About Sales & Pitch Letters

Sales and pitch letters can generate business.

Growing a business in today's challenging economy can be a complicated task. Two of the most tried and true methods are the sales letter and pitch letter.

A sales letter introduces customers to a product directly, illustrating why this particular product is a must-have. Pitch letters are directed to media outlets such as newspapers, local and national television stations and online publications, requesting that they do a story on the business owner(s) and product or service offered, resulting in "free" publicity.

Both letters are effective weapons in a solid business-building arsenal and can have positive effects on the bottom line.

What is a Sales Letter?

A sales letter is a mail piece that introduces and offers a product directly to the consumer. According to Microsoft Small Business Center, "to be effective, a sales letter must jump out at you. It must grab your attention with a compelling promise for the reader and then deliver on it."

The Sales Letter is All About the Customer

It's all about the customer.

The sales letter is always about the customer, outlining the benefits of the product or service. The letter states why the product or service is at the top of the heap in the market, how it can make the customer's life better, easier and richer in some way. The sales letter illustrates how the product or service will solve a problem or need for the customer.

When a sales letter talks only about the business it is promoting and how great that business is, the customer gets lost, so why should they come to that business to be ignored?

Offering Benefits

Make the offer stand out.

The sales letter lays out the specifics of the offer, for example a discount to try the product or service, a reward for loyal customers or a referral offer, such as get 10 percent off each purchase for every friend you refer to the store.

The sales letter also specifies any time limit on the offer or availability of the product, with messages such as "Don't miss out! This offer expires at midnight on July 1, 2010." This instigates what is known as the "call to action." A call to action is instructing the customer to do something: come in the store, order online, call today for your free gift, etc.

What is a Pitch Letter?

Create buzz.

A pitch letter is a letter that proposes a story idea or offers an interview to a reporter or news outlet for print, broadcast or online publication. The pitch letter introduces the product or service to the reporter, laying out just enough information to entice him to do a full story.

According to Publicityinsider.com, a pitch letter is "a brief letter, almost never longer than one page, written to accompany press releases, media advisories or full press kits." However, the pitch letter may stand on its own as the first contact with a media outlet. The remaining materials, press release, media advisory and press kit can be provided upon request, or as a second outreach in case the original letter fails to garner interest.

Feeding the Story

The pitch letter provides basic details as a starting point from which the reporter can conduct the interview and write the story. With the interest-piquing information laid out, the pitch letter closes with suggestions of times and locations for interviews. A pitch letter will take into account whether there is a deadline looming, such as a sale happening or maybe the appearance of a famous athlete or writer at the business location, as well as the reporter's schedule and deadline.

The pitch letter also offers the tone the business wants the article to take, setting up a positive result.

References

• Sales and Pitch Letters
• Publicity Insider
• Microsoft Small Business Resources