As a business owner, I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve been contacted by salesmen trying to sell me a product or service because it would “give me exposure on Youtube” or “top ranked Google SEO results”. Why the heck should I care? I want paying customers, not ambiguous advertising services.
Many people trying to sell to consumers or businesses are scam artists because they sell with the focus of making themselves money. Money is good and that’s what any good businesses should do. But you also have to sell things that people actually need. Do this by targeting a select audience whose needs your product or service can fulfill. Once you have your list of names and addresses, contact them by sending them a letter in the following format…
Get Their Attention!
You can get people’s attention in a lot of ways…
Make a reference to the recipients most recent business activities. For example, make a reference to a new product they just introduced.
If you’re selling to a people who you know have pets, ask them a provocative question such as, “Do you have too little time to care for your dog?”
You can get the reader’s attention before the letter is even opened by handwriting the return and delivery address.
Fuel Their Interest
Once you’ve gotten their attention, keep the momentum going…
Ask a question or make a statement which you know they want answers to. For example, if you’re trying to sell website design services to contractors in the Boston area, say something like , “I noticed that your business does not have a website, a tool which can be shown to your current prospects and result in more sales.”
After you’ve identified how their problems can be solved, tell them that you are the man (or woman) for the job… “I have over 5 years of experience in building websites that convert more business prospects into paying customers.”
Increase Their Desire
Now you want to tell your reader what they can expect from doing business with you by pointing out success stories. Whenever you can, speak in terms of numbers and things like return on investment (ROI) and payback period. For example…
“My most recent client increased his conversion rate by 20% and paid back his investment in less than 8 months.”
Call to Action!
People respond very well to commands. Sure, you can tell your reader to visit your website or to immediately buy something. However, your conversion rate will be much higher if you ask them to commit to small things, such as setting up an in-person appointment or free phone consultation.
Let’s say you send 500 of these AIDA letter to targeted prospects. Is your work over? Far from it! Even if your call to action tells them to call or email you doesn’t mean they will. Furthermore, if they don’t, doesn’t mean that they’re not interested in you because can easily forget. Make sure to call each of the recipients and ask them if they received your letter. If you send out customized AIDA letters you will never have to cold call again!
About the Author: Nickolay Lamm is an internet marketing specialist at InventHelp.