Why was this better? In the first place, the reader's interest was held from the start. He skimmed over the first letter trying to find an answer to his question, "Will they or won't they take back the books?" From the tone in the opening part of the letter he was led to feel that the dealers might take back the books, that he had them on the de fensive. Then he was told that they would not let him break his contract—after he expected them to agree to do it, if necessary. When the addressee was immediately told that he would not be allowed to vio late his contract, he was obliged to take the defensive. This is in accordance with an important general prin ciple of salesmanship : "Keep the buyer on the de fensive," or "Dominate the interview," as it is some times stated.
The arrangement of impressions is an important factor in making our letters-interesting to the reader. 'What arrangement gains interest? The letter which answers the questions most likely to arise, as they arise, will be the most interesting. This again re quires the writer to take the reader's point of view.
Very often the beginning of the letter largely de termines the degree of interest the reader takes in the entire letter. If something of interest to the reader is said in the very first words, he receives the impres sion that the letter gets right down to business, and he will be more likely to read the rest of it. A large percentage of unsuccessful letters fail because they do not interest the reader at the start.
4. Repetition dulls mail sales manager in a certain publishing concern discovered, much to his surprise, as a result of a trip thru the \Vest, that less than 10 per cent of the letters sent out by his concern were read, and that more than 50 per cent of them were not even opened. His customers are chiefly business men. Many told him that without opening them they could "spot" a letter from his house every time, even tho it was in a plain envelop; and that they seldom opened the letters because they knew from experience that the contents would be of no interest to them.
One man said to this mail-salesman, "You people seem to get out letters on the slightest provocation." This statement expresses the fundamental reason for the failure of many sales letters; that is, they are sent out too frequently and without sufficient reason.
5. Timeliness gains advertising manager of a manufacturing company in Pittsburgh, which averages about $20,000,000 a year in sales, gave the following explanation of his success in using sales letters : Persistency and frequency in sending out sales letters are desirable, but are not, in themselves, reasons for sending a letter. To send out a letter to the trade just because it is
about time when another letter ought to go out is suicide, unless you happen to have a real message. We do not circu larize a list of names unless we have a message of considerable news value. Seventy-five per cent of the value of a letter is in the timeliness of its subject matter. For example, take this "Copper-Clad" letter which went to electric light and power companies, telephone companies, and so on, at a time when copper was high in price: • Gentlemen: The high price of copper has no doubt caused you to consider seriously how to economize in wire purchases.
There are doubtless many places in your electrical transmission system where larger sizes of hard-drawn copper wire are being used than the electrical require ments demand, in order to provide sufficient strength to withstand mechanical stresses. The first cost of such wires is needlessly high, without reducing in a cor responding degree the maintenance cost.
If you could purchase a wire for such places that would combine the high tensile strength of steel with the rust-resisting qualities of copper, and with sufficiently high conductivity to answer the electrical requirements, it would mean a great saving to you.
Standard Colonial Copper-Clad Wire is the solution of this problem. It will be to your advantage to learn more about its characteristics—its high conductivity, great tensile strength, low first cost as compared with copper, and low maintenance cost as compared with iron or steel, etc.
The inclosed card, properly checked and mailed, will bring our new C. C. C. Bulletin with complete informa tion about this wire also other bulletins which you may desire for your files.
Yours very truly, Now that letter pulled about ten per cent replies. Why? Not because it is a wonderful letter, but because its subject matter was timely. The first paragraph touched the vital spot in the buyer—his pocket book—and echoed what was in his mind, namely, the high price he had to pay for copper wire.
Such a message is seldom created by the writer of the letter. Its source rests deep down in the organization he represents. But it is his job to see an opportunity for a worth-while message—and to avoid sending out letters that are not timely. This letter, for instance, would not have been read, and might have failed, had not nearly all the letters previously sent out to this list of names been messages of live news value. The general reputation of a concern for writing letters that really have something worth while to say has a great deal to do with the difficulty the writer has in getting his addressee to read his letters.