Write A Sales Letter In 3 Stages

When you’re setting out to write a sales letter, there is actually a process you’ll want to follow. And, believe it or not, it doesn’t begin with writing!

In fact, there are three distinct stages in the sales letter writing process. And the actual writing may take only a fraction of the total time it takes you to finish.

So what are these three stages? I’ll tell you…

• Stage 1: Research
• Stage 2: Writing
• Stage 3: Editing

Simple enough, right? But let’s look at each one more in-depth.

Stage 1: Research

Please don’t underestimate the importance of research.

A lot of times so-called “writer’s block” is a result of not doing enough research before sitting down to write. And without enough research, you’ll struggle to come up with a good story, headline, and hook.

So when you’re preparing to write a sales letter, start with research.

Your research may involve consuming the product yourself, interviewing the creator of the product, reading magazines your target market reads, examining the offers your competitors are making, or any number of things.

The key here is to understand the thoughts, fears, and desires of your ideal customer… to understand what makes him tick.

Not only that, you want to dig up facts, quotes, testimonials, and any other “nuggets” of information that you can use to build your sales case.

Stage 2: Writing

Okay, let’s assume you’ve finished your research. Now it’s time to write. Where do you start?

Personally, it depends on the product. If I’m selling an information product, I like to start by writing the bullets. But if I’m selling other types of products, I’ll often start with the headline and work my way down.

To save time and really clarify your offer, you may want to write the order form first. By starting with this, you will force yourself to sum up the offer in a concise fashion.

This will in turn give your writing focus as you attack the task of writing the sales letter itself.

Stage 3: Editing

The last stage of writing a sales letter is editing. I emphasize the word last because you really want to wait until you’re done writing before you start editing.

The reason is simple.

If you try to edit while you write, it will bog you down like you wouldn’t believe. That’s because writing and editing involve two different parts of your brain. And the two typically don’t get along that well.

So write when you’re writing. Edit when you’re editing. Try not to mix the two.

That said, when you edit your sales letter, you’re looking to accomplish a few things:

• Clarify anything that is confusing.
• Use small words in place of big words if possible.
• Make sure the letter flows well start to finish.

I’ve found a great editing method is to read my sales letters aloud. By reading aloud, I force my brain to hear what I’ve written. I catch a lot of mistakes this way.

Three Steps to Sales!

The idea of writing a sales letter can be very intimidating. I know this because I’ve written hundreds of them. And in spite of this, I still feel a twinge of overwhelm every time I sit down to tackle a new project.

But by breaking every project down into three manageable stages, I can focus on what I need to do to get the project done. The same process can work for you.

–Ryan

P.S. Want more in-depth copywriting lessons like these? Then check out Copywriting Code here.