Now you’ve done your research, constructed your offer and guaranteed your product - it’s time to work on the heart of your letter… bullets.
What are bullets? They are simply tidbits of information about your product.
Bullets add muscle to your sales copy.
They are usually only a sentence or two so they are easy to scan. Bullets mostly consist of features and benefits. Three types of bullets are usually identified:
- Hidden
- Semi-hidden
- Open
They go by other titles also but the idea is the same.
A hidden bullet doesn’t reveal the secret behind it but rather teases the reader so they want to know more.
“What never… ever to eat on a airplane” - this was the headline for a newsletter called “Bottom Line” but it could also be a bullet. The feature is entirely hidden but right from the start you are dying to know what the answer is.
Semi-hidden bullets reveal part, but not all of the answer…
* Discover how the oil derived from an herb many people use daily destroys the fungus responsible for some types of sinusitus. The herb? Organo but if you use too little it won’t help - use too much and you could get into trouble. (See page 122)
Notice the bullet reveals the ingredient but only tells half the story.
Finally the open bullet:
* Put a touch of honey on your blemish before bedtime and it will be gone overnight! (page 78)
This last bullet is more powerfull than you think.
First you gain credibility. If the tip works (and it had better!) they know you’ve got good info.
Second you give the reader something creating a tension. Now the reader “owes” you. It’s called the law of reciprication.
Try to put together as many bullets as you can. Look for hidden benefits. Be as daring as you can but make sure you can back up your claims.
Keep an eye out for your strongest bullets - these are potential candidates for headlines.
This is not to say you have to use any of them for your headline but it’s one source and a good one.
Many good converting sales letters are little more than a list of bullets with a headline an offer and a guarantee tossed in. Even the P.S. is a bullet.
If you’re in a hurry for a sales letter you can try this. Nobody says you can “flesh it out” later.
God bless,
Andy
