questions
• A punch line
• A postscript

If you carefully follow the AIDA pattern, your persuasive message will be more effective.

What is effective about the closing (paragraph 4) of the previous message? Check all that apply.

• Provides a specific date
• Gains attention
• Asks stimulating questions
• Motivates action

In paragraph 2, which statement establishes credibility?

• Anderson Research, Inc., found that Panda has the best quality bamboo furniture and uses the most eco-friendly production process.
• We are the Panda Furniture Company.
• For the last ten years, we have created beautiful bamboo furniture products for homes and gardens in the Philadelphia area.

E-mail and Internet marketing campaigns allow you to make the most of limited advertising dollars while reaching a great number of potential customers. Like traditional direct mail, persuasive messages online can help you attract new customers, keep existing ones, and promote future sales.

The persuasive techniques used for print messages also work with electronic messages; there are, however, a few key differences. Identify the guidelines for creating effective e-mail sales messages. Check all that apply.

• Provide a means of opting out.
• Make the message short, conversational, and focused.
• Keep the main information “above the fold.”
• Avoid using color graphics.
• Craft a catchy subject line.

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate answer.

Many companies use blogs and tweets to help develop  .

Identify an element of a successful persuasive tweet.

• Retweet the same tweet multiple times an hour so that everyone will see it.
• Offer freebies to anyone who wants one.
• Urge action by restricting the availability of an offered freebie.