Sales letters of Vietnam and US

Lecturer: TS. Nguyễn Đức Hoạt

Student: Nguyễn Mai Trang
Student ID: 0852050048
 Sales letters of Vietnam and US 2010

Executive Summary

Sales letter is one of the oldest, most popular, and most efficient marketing tools to
sell things, goods or services. Due to many differences of Vietnam and American – in
culture, development, habit, belief – Vietnamese and American sales letter are very
different. In this report, we will start from common things between them, in legal binding
and purpose. After that, we will apply AIDA plan to form a sales letter, and find out what
are the key different between them. Later, we can draw a conclusion from things
analyzed.

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 Sales letters of Vietnam and US 2010

Contents
Executive Summary.....................................................................................................................................1
I. The similarities between sales letters of Vietnam and United States:............................................3
1. Similarities in legal bindings:........................................................................................................3
2. Similarities in purpose:.................................................................................................................3
II. The differences between sales letters of Vietnam and United States:............................................3
1. Attention:.......................................................................................................................................4
2. Interest:..........................................................................................................................................5
3. Desire..............................................................................................................................................6
4. Action..............................................................................................................................................6
III. Conclusion......................................................................................................................................7
References...................................................................................................................................................8
Appendix I: A Vietnamese sales letter – Sales letter of Zona Franca Ltd.,..................................................8
Appendix II: An American Sale letters - Classic Sales letter of Newsweek................................................9

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 Sales letters of Vietnam and US 2010

I. The similarities between sales letters of Vietnam and United

States:
1. Similarities in legal bindings:
Both Vietnam and United States have joined in United Nation convention on
contracts for the international sale of goods (1980) (as called as Vienna convention).
According to this convention, sales letters can be considered as offers, which considered
as binding contracts and are legally protected. The writer may be sued if not act as
content of the sales letter.
Vienna convention 1980, part II formulation of the contract, article 14-24.

2. Similarities in purpose:

Whoever or wherever you are, whatever products you sell, whichever audience
you try to reach, your sales letters are always for the purpose of selling a product.

With this purpose, a sales letter will always have parts of introducing product of
the company. This is another similarity between sales letters of Vietnam and America.

For example, in an American sales letter: “as a Newsweek subscriber, your

interest in national and international affairs will be served by over 200 top-notch
reporters here and around the world. Each week, you'll read the most significant facts
taken from their daily dispatches by Newsweek's editors.

You'll get the facts. No bias. No slanting. Newsweek respects your right to form your own
opinion.”

(See Appendix II)

And in an Vietnamese sales letter: “We make children’s wear (toddler segment)
for boys and girls from 4 – 6 years old, specializing in cotton and jersey fabric with all
seasonal colors and customized patterns as requested. We offer a wide range of
categories from homewear to outerwear such as shirt, pajama, T-shirt, nightdress and
dress.”

(See Appendix I)

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 Sales letters of Vietnam and US 2010

II. The differences between sales letters of Vietnam and United

States:
Different countries with different cultures, legal systems, social and economic
developments will have different content for sales letters. To regard these differences, we
will apply AIDA plan, an international standard form to write sales letters.

AIDA stands for Attention, Interest, Desire and Action.

1. Attention:
Attention, which is the opening part of any sales letters, is the chance for
companies and organizations to attract customers. Audience can be grabbed by applying
charming, exciting, and textual opening as well as using special sizes or styles of type,
underling, bullets, color, indentions and so on. It decides whether audience read the rest
of your message or not.
This part is highly regarded in American sales letters:

“Dear Reader:

If the list upon which I found your name is any indication, this is not the first --
nor will it be the last -- subscription letter you receive. Quite frankly, your education and
income set you apart from the general population and make you a highly-rated prospect
for everything from magazines to mutual funds.

You've undoubtedly 'heard everything' by now in the way of promises and

premiums. I won't try to top any of them.

Nor will I insult your intelligence.

……”

(See Appendix II)

This sales letter immediately flatters the reader, and implies that ‘if you are
common, this is not for you,” which increase the curiosity of readers. Readers want to
know what kinds and features of products offered, which must be ‘apart’ from these
others.

It shows that focus of American sales letters is customers. In contrast, focus of

Vietnamese sales letters is the company. In Vietnam, opening parts in sales letters often
say about the company, its brand and credits.

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 Sales letters of Vietnam and US 2010
“We are a prestigious manufacturer based in Ho Chi Minh City. Our company
was established in 2001 and run under the philosophy ‘Quality comes first’”.

(See Appendix I)

If customers want to know what the company philosophy is, how long they was
established? The answer is no. With nothing to attract, the company can lose customer
right the first paragraph.

2. Interest:
This is the part to highlight product’s key selling point, which make it identical
with the other products in market.
Example of American sales letter:

“If you subscribe to Newsweek, you won't get rich quick. You won't bowl over
friends and business associates with clever remarks and sage comments after your first
copy of Newsweek arrives.” (See Appendix II)

This sales letter attracts interests by saying what it is not, which also the things
other newspaper try to sell to readers.

“…you are the kind of individual who would like to keep up with national and
international affairs, space and nuclear science, the arts -- but cannot spend hours at
it...if you're genuinely interested in what's going on with other members of the human
race...if you recognize the big stake you have in decisions made in Washington and Wall
Street, in London and Moscow...

then Newsweek may well be the smartest investment you could make in the vital weeks
and months ahead!”

Then it listed its identical features, used underline to take impression on readers’
mind.

Example of Vietnamese sales letter:

“We make children’s wear (toddler segment) for boys and girls from 4 – 6 years
old, specializing in cotton and jersey fabric with all seasonal colors and customized
patterns as requested. We offer a wide range of categories from home-wear to outerwear
such as shirt, pajama, T-shirt, nightdress and dress.” (See Appendix I)

This letter just listed company products, not said something identical to make it
more attractive than other competitors.
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 Sales letters of Vietnam and US 2010
Vietnamese sales letters have tendencies not to mention about its product features
or identical advantages, instead they emphasize the variety of products. In contrast,
Americans sales letters often stress the key features, which considered as selling point to
get interest of customers.

3. Desire
This part aims to arouse the possessive feeling of customers. The writer will
emphasize the benefit of customer so they will want to buy his product.
As in American letters, the ‘you’ word is stressed, underlined, and repeated many
times, it shows that reader is the person who will get all these benefits.

“You'll get the facts. No bias. No slanting. Newsweek respects your right to form
your own opinion.

………..

You'll also keep on top of latest developments in the exciting fields of space and
nuclear science. Whether the story describes a space-dog's trip to Venus or the opening
of a new area in the peaceful use of atomic fission, you'll learn the key facts in
Newsweek's Space & The Atom feature -- the first and only weekly department devoted to
space and nuclear science in any newsweekly.

The fascinating world of art will be reviewed and interviewed for you in Newsweek.
Whether you are interested in books or ballet, painting or plays, movies or music -- or all
of them -- you will find it covered fully and fairly in Newsweek.” (See Appendix II)

While, in Vietnam, what customers get is only ‘confident’ of the company or ‘high
quality products.’ Nothing is desirable and hardly convincible. Customers don not see
their actual and immediate benefits.

Customers are both emotional and logical. ‘Facts’ is the logical things. ‘Keep on
top’ is the emotional things. The effective way to arouse desire in customers is
emphasizing them what they want, such as luxury, lust, envy, pride, vanity, laziness. Get
the right point and you will have more customers.

4. Action
This is the last part to encourage and guide customer buy company products.
While many American sales letters have strong offers, Vietnamese ones do not.
This ending part of most American sales letters often have favor price, strong term,
strong offer to persuade customers buy their products right away.

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 Sales letters of Vietnam and US 2010
“TRY Newsweek.

Try it at our special introductory offer:

37 WEEKS OF NEWSWEEK FOR ONLY $2.97

That's about 8¢ a week -- little more than a penny a day. You would pay $9.25 at
newsstands for the same number of copies; $4.98 at our regular yearly subscription
rates.

And try it with this guarantee: if, after examining several issues in your own
home, you do not agree.” (See Appendix II)

While Vietnamese letters often say ‘Looking forward to hear from you.” It is a
polite but not strong term to persuade customers.

Besides, both Vietnamese and American sales letters have detail contact of the
company.

III. Conclusion
The more developing the economic, the more competitive the market is. To attract
and persuade customers, sales letter is one of the most effective tools. Of course, only
when it is written right. There are many style, form and ways to start and end a sales
letter. But remember that sales letter is created to sell products, and to sell products, the
important things is not how your product is, but what benefits customer can get from your
product. Satisfying customers needs is the key selling point for every sales letters.

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 Sales letters of Vietnam and US 2010

References
Courtland L.Bovee, John V.Thill, Barbara E.Schatzman (2007) Business Communication
Essentials, Prentice Hall.

Ben Hart, 100 greatest sales letters

Available at: http://www.tvisuals.net/100GreatestSalesLetters_PDF.pdf

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 Sales letters of Vietnam and US 2010

Appendix I: A Vietnamese sales letter – Sales letter of Zona Franca

Ltd.,

Dear Madams/sirs,

We are a prestigious manufacturer based in Ho Chi Minh City. Our company was
established in 2001 and run under the philosophy “Quality comes first”.

We make children’s wear (toddler segment) for boys and girls from 4 – 6 years old,
specializing in cotton and jersey fabric with all seasonal colors and customized patterns
as requested. We offer a wide range of categories from home-wear to outerwear such as
shirt, pajama, T-shirt, nightdress and dress.

With the 5-year experience in implementing FOB contracts with Babies Factories, Cintas
and Sweets, we are confident to offer you high quality products to the EU market. We
deal in small orders – i.e. 300 pcs – 500 pcs per style with 3 optional colors in a short
lead time of 3 - 5 weeks delivery FOB.

We are looking forward to hearing from you.

Kindest regards

Leo Ng – Sales Manager

Zona Franca Ltd

Address: 1242 Tran Hung Dao Street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Phone: (84 8 )

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 Sales letters of Vietnam and US 2010

Appendix II: An American Sale letters - Classic Sales letter of

Newsweek
Dear Reader:

If the list upon which I found your name is any indication, this is not the first -- nor will it
be the last -- subscription letter you receive. Quite frankly, your education and income set
you apart from the general population and make you a highly-rated prospect for
everything from magazines to mutual funds.

You've undoubtedly 'heard everything' by now in the way of promises and premiums. I
won't try to top any of them.

Nor will I insult your intelligence.

If you subscribe to Newsweek, you won't get rich quick. You won't bowl over friends and
business associates with clever remarks and sage comments after your first copy of
Newsweek arrives.

(Your conversation will benefit from a better understanding of the events and forces of
our era, but that's all. Wit and wisdom are gifts no magazine can bestow.) And should
you attain further professional or business success during the term of your subscription,
you'll have your own native ability and good luck to thank for it -- not Newsweek.

What, then, can Newsweek do for you?

The answer depends upon what type of person you happen to be. If you are not curious
about what's going on outside your own immediate daily range of concern...if you are
quickly bored when the topic of conversation shifts from your house, your car, your
ambitions...if you couldn't care less about what's happening in Washington or Wall
Street, in London or Moscow...then forget Newsweek. It can't do a thing for you.

If, on the other hand, you are the kind of individual who would like to keep up with
national and international affairs, space and nuclear science, the arts -- but cannot spend
hours at it...if you're genuinely interested in what's going on with other members of the
human race...if you recognize the big stake you have in decisions made in Washington
and Wall Street, in London and Moscow...

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 Sales letters of Vietnam and US 2010
then Newsweek may well be the smartest investment you could make in the vital weeks
and months ahead!

For little more than l¢ a day, as a Newsweek subscriber, your interest in national and
international affairs will be served by over 200 top-notch reporters here and around the
world. Each week, you'll read the most significant facts taken from their daily dispatches
by Newsweek's editors.

You'll get the facts. No bias. No slanting. Newsweek respects your right to form your
own opinion.

In the eventful weeks to come, you'll read about

 Election strategy (Who will run against JFK? Medicare, education,

unemployment: how will they sway voters?)
 Administration moves (New civil-rights bill in the works? Taxes: what next?)
 G.O.P. plans (Stepped-up activity in Dixie? New faces for Congressional races?)
 Kremlin maneuverings (Will Cold War policies change? New clashes with Red
China?)
 Europe's future (New leaders, new programs? How can America compete with the
Common Market?)

You'll also keep on top of latest developments in the exciting fields of space and nuclear
science. Whether the story describes a space-dog's trip to Venus or the opening of a new
area in the peaceful use of atomic fission, you'll learn the key facts in Newsweek's Space
& The Atom feature -- the first and only weekly department devoted to space and nuclear
science in any newsweekly.

The fascinating world of art will be reviewed and interviewed for you in Newsweek.
Whether you are interested in books or ballet, painting or plays, movies or music -- or all
of them -- you will find it covered fully and fairly in Newsweek.

Subscribe now and you'll read about international film awards...new art shows at the
Louvre in Paris...the opening of the Metropolitan and La Scala opera seasons...glittering
first nights on and off Broadway...plus revealing interviews with famed authors and
prima donnas, actors and symphony conductors.

AND you'll be briefed on happenings in the worlds of Business and Labor (More wage
demands now?)...Education and Religion (Reforms in teacher training? More church

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 Sales letters of Vietnam and US 2010
mergers?)...Science and Medicine (Cancer, arthritis cures on the way?)...Sports and TV-
Radio (New world records? More educational TV, fewer MD shows?)

You read Newsweek at your own pace. Its handy Top of the Week index lets you scan the
top news stories of the week in two minutes. When you have a lull in your busy schedule,
you can return to the story itself for full details. In this way, you are assured of an
understanding of the events and forces of our era.

TRY Newsweek.

Try it at our special introductory offer:

37 WEEKS OF NEWSWEEK FOR ONLY $2.97

That's about 8¢ a week -- little more than a penny a day. You would pay $9.25 at
newsstands for the same number of copies; $4.98 at our regular yearly subscription rates.

And try it with this guarantee: if, after examining several issues in your own home, you
do not agree that Newsweek satisfies your news interests, you will receive a prompt
refund.

An order form is enclosed, along with a postage-paid return envelope. Do initial and
return the order form today. We'll bill you later, if you wish.

Sincerely,

S. Arthur Dembner

Circulation Director

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