There are two keys to the following cover letter. First is the personalization in the subhead. That alone is a compelling way to engage the reader.
Second, though, is a much more subtle tactic. It’s disarming, clever, and hits directly at the friendly sweet spot of any past customer: Are you mad at me?
The “bribe” part of the letter is classic stuff. But easing into it with the personalization and disarming language makes the entire experience a fun ride for the reader.
If there’s one thing to learn as a copywriter that will send your results into the stratosphere… it’s the art of bonding through language. You can easily imagine the first few paragraphs of this cover letter being actually spoken by someone. You can “see” the expression on his face, and “hear” the inflection of his voice.
This tactic was brought out to lure back old customers who hadn’t been active in a while. The names on your house will always be the hottest names you could ever mail. Even the expired names, the ones you’ve lost touch with, the ones who seem to have vanished.
At one time, they raised their hands and said “yes, I want what you offer”, and paid out good money for your product. They have identified themselves as someone interested in what you have. It’s worth hitting them up every so often– even if they haven’t bought again for some time– just to see if you can’t tickle their fancy one more time.
Many marketers I know keep a separate file on old names, and mail less expensive versions of pitches to them every year. They use third-class mail, or postcards, and strip down the product so they can offer raw bargains. It’s even worth losing a few bucks to bring a name back into circulation. The reasons for someone “going away” are myriad. What’s important, though, is that at one time they showed enough interest to buy. It’s worth your time to give them another chance.
Click here to see my all-time favorite cover letter.
Click here to see “Embarrassingly Simple Secrets” ad.
(It will open in a new window or tab, so you can toggle between the cover letter, the original ad and Carlton’s commentary.)
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