If you are selling anything online, there are some typical elements that have become the norm in selling. Most every website you'll come across has some of these elements, whether it's a sales page on Amazon, or a long-form sales letter for an e-book, or a website promoting some weight loss program.  If you want to learn how to write sales letters, you'd better pay attention.

A Killer Offer

First off, let me define what I mean by "offer." An offer is the thing that you are selling, the conditions you are selling it under, and the price you are charging for it.

An offer is more than just "Buy this shirt for $45."

It's more like "Buy this authentic Italian shirt for $45. Shipping is free, and we guarantee 100% satisfaction, or your money back. If you order within the next 30 minutes, you'll get a matching tie at no additional charge."

Get my point?

The offer is not just about the product, it is about the guarantee, the bonuses, and everything else related to the product. The exact parameters of your offer depend on your customers. If it's important to them, it should be important to you. A killer offer should

• Anticipate and answer their objections
• Prove that you can provide the benefits you promise
• Show you can do it fast
• Eliminate risk
• Build urgency
• Do it at a reasonable price

In other words, a killer offer is one that your target market absolutely will not be able to resist. (In fact, there is a great book called "The Irresitable Offer" that spells it out more clearly than anything else I've read).

Attention-Grabbing Headlines

I say headlines (plural!), because a great sales letter typically has more than one.  It might have a prehead, the main headline, and a subhead.

Together, the purpose of the headlines are to grab the reader's attention, and make them want to read the next paragraph.  That's all they have to do. 

Intensifying the Problem/Explaining the Benefits

Typically, the first paragraph after the headline will highlight the problems the reader is having, and explain the result of inaction.

The goal is to create a sense of fear, uncertainly and doubt about dealing with the problem without your help.

Subsequent paragraphs will explain the benefits of purchasing the product and how they wipe away all the negatives of inaction.

Building Rapport and Personal Connection

Many sales letters include a bit about the company or person behind the product, how they came to develop it, and how their unique experiences drove them to create a product with these unique qualities. Go easy on this, though. Remember, your readers don't care about you - they care about themselves.

Part of building rapport is talking directly to the reader. In fact, the word "you" is one of the most powerful words a copywriter can use. When expert copywriters communicate with potential customers they always ask questions like, "Don't YOU want this kind of life? Don't YOU deserve to be happy?"

Why do you think they do this? Because it works. It's on the most personal level. You are speaking directly to the person. This has now become a one on one conversation. You're not talking to him or her or them. You're speaking directly to the person, just as I am speaking directly to YOU. Yes, YOU.