| With email marketing campaigns to Internet | | | | issues that they know and may not know. These |
| landing pages now comprising a significant amount | | | | issues may be commonly shared within the |
| of the marketing budgets, some people have | | | | marketplace or be specific to that qualified |
| abandoned the traditional, word processed | | | | prospect. Your pre-approach letter must be able |
| pre-approach letter. Yet, this marketing and sales | | | | to showcase your understanding of these issues |
| strategy may be somewhat short sighted. | | | | and how you can potentially solve these problems. |
| Before anyone engages in writing any business | | | | Once you have completed your research, now |
| letter, the first question needs to be answered is | | | | you must write a compelling story. The A.I.D.A. |
| "What is the purpose of the communication?" | | | | model serves as a good and consistent guideline. |
| Upon successfully answering this question, then | | | | First your message must get their Attention. |
| and only then can a well written letter be | | | | Accomplishing this step may include the packaging |
| constructed. | | | | of your letter to those first few words and how |
| So what is the purpose of a pre-approach sales | | | | they are positioned within the letter. |
| letter? Years ago, the answer might have been | | | | Small Business Sales Coaching Tip: People |
| to secure that first time appointment to just a | | | | remember the first few words and the last ones. |
| friendly introduction to a way to increase sales. | | | | Your pre approach letter needs to build interest |
| Today, I believe the purpose is two-fold: | | | | so that they read to the bottom of the letter |
| | | | instead of just skipping down to the infamous P.S. |
| 1. First attempt to showcase what makes you | | | | Next, your compelling story must generate both |
| different or how you stand out away from | | | | Interest and Desire. You want your qualified |
| everyone else | | | | prospect to keep reading and begin to feel |
| 2. First demonstration of your core values | | | | emotionally connected to what he or she is |
| To stand out in the crowd or to be that Red | | | | reading. Small Business Sales Coaching Tip: People |
| Jacket as I like to say means that you have hone | | | | buy from an emotional level first and then justify |
| and executed these sales skills when crafting that | | | | those emotions with logic. |
| pre-approach sales letter: | | | | Finally, your pre-approach sales letter must end |
| - Fact finding specific to the market place | | | | with a call to Action. If well written and there |
| - Research about the qualified prospect | | | | exists urgency from your earlier research, your |
| - Ability to speak and write a compelling story | | | | letter will have your qualified prospect picking up |
| using the A.I.D.A. model | | | | the phone and calling you. |
| - Relationship selling | | | | Research continues to demonstrate that long, |
| Sales Coaching Tip: Many pre-approach letters fail | | | | pre-approach sales letters have value because |
| because they are not sent to qualified prospects | | | | these letters tell a compelling story. I believe that |
| who have a need; a dedicated budget; are the | | | | shorter pre-approach sales letters also have value, |
| decision maker and there is urgency to take | | | | but you must be very careful in their construction. |
| action. | | | | Your qualified prospect is very busy. However, |
| Additionally, your core values must always be | | | | when you write a purposeful pre-approach sales |
| present from each word you speak or write to | | | | letter that communicates an understanding of the |
| your behaviors after you send that pre-approach | | | | marketplace, addresses the most pressing needs |
| letter. In other words, write truthfully and avoid | | | | or issues and provides a potential solution all within |
| using language that may suggest you are less | | | | a compelling story, you will stand out away from |
| than honorable and authentic. | | | | all of your competitors. |
| Every qualified prospect has specific problems or | | | | |