So you just met your dream prospect at a networking event. And you heard the angels sing when he said, “send me the details!”

But now what?

Follow these 7 timeless persuasive writing tips to land your next client.

Tip #1: Be Persuasive

My No. 1 tip for persuasive writing is making the content about the prospect, not you as the awesome service provider.

Always start off your letter, email or other business communication with details on what the prospect will gain by hiring you.

People are selfish. So if your writing focuses on “me, me, me” you’re sure to lose your reader’s attention … fast!

Tip #2: Know Your Audience

This rule is critical because, after all, how can you effectively sell a solution if you have no idea who you’re speaking to?

Do some research to identify the right buyers for your services. And do this BEFORE you hit send or drop your letter in the mail.

Tip #3: Be Clear

Your sales letter should hit on three key points:

  1. How the prospect will benefit from your services
  2. Who you are (and why the reader should care)
  3. How the recipient can get their hands on what you’re offering

Sales letters should be only as long as necessary to deliver this information in an engaging and persuasive way.

Tip #4: Be Relatable

Sales letters are intended to engage and persuade your prospect. Yes, it’s fine to create a template. Templates save time and prevent you from needing to write your letters from scratch each and every time, but you still need to infuse your letters with some flair.

Let your personality shine through. Tell a relatable story. Use a casual, professional tone. Whatever you do … let your personality ooze from the page.

Tip #5: Be Courteous

I get it … email is the fast, new way to contact prospects. And you’re not sitting by the phone for prospects to call. So, you decide to include only an email address in your letter.

Uh oh! Remember, it’s not all about you. Give your prospects options to contact you via phone, email, snail mail … message in a bottle if necessary.

Tip #6: Speak Their Language

Tone is a common issue with sales letters. They have an awkward, robotic tone that turns off the reader from the opening sentence.

When writing sales letters, picture yourself having a face-to-face conversation with your prospect. What words would he use? Would his tone be casual? Whatever the answer – match that same tone in your letter.

Again, show your human side. CEOs and company big wigs hear people use jargon and corporate-speak all day long, it would be refreshing to read a letter that’s down to earth and relatable.

Tip #7: Smoke Out the Typos

What’s the quickest way to sink your chances of building credibility with your prospect? Deliver a letter riddled with typos.

Your spelling, grammar and punctuation should be perfect. Spell check, proofread, ask your wife’s brother’s cousin to read your letter … whatever you need to do. But please proofread your letter before sending it.

Bonus Tip: Follow Up

Even with the best sales letter, people may not respond right away. So do you bury your face in the sand and give up?

Heck no!

You follow up. A study done by the Association of Sales Executives revealed that 81% of all sales happens on or after the fifth contact.

So, if you’re only following up once or twice, imagine all the business you’re losing out on.