About These Letters...

As my experience of getting clients has been more in the business coaching role (basically training business owners on aspects of marketing online) I'm going to give you that kind of perspective.

The term SEO leaves many confused - even the word 'keyword' does. But the term 'social media' is basically what most of the business owners I've dealt with off-line know to be the only thing that the internet is about. They know twitter and Facebook and they want to know how they can increase business profits that way. This may or may not be what you're specifically offering but you could make that the door opener? Any talks I've been asked to do so far by business meeting facilitators have always been about social media.

You and I and everyone else knows social media is only one aspect but many offline businesses don't. So maybe a statistic you could mention would be based around social media (Facebook & Twitter) and how they increase profits that way...

If I was a business owner I'd want a stat (almost as proof) and you do need a universal hook that doesn't confuse people.

Side Note Example: I was working with a lady who I suggested use YouTube to promote, she of course asked why. I gave her the statistic of video viewers on the internet ( this peaked her interest) I then showed her a video someone did in her niche with thousands of views. She was sold! When you see someone has got thousands of views for a two min video and it's not even a Hollywood style production that is going to appeal. It makes it within reach for them to accomplish and feel they too can get all this exposure.

Also in terms of mentioning a website and targeting I may say 2 things depending on the prospect.

If they have no website: Do you know how a website can really boost your profits? I'd like the opportunity to show you exactly how.

If they have a website: Your website could be losing you x amount every day (put in an average customer/service value in there) - I'd love to give you some pointers on how you can reverse that and increase your business profits.

Okay I just woke up Lisa so the copy and wording isn't exactly perfect but I wanted to give you my take and what I've learned from coaching business net newbies. Mentioning social media has got me bookings as a coach. I'm pretty sure they would help get bookings as consultant. I'm going to try this myself when I put together my consultancy letters this week.

Thanks

V

Recently I've seriously decreased the length of my letters. For me, the main thing is to make sure it's less than a page and that the text is particularly readable. Things like line spacing go a long way. I've also removed any unnecessary grammar, and any words that don't make a difference to the impact of the letter.

Anyway, if you can capture the reader's attention effectively at the start (addressing the problem), then you can go onto briefly describe the benefits in as much of a non-technical way as possible. When getting that part right, you don't need to worry about it being really short as it will likely be read until the end, without (hopefully) any confusion as you won't have gone into any technical jargon. On the other hand, people are right when they say it shouldn't be a long letter.

I think what you've just posted could be fine. People here on the forum can give you pointers and advice on it all day but noone can say whether it's going to work or not - ultimately, you need to simply test it out. For every batch of letters you send out, try different things, and see what gets you the most responses and interest...

Personally I'd leave out the fact that you've just moved to the area as it's not necessary, and also it's interesting that you have included "And this isn't a hobby of mine or something I like to do in my spare time - it's what I do full time; it's my profession." - this almost sounds a little defensive. You don't need to include this to assure potential clients that you are a professional SEO business. Some of them may actually wonder why you are being defensive in that respect.

The basic principles of direct response apply whether you're trying to generate leads online or offline.

So... ask yourself these questions before you compose your lead generation piece:

- Why am I writing this letter? (Go beyond "to get leads". What kind of leads? e.g. "to generate leads from people who want to improve their website rankings", or "to generate leads from businesses in the retail electronics field", etc. )
Doing this helps you identify YOUR target market which, in turn, allows you to tailor your communication more specifically to THEIR concerns and interests.

- What do I want the prospect to DO when he receives my communication? (If it's a physical piece or an email, "open it" is the first stage. If it's, say, a postcard, then the answer might be "not throw it in the trash, unread".)
Once you know what you want the prospect to do when he receives your communication, you can design the communication to make sure that objective gets met. For example, a postcard or email would need an intriguing headline. A letter might need some teaser copy on the envelope or some other device that increases its chances of being opened.

- What do I want the prospect to do once he's read my communication? Again, be clear about what YOU want from this piece. Do you want the prospect to call you? To visit your store? To ask for a catalog? And so on.

Your letter has given your prospect two possible choices for action, without a compelling reason to do either. (Result = Inaction.)

Always control the interaction in your direct response pieces. Make sure the prospect is clear on exactly what he's supposed to do next, e.g. "If you want to attract more customers and make your phone ring off the hook, pick up the phone right now and call NUMBER. In less than 10 minutes, you'll receive at least 3 valuable ideas you can put into action in less than 24 hours! You have nothing to lose: The call is free, and there is no further obligation on your part. (blah, blah, blah)"

Direct response marketing always asks for an action. Advertising seeks to influence thoughts and feelings. This is a critical difference between direct response and advertising.

In your letter, you're working hard on trying to influence the prospect's thought and feelings about their website, but you're falling short on providing a compelling reason for them to take action.

Part of the problem is that you don't separate your prospect from the herd. Which means that you now have to spend extra energy and time figuring out if the reader is, in fact, your target prospect.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you're selling services. Services are rarely - if ever - a one-step sale.

The mistake many service providers make in lead generation pieces is to create the piece as though they were already on their first date, and now they're looking to get lucky tonight. Wrong.

Your first communication with the prospect isn't your first date. You're asking for a first date.

Again, huge difference.

In your letter, you talk a lot about the importance of ranking better - but very little about how YOU are qualified to achieve these objectives for them.

Think of this as always giving them A Reason Why they should go out with you.

For example, "I do this as a business, not a hobby" which means "I'm a business owner too. So I know how customers are the lifeblood of your business.", or" It's my profession" which means "I support myself and my family doing this, so you can be assured I will take your project seriously."

Personally, I wouldn't go into the whole keyword thing in the letter (unless you KNOW your prospects understand the important relationship between keywords and SEO. See: "Know Thy Prospect" )

Nobody really cares about being on the first page of Google. They care about what being on the first page of Google does for them.

You could, for example, use your billboard analogy and tell them a story about a wonderful billboard in the middle of nowhere. Corelate the story to their (specific) business, and you will almost certainly have their undivided attention.

Then Make Them An Offer They Can't Refuse.

"Call me or I'll call you" 'ain't gonna cut it. Raise the stakes for them. What will they lose if they DON'T take you up on it?

Ultimately, put yourself in the prospect's place: Why should he take action on this piece of information NOW?

Figure that out, and the rest is gravy on yer grits.