7 Steps for Killer Freelance Sales Letters

Use sales letters to get freelance work. Sales letters? Yes, sales letters.

If you’re in business as a freelancer, you need to use sales letters now and then. Why? Because your Web site isn’t enough. And while e-mail is efficient, it simply doesn’t have the impact of a printed letter.

A well-written letter, printed on your letterhead and accompanied by your business card, is a powerful and personal way to introduce your freelance services to clients or offer samples of your work. A prospective client might get several hundred e-mails a day, but only a couple of letters, if any. It’s a good way to stand out.

There is an art to writing great sales letters, so you can’t expect to become an expert after reading one article. But there are time-tested tactics that can dramatically improve your chances of success. Here are seven of the most important.

1. Start strong. Grab your reader’s attention. You can do this with a headline before the salutation or with a strong first sentence. This is not the place to be creative. Just get to the point quickly and clearly. One letter I sent to prospective clients in the software industry started with this sentence: We should talk … because I can make your software marketing job a lot easier.

2. Identify your prospect’s problem. There are countless ways to write your headline or first sentence, including making an announcement, asking a question, telling a story, or just making a statement as I did in the example above. But I think the problem / solution approach is one of the best techniques because it’s simple and direct. Just state the problem and offer a solution: Can’t find a designer who understands how to combine branding and selling? Call me. Branded selling tools are my specialty.

3. Stress benefits. This means you give your prospective client reasons why hiring you is such a good idea. If you’re a Web designer who specializes in corporate blog design, one benefit statement you might use is this: I’m an expert in Search Engine Optimization, which means I can design your blog to maximize your visibility and readership. List three to five strong benefits. Notice that these are not simply statements about you. They are statements about what your prospect will get by hiring you.

4. Make an offer. It’s not likely that too many people will get a letter from you and instantly hire you. But if you make an offer, such as a free sample kit or a free consultation, you’ll make it easier for people to respond to you. This helps you identify who your hottest prospects are. It also gives you a reason to contact them directly. For example, you can call and ask if they received the thing you sent.

5. Tell your prospect what to do next. If you want a phone call, say “Call me.” If you want your prospect to check out your Web site, say “Go to my Web site now.” If you have a sample kit you’d like to send, say “Ask for my sample kit today.” You don’t score points for being subtle. You only get the sort of response you ask for.

6. Make it easy to respond. This means give your phone number and your Web address. Or you can include a reply card to mail back to you. Don’t leave anything in doubt. Connect the dots for people. Again, no points for subtlety. Clarity and directness are keys to success.

7. Follow up fast. If someone asks for samples or something else you’ve offered, send it immediately. It should be in their hands within a week if you’re physically mailing something. If you’re offering something online, follow up anyway and see if they got the information they wanted.