This month seems to have been all about sales emails. I’ve been writing several sales emails and then another enquiry comes through on email today as well.

My problem with sales letters is that a lot of them sound the same, “I’m writing to introduce myself. My company, ABC, is the leading supplier of thingymabobs and you should really buy your thingymabobs from me at ABC. Call me to place your order!”

If you’re like me then you’ve probably already switched off and thrown the letter in the bin.

So how do you keep people’s attention and get them to read your letter? First of all there’s the subject line. You need a great subject line to get people to open your emails, but I’m not going to discuss it here as I’ve written about email subject lines before.

When it comes to the content you’ve got to show people that you understand their problem, have the solution, are the right person for the job and tell them what to do next. So to help your here’s a quick and simple sales email structure to keep people interested.

Discuss the problem
Keep your sales letter limited to one subject and use the opening paragraph to discuss the problem that people are facing in regards to the subject. For example, if you’re selling accountancy services talk about new laws that require real-time information and the administrative burden that puts on people. People who are concerned about this issue will now read on.

Describe the solution
In your second paragraph talk about how your service or product will solve the problem so that people understand you are the potential solution to their problem. Talk about your service or product in terms of the benefits rather than it’s features.

State your credentials
In the next paragraph explain to people why you’re the best person for the job. This might include your experience, the people who work for you or qualifications. Keep to the facts rather than use unquantifiable terms such as ‘leading’ and ‘best’. Also include at least one testimonial.

Tell them what to do next
You need a clear and simple call to action. Don’t make it complicated and make sure it’s clear so people know what to do next and why, for example ‘Call us now on XXXXX XXXXXX and get your free copy of Reducing your admin burden. Your call to action should always be specific and offer a way to answer their questions.

Whatever product or service you sell you can adapt this simple template to create your sales emails that are read and get results.

And if you need help writing your sales email, just get in touch.