1. The document discusses the key elements of an effective sales letter, including getting the reader's attention, maintaining their interest, arousing their desire for the product or service, and motivating them to take action. 2. It outlines the AIDA principle for drafting sales letters, which stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. The letter should attract attention, engage interest through appeals like pride or savings, create a desire for the benefits of the product, and ultimately motivate the reader to take action. 3. While a salesperson can offer a human touch, letters have advantages like lower cost, ability to reach busy customers, and allowing the full message to be read without interruption. Following A

1. Ms. Geetanjali Gitay
Assistant Professor
Dept. of English
Sales Letters : Theory :1
Gokhale Education Society’s
S.M.R.K. B.K. A.K Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Nasik-5.
CC English (HL) & (LL)
T.Y.B.Com. Sem V
Unit 2

2. Introduction
• A Sales Letter, as the name suggests, is a type of business letter that
attempts to sell something, either a product or a service.
• Even with the advent of radio, television and magazines, Sales Letter
still remains a very popular form of advertising as its appeal is focused
and directed at a particular section of society and not wasted on a large
but a disinterested public.
• It can be used to develop far-flung areas into a potential sales territories.
•As they are sent out to a definite number of people, the results can be
accurately tested.
•As it is being read, it is not competing with no other items of advertisement.
•A Sales Letter is also a personal message, and may have a better impact.

3. Sales Letter v/s Salesman
A Sales Letter cannot have the human touch that a salesman
has , but it has a several other advantages.
1. It is less expensive than a salesman.
2. It reaches the client however busy he may be, while a salesman has to
repeatedly and sometimes unsuccessfully ask for interviews with a
client.
3. In a personal interview, a salesman may not present persuasive
arguments if the prospective customer is nasty and interruptive. A Sales
Letter however , can be read fully as the customer will read it when he
or she has ample time to read it.

4. AIDA Principle
• AIDA is an acronym coined by a prominent American Sales
Personality Elias St. Elmo Lewis in late 1880s.
• A-I-D-A stands for Attention- Interest- Desire and Action.
• While drafting a Sales Letter this formula has to be followed to
produce positive sales results.

5. Attention
• A Sales Letter should attract the attention of the customer.
• In attracting attention, the beginning and end of a Sales Letter are very
important.
• The success of a Sales Letter often depends upon the effectiveness of
the opening and closing paragraphs.
Here are some examples for beginning a Sales Letter:
1. Have you considered giving your wife a hair-dryer as a Diwali Gift?
1. Are you interested in your child’s future?
1. If you want to save at least 20% on your electricity bills consider the
following facts.
We can notice here the repeated use of the word “You”. This word
should be used as much as possible to retain the interest of the reader
and to play upon his egotism.

6. Attention
Some ways of grabbing the attention of the reader can be :
1. By asking a question
• When did you have your last vacation?
• What would you do if you had free time?
2. By offering bargains
• You can save Rs. 150 if you act now!
3. By quoting figures
• Last year 60,000 housewives used…
• 11,500 satisfied customers cannot be wrong
4. By the use of “If”
• If washing clothes is a nightmare for you..
5. Using proverbs
• Many hands make the work the work light; so does Vanish stain
remover
6. Using a split beginning
• Falling hair? Dull look? You can look younger again by using…

7. Interest
The second ingredient of a Sales Letter is Interest. Here, the letter
should appeal in order to interest different kinds of customers.
The common set of appeals used by writers of Sales Letters are:
• Pride of Possession
• Vanity
• Instinct to Economise
• Save Time
• Health, Comfort, Cleanliness
• Fear
• Getting Something Free
• Facts and Figures
• Testimonials

8. Desire
• Arousing desire for the product is the next function of the Sales Letter.
• Sometimes the reader has to be made aware of a need, for he has never
considered it before.
• In arousing desire the writer should sufficiently communicate the
advantages of a product or the service promoted in the letter.
• For e.g. Target customers who are 21 years old are not likely to consider
the problems of old age which seem so far away. A Sales Letter
addressed to young people by an insurance company will , therefore ,
actually have to mention the problems and create a desire to provide
for the period after retirement.
•Creating Interest and Desire are not enough unless these appeals
result into action that is the customer buying the service or product.

9. Action
• While motivating Action, it helps to enclose prepaid postcards and
self- addressed and stamped envelopes with encouraging words like,
“ You have everything to gain and nothing to lose by sending us the
enclosed post card by return mail…”
• The Action will be motivated only if the previous part of the letter has been
well drafted. Assuming that it has been well drafted the letter could end –
“ Please visit our store within next four days; after four days you will not be
able to take advantage of this remarkable offer.”
“ Let is know the day and time convenient to you so that we can send
our salesman with a few samples..”
“ Don’t miss this offer..”

10. Conclusion
• In this way, we have seen so far :
• What is a Sales Letter?
•What is the difference between a Sales Letter and a Salesperson?
and
• AIDA Principle to be used while drafting a Sales Letter.
In the next part we will see :
•Purpose of a Sales Letter
•Planning a Sales Letter
•Examples of Sales Letters