How To Write A High-Converting Sales Letter

If you would like to discover how to write a high-converting sales letter, keep reading this article.

Listen,

Most people believe that writing a high-converting sales letter is difficult.

Nope, it’s easier than you may think.

But it won’t happen by itself; you’ll have to work for it!

Even if you’re new to copywriting, your sales letter will perform better than average if you follow the formula I’m about to lay out for you.

Before we get going…

One thing you must understand about sales letters

Have you ever read a well-known sales letter and thought to yourself, “I know this is good, but I’m not sure why.”

This was a problem for me!

I’d go to swiped.co and read some of the most successful sales letters ever written.

I even hand-copied some of them!

I could tell they were fantastic. It was palpable.

But I couldn’t figure out why they worked so well.

I couldn’t figure out what structure and tactics they were using.

And without that knowledge, I couldn’t apply their techniques to my own copy.

I only realized something when I started studying a lot of sales letters (rather than just reading them).

“Wait a second… “These are all the same things.”

Of course, the subject matter was different. After all, they all sold different products.

The structure is what I’m referring to. Regardless of what they were selling, 9 out of 10 sales letters I read followed a similar structure.

This structure was broken down and saved as a Google Doc after some time.

And that was the day I discovered how to write effective sales letters (after struggling for months)

This is the structure I’m going to share with you today to write your own high-converting sales letter.

A simple structure for writing a high-converting sales letter

The most important part of your sales letter is the headline.

Please read it again!

It doesn’t matter how good your copy is if your headline is bad.

Many people have already given up reading.

It’s crucial to get this right.

A good headline piques interest, piques curiosity, and leaves room for the imagination. The latter is crucial. Don’t give everything away!

The goal is to keep your reader interested.

Take as much time as you need to come up with a catchy headline (most copywriters spend more time on the headline than the actual copy).

Expand on your headline

You’ll want to expand on your headline in the first few lines of your copy.

Putting yourself in your reader’s shoes is the best way to do this.

Your headline just made a claim, and your reader reads it. What is his or her first thought after reading the claim?

Something along the lines of “hmm, interesting…

“What exactly do they mean?”

Maybe they’re thinking “fake news.” That claim appears to be too good to be true.”

In many cases, it’s a combination of the two!

What you want to do here is simply provide some additional information. Set the scene. Also, take advantage of this opportunity to address any objections your reader might have after reading the headline.

Simply put, whatever you believe your prospect will be thinking after reading your headline is what you should address here.

Next, your lead

Your headline has been expanded. It’s now your turn to take the lead.

You might wonder what your lead is.

Persuasion, pure and simple.

This is where you either create desire or go deeper into the problems your product will solve (the latter is generally more powerful than the former).

It’s even better if you can do both.

Here’s an illustration.

Assume you’re selling a back pain relief product.

In your lead, you want to focus on the pain your customer is experiencing and how back pain affects their quality of life.

It’s all about empathizing with your customer in your lead.

Demonstrating that you are aware of their issue.

Then tell them how you’ve come up with the ideal solution to their problem.

(Because, at the end of the day, every product solves a problem.)

Take your time with this section.

Your lead will account for roughly 20% of your entire sales letter.

The body of your sales letter

You’ve got them reading now! Then there’s your body.

The entire point of the body is to continue to address any potential objections your reader may have to what you’re promising, and, ideally, to convert these objections into benefits.

For example, your reader is probably thinking right now:

“Yes, it sounds good, but is this product a good match for me?”

“What makes this any different from the other things I’ve tried that haven’t worked?”

Is this product truly effective?

Your body will address and dispel any doubts while also emphasizing the advantages of your product.

Introduce your offer

It is only now that you make your offer. How do you go about doing that?

In this case, stories work well.

You could discuss why you or your client chose to develop the product. How you felt compelled to make this product. Why did the world need something like this?

Consider this your final opportunity to entice your reader after you’ve addressed any initial concerns they may have had about the product.

Your offer

Now for the meat of your proposal.

This can take a variety of forms, depending on your product.

If the product is physical, you could go over its features. What your product is in reality. If it’s a book, discuss the contents of the chapters. Describe the modules if it’s a course.

It’s critical not to reveal everything right now. Simply give them a taste.

Remember, if they want to learn everything, they’ll have to buy the product!

Without additional context, your offer is just that: an offer. In this section, you’re still generating interest and desire to buy.

It’s a difficult section to write, but if you’ve gotten the reader this far, you’re in good shape.

Your call to action

Allow them to buy now! Include a buy button.

Place the price directly above the button.

If applicable, add scarcity and/or urgency above AND below the button (ONLY 100 COPIES AVAILABLE; ACT FAST).

The call to action must be loud and clear.

It’s something they can’t overlook. Something unique!

Testimonials

Some people have already been sold and purchased.

Others? Not just yet.

That’s fine!

A good thing to do after this first call to action is to include some social proof in the form of testimonials.

Before you buy something on Amazon, you probably read a few reviews first.

Here’s the same concept.

Knowing that others have benefited from the product gives you peace of mind.

Testimonials are persuasive, and they can persuade a skeptic to buy.

In your sales letter, this is a good place to include testimonials.

Bonuses

They’re still not interested?

Include some incentives to persuade them (a free case/bag, free ebooks on related topics, etc.).

These bonuses cannot be determined at random. They must enhance the product by making it easier to use, cooler to use, or something that can be used in addition to or after using it.

Your bonuses must be justified.

Don’t sell a rubber duck and then throw in a free lighter.

CTA after bonuses

Reintroduce the call to action button! Big and bold. The same as before.

Is it still unwelcome?

This is the time to mention your no-risk money-back guarantee!

Because some people are still undecided.

Put their minds at ease once more. What if they dislike the product? Money-back guarantee of 30 days. They are not at risk.

FAQs

If your reader has any additional questions that you weren’t able to address in your copy, this is a good place to include a simple FAQ section.

You must not give them any reason not to purchase.

You can never respond to too many potential objections as long as your copy remains engaging.

You’ve Assuaged Their Concerns…

Another CTA button

You want to give your readers plenty of opportunities to buy, so add another call to action button (big and bold).

Some people will buy in advance.

Others will make purchases here.

Some people will hold out until the very last moment.

A personal note will add warmth

A personal note at the end of your copy is a nice touch. A simple cursive signature of your name could suffice (sincerely, John Doe;).

It’s not required, but I find it doesn’t hurt.

Final CTA

THE FINAL CALL TO ACTION BUTTON Yes, it’s big and brazen.

If necessary, remind them of the urgency.

You guys already know!

Folks, that’s all there is to it.

Conclusion

You might be thinking to yourself, “My sales letter is going to be a thousand pages long!” when you see all of this.

Certainly not! (although long-form copy exists and is usually very profitable)

I went over each step in great detail here, which may give the impression that these sections will be lengthy, but they won’t!

When you’re first starting out, you’re unlikely to write sales letters that are longer than 1000 words.

Use the tips in this article to write your own high-converting sales letter.