Sales Letter and Complaints Letter

SALES LETTER

A sales letter is a letter written to publicise and ultimately sell a product or a service to the consumers. It is a type of business letter; meant for generating business. It also has the bearing of an Announcement Letter. A sales letter is also referred as Letter of Sale, Marketing Sales Letter and Business Sales Letter. It is also known as direct mail as it is being directly sent to the client. A definition of sales letter provides additional and assisting information in understanding the one mentioned.

Sales letter is a marketing strategy often employed by businesses that do not have the budget to advertise their product / service through television or other means.  They are also used by certain organisations whose mode of operation is specifically through mail order only. A certain number of companies use these to inform their loyal customers about special offers and discounts. While most firms use ordinary mail to communicate, many use electronic mail. A sales paper mail is different from electronic one both in presentation and format. The latter one will be more graphical and the former one will be more textual. There is, however no hard and fast rule and one can stick to a certain format which works best for the business. But that format should always contain Four Essentials to make a sales letter work.

Sales letters that work

AIDA is the most commonly used technique to write a sales letter that will always work.

Attention – First and foremost step is to attract attention towards your product or service. An appropriate Headline does that to full effect. It is the initial and the first things that can guarantee a sale, like they say ‘First impression is the last impression’. 

Interest – The second important incumbent of a sales letter is to generate interest. Once the reader has got the attention, it is time to generate and hold their interest. Providing relative information with a sustained flow generates enough interest.

Desire – Desire, the third essential feature is initiated by providing real life and practical examples. Showing the benefits through a simple language does create a desire.

Action – The first three features are meant to lead to a final call for action. Sometimes, that is not enough and you need persuasion to generate a successful sale. In this case, it also becomes your (sender’s) call of action as you have to persuade a prospective customer into an actual buyer.

COMPLAINTS LETTER

Having a problem with a product or service can be frustrating. When you’re trying to resolve a problem with a company, the first step should be to discuss your concerns with a representative of the business. If a phone call or email doesn’t resolve the problem, consider writing a complaint letter.

A letter is important. It puts your complaint on record with the company, helps preserve any legal rights you may have in the situation, and lets the company know you’re serious about pursuing the complaint.

Use this sample letter and these tips to write an effective complaint:

• Be clear and concise. Describe the item or service you bought and the problem. Include serial or model numbers, and the name and location of the seller. If you’re following up on a conversation, be sure to say who you spoke with and confirm the details of your discussion.
• State exactly what you want done and how long you’re willing to wait for a response. Be reasonable.
• Don’t write an angry, sarcastic, or threatening letter. The person reading your letter probably isn’t responsible for the problem, but may be very helpful in resolving it.
• Include copies of relevant documents, like receipts, work orders, and warranties. You also may want to send copies of emails and notes from conversations you’ve had with the seller about the problem. Keep your originals.
• Include your name and contact information. If an account is involved, be sure to include the account number.

You may want to send your letter by certified mail and request a return receipt. That way, you’ll have proof that the company got your letter and who signed for it.