5. Avoiding the obvious.—When a writer of sales letters deliberately avoids general conclusions and general statements of his own .opinons, he makes it just so much easier to fill his letter with "punch" ; in other words, with facts, clearly and interestingly presented, which will influence his addressee to reach the desired conclusion. When he states conclusions as well as facts he usually makes the mistake of telling the reader something which the latter already knows. The effect is seldom good. The reader usually makes. one or both of two reactions. Either he slightly re sents the implication that he does not know the con clusions stated, or he considers it lightly, as something already known to him. Yet this mistake is often made. Here is an example: Dear Sir: While traveling on railroad trains thru Southern Indiana and Illinois last summer, I often heard the remark made by a farmer as he looked out over the burning, sizzling corn fields.
"My, I wish I had a silo. I could save enough of my crop to winter my stock at least ; and the way it is, I will have to sell a good part of them. But it's too late now to get one up." You see, that man had to lose the price of a silo before he could be brought to see the value of it. Last summer's hot winds made many a farmer resolve to have a silo before another crop season. • Then arose the question of what kind to buy. There is, of course, the matter of cost to be considered. We do not claim that the Perfecto silo is as cheap as a stave silo made of tamarac or pine, but we DO claim that it is as cheap as a silo made of redwood, which is the ONLY wood that does not decay rapidly.
The Perfecto silo costs no more at our prices than any other permanent form of silo, even if you build it yourself. We have known men to build block or brick silos for them selves which cost as much as our regular price and still would not keep silage. You see our experience is worth something to you. Our profits are simply the savings which come from quantity buying and building and from our experience in constructing many silos.
Then there is the primarily important question of which silo will keep silage in the best condition. Now we do not say that we have the only silo which will keep silage. We have, however, the only silo which will KEEP ALL THE SILAGE, clear out to the walls, in all kinds of weather.
When may we come and tell you how we do it? Yours very truly, 6. Why this letter failed.—The first part of the foregoing letter is interesting to farmers because it is concrete, but it somewhat lacks credibility for the very reason that it is concrete. The quotation, at the be
ginning, is not entirely convincing, altho the aver age farmer could not tell just why he distrusts 'it. Instead of "I often heard the remark made by a farmer," it would be better to say, "I heard several farmers, as they looked out over the burning, sizzling cornfields, make remarks somewhat like this." That would be a statement nearer the truth, if less definite. In a selling letter, credibility is more important than concreteness.
But the third paragraph of this letter furnishes the main ground • of criticism. The lesson taught by the experience of negligent farmers is obvious enough at the end of the second paragraph. The farmer is inclined to object to the conclusion "You see, that man had to lose," and so on. Note also the incon sistency in saying, "that man," in view of the previous statement that the remark was often heard. The word "often" in the first paragraph is not consistent with the principle of credibility; and because of this lack of credibility and of the conclusion drawn in the third paragraph, the farmer is inclined not to make the decision that the writer desires. His pride gets in the way. He would be more inclined to make a favorable decision if the writer did not try to argue him into it. Pride, however, is the main obstacle, as it often is when obvious conclusions are drawn for the reader.
The rest of the letter contains some good salesman ship, altho the fourth paragraph tends to keep the farmer thinking about other farmers rather than about his own need for his contemplated silo. If the first sentence of the fourth paragraph and the first sen tence in the third paragraph were omitted, the letter would be improved.
"We do not claim," and so on, in the fourth para graph illustrates an important selling principle. Sometimes it is expressed like this : Be willing to ad mit limitations to a certain extent. The man who is big enough to do this gives the impression of fair ness, broad-mindedness and honesty.
7. When to talk letter also happens to lack good salesmanship in the way it mentions price. Even tho price may sometimes be the decid ing factor in the making of a sale, it is not best, as a rule, when this kind of product is offered, to make the low price the chief selling argument. The question, "What kind to buy?" is not satisfactorily answered in this letter by the comparison of the cost of the Perfecto silo with that of other types of silos.