P.S. Pass it along.....

Does every letter you write have to have a P.S. in it? If you’ve read any of the information on writing sales letters, the P.S. is always an important part of any pitch. And for the most part, it’s always true.

Human nature tells us to get right to the bottom line; hence, the P.S. part of your letter.

The most important part of a sales letter is your headline. Your headline has to be eye catching, and has to pull people in, and make them want to read further.

Then, the second most frequently read piece of information is the bottom of the letter, or the P.S. section. Usually people cut to chase, and list out the details of the offer. Because people naturally focus on the bottom section immediately after the headline, it is important that you also provide motivating copy there as well.

The P.S. is listed immediately after the signature part of your letter. However, not every letter should have a P.S. Who is your target recipient? If you are writing a personalized message with lots of detail, or a letter to a high level exec, leave out the P.S. Also, never include a P.S. if your letter is short. If the ideas in your letter are short and simple, a P.S. would merely cloud the sales pitch.

The P.S. section should be stated in one of two ways.

1. Repeat your major benefit or offer.
2. Focus on a new benefit or sales point.

For the most part, I prefer the first method. If I want people to take action, I use step one. Because people move their attention immediately down to the bottom of the letter, by giving the ultimate benefit or offer may entice them to read further. If you spike their interest, they will move back into your letter to find out more information.

Make your P.S. 4 to 6 lines maximum, and try out different ways of putting emphasis on the information. Highlight your P.S. in blue ink. Use a different font. Try different offers. There is no exact science to using the P.S. Test new ideas again and again.

P.S. This tip isn’t just for letters you mail out to prospective clients. Try putting P.S. statements on your website as a sales tool as well.