Assess the ethical issues in a sales letter written to persuade a customer

The following is a guest post by Sven Riehle of Userlike, a live chat provider for website and mobile support.

For the archetypical salesperson, any tactic or technique that leads to a sale is the right one, as long as it’s not outright fraud. And a prospect that can’t parry his tricks should either gear up or expect to become easy game.

This approach to sales is both outdated and obsolete because there is a growing overlap of the ethical and the economic perspective in today’s transactions. In fact, in the Age of the Customer, this duality is increasingly considered the norm.

In order to stay on the right path, let’s take a closer look at how influence works.

1. The difference between persuasion and manipulation

Any sales talk with an undecided prospect is at its heart an attempt to influence him to make a purchase, either through persuasion or manipulation. While persuasion will be expected, manipulation will be perceived as offensive. So, how do you know when you cross the line?

One way is to distinguish persuasion and manipulation based on intent: in sales, “good intentions” could mean “in the prospect’s best interest.” Then, as long as the outcome you pursue matches that ideal, the words you use to persuade don‘t matter so much.

Conversely, any persuasion effort will be perceived as manipulation if your intention merely is to maximize your own benefit, even at the expense of your prospect’s if need be.

2. Objective and subjective need

But what if the prospect sends mixed signals, mentioning that he really likes a certain feature while he doesn’t have a use for it?

Here, the attempt to convince your prospect of the upselling option might be well-intentioned but not necessarily in his best interest. The scenario prompts the question about objective and subjective need.

Arguably, a product with practical value for its buyer serves an objective need while a product purchased merely for the sake of owning it serves a rather subjective need. Thus, you can’t always trust your best intentions to be in line with your prospect’s best interest.

Here, it helps to look at common behavioral patterns in sales talks:

• Making someone aware of a problem they previously didn’t see and presenting an effective fix. → persuasion
• Addressing a prospect’s problem by presenting a more effective but different solution than he had in mind. → persuasion
• Making someone believe there’s a problem worth fixing (through your product) when there is none. → manipulation
• Misrepresenting your product as a fix for a problem it can’t fix. → manipulation
• Misrepresenting your product as a permanent fix when it’s only temporary. → manipulation

Consequently, basing your persuasion on good intentions won‘t excuse you if you needed to lie to your prospect in order to make the sale.

3. Why the customer’s best interest is your best interest

There are many good reasons to focus completely on adding value. One is that we almost never purchase something we don’t inherently desire on some level. If we do, we usually regret it and blame the vendor’s manipulative sales methods.

“Here’s the reality: it’s almost impossible to make someone want something they don’t already desire.”
Josh Kaufman, The Personal MBA

Then, today’s consumers have a huge selection of vendors and high standards in product quality and service. They spend their money on the buying experience, not only the product itself. They (re)buy from those vendors that provide the best overall experience.

Customers that feel you’ve played foul or were overly focused on the transaction won’t be at all satisfied, even if they got the product they wanted. So, focus your energy and resources on those prospects for whom you can actually add value on all levels.

Finally, any vendor selling his product for anything other than its actual strengths devalues that product, himself as a salesperson, and his business. If you can’t trust what your product has to offer, who should?

Improve your sales process

A good sales process is the foundation of any successful sales organization. Learn how to improve your sales process and close more deals.

In this article, you are going to learn what a persuasive sales letter is and how to write more persuasively for maximum profit in your business.

What is a persuasive sales letter?

Persuasive sales letters are sales letters written to influence the behavior, belief, or idea of others.

Such letters must be carefully crafted.

They must have something unique that will capture the reader’s attention and pique his interest in the product or service.

These letters are written in a friendly, informal tone and use common language rather than technical jargon.

Writing effective sales letters is a crucial skill that is frequently overlooked.

People rarely send letters to each other anymore, thanks to the advancement of e-mail, text messages, and other technology.

But it is precisely this phenomenon that makes sales letters different.

Here are some pointers and guidelines on how to write a persuasive sales letter

A persuasive sales letter is a unique way to engage directly with prospects while also being one of the most effective forms of print marketing.

A sales letter, on the other hand, can easily end up in the trash if it isn’t written well.

1. Start with a salutation

The salutation is the part of your sales letter that tells the reader who you’re writing to.

Make your salutation as personal as possible; “Dear Mr. Smith” will work much better than “Dear Sir or Madam.”

If you don’t know the recipient’s name for whatever reason, you should try to sound as familiar as possible.

In general, “Dear Friend” is a good choice.

But, when you’re writing to a specific group of people in your long-form sales letter, use their salutation.

For instance, if you are writing to business owners, you can use “Dear business owner”, “Dear mum of three”, or “Dear Dentist”.

You get the point.

Also, you’re writing to one person, so don’t say, “Dear Dentists”. It’s “Dear Dentist”. One person.

2. Open strong

The first sentence in the body of your sales letter will determine whether or not people continue reading it.

Write something that will pique the reader’s interest.

A compelling offer, a gripping story, or a problem that your reader can relate to are all effective ways to start a sales letter.

Also want to include a headline.

A bold, larger font can help to add impact to a statement and draw the reader in before they get to the salutation.

3. Offer something for free

“You may already be a winner!”

You’ve almost certainly received a letter or even an email telling you this.

It’s a good (if cliched) way to entice someone to continue reading, but you know what’s even better? “You are a champion.”

A guaranteed gift or benefit is probably the best way to pique your audience’s interest.

It doesn’t have to be something lavish like a new car or a large sum of money.

A promotional item (such as a personalized pen) or a discount mentioned in your sales letter can be very persuasive.

4. Be personal

Writing sales letters, as opposed to billboards, TV commercials, or magazine ads can make potential customers feel as if you’re speaking directly to them.

From your end, it might not appear that way, especially if you’re mass-mailing them.

However, direct marketing can be the most personal form of marketing for your readers (depending on your sales letter writing skills).

Write without thinking about your entire mailing list.

Instead, pretend you’re speaking with a single person of your customer base.

To give your sales letter a human voice, use informal, colloquial language.

Use your reader’s name as much as possible in the body of the letter (but not too much, or you’ll sound robotic).

5. Add a call to action

Don’t forget to tell them what you want if the goal of your sales letter is to persuade them to do something (like buy your product or sign up for your service).

Make your call to action stand out in some way; make it bold, make it a headline, or put it somewhere the reader is likely to see it.

At the very least, make sure the reader has a way to contact you.

This could be a phone number, an e-mail address, a URL, a reply form, or any other method of communication.

Using a time limit to imply a sense of urgency in your reader is one way to further encourage action. “Email us for a discount” may not elicit the same response as “Email us within the next month for a discount.”

6. Add your signature

A signature adds professionalism and personalization to your sales letter, as well as demonstrates to the reader that you put genuine thought into it.

You won’t have to sit and sign thousands of letters by hand, so don’t worry (though that would certainly display your dedication).

You can include a digital signature that closely resembles the real thing.

7. Add a postscript

A postscript (P.S.) may not seem like one of the important elements of your sales letter.

After all, a P.S. is usually an afterthought when writing personal letters, something you remember to include after the letter has already been written.

Why would you need a P.S. when computers allow you to easily insert text later?

Writing a P.S. is crucial.

It’s similar to a headline at the bottom of your sales letter.

Many people will skim right to the bottom of a letter to see who it’s from.

Use this space to either restate the most important aspect of your offer or to include some other intriguing information to pique the reader’s interest.

8. Your layout is important

There should be plenty of white space when writing a persuasive sales letter.

Reading a dense, compacted “wall of text” with no paragraphs or line breaks can be intimidating and time-consuming.

Bullet points, headlines, and images can be used to break up text and add visual interest.

Keep your persuasive sales letters consistent in font, but feel free to highlight, italicize, or embolden key words and phrases.

9. Length can vary

Copywriters frequently repeat the mantra “less is more.”

While a shorter copy can be effective, a longer copy has its place as well.

In fact, a long copy is commonly used in sales letters.

A sales letter can be as long as two or ten pages.

When selling something large, expensive, or complicated, longer sales letters are generally more effective.

Popular Posts

10 Best Reasons Why You Should Hire a Website Copywriter?

Ultimate Guide: What Is Copywriting?

5 Simple Internet Marketing Copywriting Tips

A lot of written information will make readers feel like they’re making an informed purchase.

Short copy, on the other hand, is quick, simple, and easy to understand, making it ideal for smaller purchases and impulse purchases.

Use as many words as you think are necessary.

10. Be believable

BS!

Your customer can smell it a mile away.

So, when writing a persuasive sales letter, don’t feel the need to hype up your offer more than necessary because it won’t sound believable.

What are the ethical issues in sales?

What are the 5 common ethical problems face in dealing with sales people?

What are the ethical implications of having the ability to persuade?

What is ethical issues in sales and marketing?