Page 241 - One Thousand Ways to Make $1000

this skill can be acquired. It is really more of a knack than anything else. It is
simply the ability of being able to express yourself in writing, in a natural,
friendly and effective way—by being able as one mail-order man expressed
it, “to climb into the envelope and seal the flap behind you.”

There are two primary things that make a sales letter pull. The first of these is
an understanding of human nature, and the second, the ability to express
yourself in a letter so that you can make quick contact with a problem of
paramount importance to the prospect or customer. This is sometimes
expressed as the ability to be able “to touch a live nerve.”

Another essential is to be able to put personality into every letter you write.
So many letters are cold and stilted. They read very much as though they are
being ground out on some sort of nickel-in-the-slot machine. Other letters
echo the personality of the writer, who literally stands out behind the letter
extending his hand toward you.

To illustrate what is meant by a knowledge of human nature, a correspondent
was assigned to draft a follow-up letter for an advertising record which a
manufacturing concern had sent out to a list of concerns with the idea of
getting them to place a trial order. The advertising record was a miniature
affair and the card which accompanied the record requested that it should be
taken home and played on the prospect’s phonograph.

While this seemed to be a good advertising stunt, and caused lots of
comment, it did not produce the number of replies which had been expected.
So it was decided to follow it up with a letter.

The first letter which was drafted was purely and simply a reminder that the
prospect had not replied. It asked if he had tried the record on his phonograph
as requested. If he had, would he be good enough to answer it. This follow-up
letter was not particularly successful, so another letter was written. The
revised letter was written by the sales manager himself, and in it the prospect
was asked to give his opinion of the advertising record as a selling idea. It
was explained to the prospect that the plan was to use these records as a
permanent part of the sales program, but before doing so the sales manager