How To Write Sales Messages 2x Faster and 5x Better Than You Do Now (PDFDrive)

Straight from the desks of sales and marketing masters…
How To Write Sales Messages 2x Faster

And 5x Better Than You Do Now
Learn from a collection of 24 time-tested, proven sales
messages, handpicked to fit every step in the sales process.
Start conversations, develop opportunities, move sales

forward, close deals and build relationships.
-----------------
Ready-to-use, fill in the blank templates •

Step-by-step formulas • Secrets of what makes
them successful • Messages for email, direct mail,
social media, video • Avoid the most common
mistakes • Tips, insights, recommended resources
by Jeff Simmons

What’s Inside
Introduction
The little-known secret to writing better and faster.
Ilya Semin’s $2 Million Cold Email
How a 29-year-old whiz kid from Russia attracted $2 million from
Mark Cuban and Google Ventures.
Dan Martell’s "2-Minute Survey" Email
Don't guess what your prospects want --- find out with this email
from one of Canada's top entrepreneurs.
Geoffrey James' "Point Blank" Sales Email
Most sales emails don't work because they are too complicated. Not
this one.
The ABC Formula for Writing Cold Emails
A method that’s short, simple, effective.
Robert Collier’s "Million Dollar Bill" Sales Letter
If you're not using direct mail, you're missing out. Here’s a letter
that’s reportedly never failed.
The "Bank Bag" 3D Sales Letter
In a sea of plain white envelopes, 3D mail is a great way to get your
message noticed, opened and read.
The “Two Young Men” Sales Letter
The letter that brought in $2 billion for the Wall Street Journal ---
perhaps the greatest ever written.
______________________________
Table of contents p. 1
The Secret of the "Coat of Arms" Letter
The “A Pile / B Pile” theory behind one of the biggest money-making
letters of all time.
Steli Efti's "Monster" Sales Email
Experts say nobody will read a long email... it should be no more
than 5 sentences... shorter is always better. Myth busted with this
.
top-performing email that's 4 pages long
Jason Leister’s Email for Inbound Leads

An email / phone message combo with a unique twist for starting
inbound sales leads on the right foot.
Yanik Silver’s "Imagine This" Sales Email
Ask someone to buy something, and they’ll probably say no. Ask
them to imagine having it, and it’s a whole different story.
The "Search Party" Sales Letter
A light-hearted way to reach out to prospects who’ve gone into a
Black Hole and stopped returning messages.
Ryan Deiss’s 3-Part Follow Up Email Sequence
Go inside the mind of an 8-figure marketer and one of the top email
marketers on earth.
How to Use Humor in Your Sales Emails
Laughter is the secret sauce in this email which pulls a 46% response
rate.
Dean Jackson’s 6 Word Email for Reviving Dead Leads
Can an email with just one line and six words turn dead leads into
sales opportunities? See for yourself...
______________________________
Dave Kurlan’s 3-Tap Multiple Choice Email
Another top-performing email for prospects who've gone silent and
unresponsive.
Mark Cuban's Billion Dollar Sales Formula
This may be the most reliable sales formula ever invented.
John Carlton’s "Last Chance" Email
A wickedly simple approach from the John “just sell the damn thing”
Carlton.
Neil Patel’s $200K “Mad Men” Sales Letter
How Neil Patel uses old school advertising principles to sell high
tech, high-ticket consulting gigs.
Dan Kennedy’s "3 Reasons Why" Email
From the desk of one of the world's highest-paid sales wordsmiths.
3 Irresistible LinkedIn Invitations from Jill Rowley
Tips from social selling Jill Rowley on the language of LinkedIn.
Michael Senoff’s "Karate Kid" Sales Email
Buyers can spot a sales pitch coming a mile away. But no one can
resist a good story, well told.
The "Japanese Apology" Letter
A carefully crafted message designed to please the world's most
demanding customers.
The "Oops We Goofed" Apology Letter
Make your customers’ hearts grow fonder.
Acknowledgements
______________________________
Introduction
The little-known secret to writing better and faster.
Even though it was over 30 years ago, I’ll never forget it.
It was a hot, humid September Monday morning in

downtown Houston. Fresh out of college, I was all pumped up
on the first day of my new job.
After a morning round of introductions, my boss, Dr. Don

Burdick and I sat in his 34th floor office and discussed my
orientation schedule for the next few months.
Beyond that, he asked me to sort out a billing error with

the hotel where I had stayed during my job interview.
The task was simple enough: Write a letter to the hotel

manager with the details of the billing problem and get it
resolved.
______________________________
Now this was long before the days of desktop computers, so
after lunch, I sat down with a pad of paper and my gold Cross
pen.
After staring at a blank page for a few minutes, that’s when

it hit me:
I had absolutely no clue how to write the letter.
Talk about writer’s block; I didn’t even know how to begin.
______________________________
After about ten minutes of futility, I gave up, walked over
to my secretary Carmen and asked for help.
She glanced at the piece of paper I had scribbled on and

said “sure”.
I cringed and slunk back to my office.
Fifteen minutes later Carmen knocked on my door and

handed me the letter she had just typed on her IBM Selectric II.
She asked me to read it and sign it, turned around and went
back to her desk.
One look at the letter and I

was amazed.
It was flawless.
The address block, date,

subject line, to, from, salutation,
ref., enc. and cc --- all perfect.
______________________________
The letter was aligned left, single-spaced, double-spaced
between paragraphs --- impeccable.
My name was typed four lines below the last sentence.
At the bottom left was JS/cm --- my initials letters followed

by Carmen's.
As I read it and signed my name, on one hand, I felt like a

total dunce.
But on the other hand, I realized that I COULD have written

the letter if I had only seen an example first.
The truth is, anyone can craft an effective sales message.

The secret is to follow proven examples written by others.
“The surest path to success is the clever, adaptive copycat.”
~ Dan Kennedy
There’s no need to be creative --- be emulative. Model what

already works.
______________________________
That’s the whole purpose of this e-book.
Inside, you’ll find sales messages written by some of the

sharpest marketing “wordsmiths” in the world… plus
step-by-step formulas, templates and analysis.
The whole idea is to help you write better, faster and

smarter. So let’s get on with it.
______________________________
Ilya Semin’s $2 Million Cold Email
How a 29-year-old whiz kid from Russia attracted $2 million

from Mark Cuban and Google Ventures.
Some companies spend months or years developing a new

product, then they go out and try to sell it, hoping for the best.
Good strategy? Not according to

Derek
Halpern
of Social Triggers™.
"Personally, I hate leaving anything to

chance," he says.
"Before I create a new product I want

to make sure I have a smashing success on
my hands, before I invest my time creating
it.”
______________________________
If you want advice, ask for money. If you want money, ask
for advice.
That's the strategy

Ilya Semin
used to launch his new sales
intelligence platform.
Here's the "Looking for advice" email the 29 year old

founder and CEO of Datanyze sent to sales executives at
technology companies:
______________________________
image source
The result?
● KISSmetrics became Datanyze's first customer.

● Ben Sardella
was so impressed, he joined the company as
co-founder.
● The message also caught the attention of billionaire
Mark
Cuban
.
______________________________
"Definitely interested — Send me more details,"
Cuban replied.
A few months later, Mark Cuban joined IDG Ventures and

Google Ventures in a $2 million seed-round investment.
"To come up with a good business idea, invert your

process," says Ilya. "Start with finding your ideal customer
first."
Recommended:
Datanyze gives sales teams a competitive edge with alerts when

prospects add or drop competing technologies.
Learn more about Datanyze

sales intelligence tools.
Learn more about Ilya Semin on his

personal website
.
______________________________
Dan Martell’s "2-Minute Survey" Email
Don't guess what your prospects want --- find out

with this email from one of Canada's top
entrepreneurs.
This is a great little email / survey tool

combo from Canadian entrepreneur
Dan
Martell
.
Instead of delivering a sales pitch, he’s

asking for an opinion.
Subject: {Name}, will you do me a favor?
{First name},
Do you have 2 minutes to answer some quick questions?
______________________________
Our {products, services, software} are a direct result of
the conversations and feedback we get from people like
you.
That's why we need YOUR help to fine tune what we

deliver. Will you help us create the best {products,
services, software} for you by answering a few quick
questions?
CLICK HERE

to answer our 2-minute survey.
I would be more than honored to hear from you.
Thanks in advance for your time and consideration.
In gratitude,
Dan Martell
P.S. To show my appreciation for your feedback, I will

send you a {special gift} for submitting your answers.
______________________________
For the survey, Dan uses
Typeform
. I checked it out and
found it super simple and an attractive interface. You can set
up an account and publish a survey within minutes.
Plus Typeform is free.
What survey questions to ask?Start with:
1. When it comes to {your topic}, what is the no. 1 thing

you are trying to achieve?
2. What's holding you back?
3. What solutions are you considering to overcome these

hurdles?
Recommended:
Get more sales and marketing advice from Dan Martell

here
or
follow him on
Twitter
.
______________________________
Geoffrey James' "Point Blank" Sales Email
Most sales emails don't work because they are too complicated.
Not this one.
Geoffrey James - author and contributing editor at

Inc.com. - has serious sales chops.
For instance, in the early 90's, he

cold-called Steve Jobs face-to-face at a
conference.
He tells the story in

60 Seconds Alone
With Steve Jobs Changed My Life
.
Geoffrey James is also a talented wordsmith.

Author of 9 books, he blogs DAILY about sales,
marketing and business success.
His articles are viewed over 1 million times a month.
His advice for writing sales emails?
______________________________
"Most sales emails are way too complicated," he explains
in
How to Write a Sales Email
. "First time emails to potential
customers must be short and make it easy to move to the next
step."
For example:
Subject: Inventory Cost Overruns
Dear Mr. Jones:
I'm contacting you because I might be able to help you

reduce your inventory costs.
Our customers hire us to restructure their supply chain to

ensure just-in-time component delivery. This typically
reduces their inventory storage expense by 40 to 50
percent.
______________________________
Reply to this email and I'll email you some details so you
can quickly evaluate whether it would be worth your
time to look into this.
John Smith, Acme

1-212-555-1212
www.AcmeSupplyChain.com
Here's the template:
Subject: [something relevant to the prospect]
Dear [Mr./Ms. prospect's last name]:
I'm contacting you because I may be able to [potential

benefit to the prospect]
Companies like yours hire us to do [something quantifiable

that leads to that potential benefit]
______________________________
Reply to this email and I'll email you some details so that
you can quickly evaluate whether it's worth your time to
pursue this.
[sender's name and contact info]
Recommended Resources:
For further explanation about why this structure works, read

Geoffrey James'
original article here
.
Follow him on
Twitter
or check out his latest book:
Business
Without the Bullsh*t.
______________________________
The ABC Formula for Writing Cold Emails
A method that’s short, simple, effective.
People who manage large budgets are ridiculously hard to

reach.
They go to a lot of meetings, are rarely at their desks,

hardly ever answer the phone and don't return messages from
people they don't know.
They get a ton of emails every day. How do you get them
to notice and respond to yours?
First, understand the type of message that does NOT work:
______________________________
Dear Joe,
My name is Sally and I would like to introduce you to my

company. We are an award-winning IT managed services
provider that specializes in handling all your business
communication needs.
We offer full service data, voice, security, and hosted IT

solutions to help businesses of any size succeed. We also
offer solutions tailored to meet unique industry
requirements.
Based on over 15 years of experience, we can provide you

with global services that guarantee converged solutions
across voice and data, on both fixed and mobile networks.
I would like to meet with you and tell you more about our
communication solutions.
Please let me know a good time for us to meet…
______________________________
Blah, blah, blah… Messages like this don’t work because it’s
all about the seller and not the customer.
Instead, try this:
A. Offer a sincere compliment

B. Talk about a problem the prospect has that you can
solve
C. Ask for a response
Let’s say you want to meet with Mark Cuban, billionaire

investor and owner of the Dallas Mavericks:
Subject: LOVED your book, Mark
Hi Mark,
Wanted you to know how much I enjoyed "How

to Win at the Sport of Business". In fact, I've
______________________________
ordered copies for my whole team so we can
discuss it at our next sales meeting.
My favorite quote:
"Most businesses don't need more cash, they

need more brains."
Great job.
Also, I wanted to see if I could share an idea with

you about how to add more great entertainment
value to the Mavs' games. It's so good, your fans
will buy tickets for the entertainment alone!
It will take less than 5 minutes to show you what

we're doing with the Lakers and other teams.
Quick call next Friday at 4:15?
Thanks and keep up the great work,
______________________________
Sally
7 Keys to Effective Cold Emails
1. Do your research
“Study your reader. Find out what interests him. Then study
your proposition to see how it can be made to tie in with that
interest”.
~ The Robert Collier Letter Book, p. 4
2. Focus on one hot button issue that’s important to the

reader.
“Finding the core idea… of course is the hard part. It has to be

precise, not scattershot. You have to know you audience and
know them well. Or you risk missing your target completely”.
~ Great Leads: The Six Easiest Ways to Start Any Sales Message
______________________________
3. Make people glad to get your email
Everyone has an ego. So it never hurts to compliment their

work.
Here’s what Mark Cuban says in the introduction to his

book
:
"When you are done [reading my book], email to let me know

what you think. I can't promise I will respond to you, but
your
chances of a response will certainly improve if you tell me
how brilliant you found all of this
and, more importantly,
how you convinced all of your friends and coworkers to buy
copies as well."
4. Personalize it
Don't send the same basic cookie-cutter email to everyone.

There’s a word for that, it’s called SPAM
.
5. Make it conversational
Write like you were talking to the reader over a cup of coffee.
Avoid stuffy corporate words and phrases.
______________________________
6. Easy to read
Remember, people read your emails with one finger on the

delete key.
7. Social proof
The quickest path to credibility with someone you don't know

is to drop the name of people they do know.
______________________________
Robert Collier’s "Million Dollar Bill" Sales Letter
If you're not using direct mail, you're missing out. Here’s a letter that’s
reportedly never failed.
How many emails does the typical executive

get every day?
25, 50, 100?
How many sales letters?
One, two… maybe none?
That's the advantage of direct mail --- the playing field is a

lot less crowded.
Coming up with a winning sales letter is easier than you

think.
Consider for example one of the greatest letters of all time

--- the "Dollar Bill" letter.
______________________________
Written back in the 1920’s, it featured a dollar bill attached
to the top and began:
Dear Mr. Jones,
Here's a dollar. Yes, it's a REAL dollar -- nice and clean

and new.
Keep it if you want to, after you've read this letter -- but
I don't believe you will, then.
Here's what it's all about...
______________________________
The letter reportedly pulled a 90% response and $270,000
on the front end. Plus 90% of the dollar bills came back.
(A dollar back then is worth about $13 today.)
An additional $10,000,000 in subscription revenues came

from the list of 150,000 people who responded.
That’s why the Dollar Bill letter is legendary. Since then,

it’s been copied and knocked off probably more than any other
sales letter.
Gary Halbert
said he never saw this letter fail in the
business-to-business world.
The
Million Dollar Bill Letter
is the modern-day version
of this 90 year-old classic:
______________________________
Dear Joe,
As you can see I've attached a Million Dollar Bill to the

top of this letter. Why have I done this? Actually there
are two reasons...
1) What I have to tell you is extremely important, and

I wanted to be sure to get your attention.
2) Since since this letter concerns money, I thought a

Million Dollar bill would be an especially appropriate
eye catcher.
______________________________
Here's what this is all about. If you want to:
--- Slash printing costs

--- Cut back spending on paper and toner
--- Eliminate wasteful, unnecessary printing...
… plus look good to your boss, here’s some important

information.
“In our second year we have saved over $50,000 on

consumable costs, saved $22,000 on new printer
hardware by halving the number of printers in our
school, and reduced our print use by 62%. Fantastic!”
- Kevin M., Armstrong Technical Inc.
We get comments like these every week. And it will

only take me a few minutes to tell you all about it.
Sincerely,
Sally Sellers
______________________________
P.S. I will plan to call you Thursday at 2:15. If that's not
convenient for you, just let me know and we'll set up a
different time.
P.P.S. I've also got a FREE report I think you'll find

interesting. It's called, "10 Little-Known Ways to Save
Money on Printing ."
The reason this message works is because it speaks the

universal language of business:
MONEY
Every business person in the world is fluent in the

language of money.
When you tie your offer to money made or money saved,

you’ll get a lot of people’s attention.
Million dollar bills are simple, memorable and effective ---

and fun to use.
______________________________
Besides sales letters, I've used them for trade shows,
face-to-face sales calls, presentations, proposals, thank you
thanks a million
notes (" ") and networking events.
They always seems to light people up.
And after you send the letter, you can call up and say,
"
I'm the one who sent you the million dollar bill."
Recommended:
Million dollar bills are cheap and easy to use. Attach them to a
letter and send in a standard envelope for the price of a regular
stamp. Get them
here at 3D Mail Results
.
Read the full text of the original Dollar Bill letter in the
Robert
Collier Letter Book
.
______________________________
The "Bank Bag" 3D Sales Letter
In a sea of plain white envelopes, 3D mail is a great way to get

your message noticed, opened and read.
The problem with most business mail is it’s flat.
Flat, two-dimensional letters and postcards are too easy

for people to throw away unopened and unread.
With 3D mail - or "lumpy" mail

- you add another dimension:
Length, width and

depth
.
Anything lumpy or
odd-shaped creates curiosity,
because it's out of the ordinary.
Enter the
Bank Bag 3D Mailer
- a tested, proven winner in
the B2B space.
______________________________
Every company in the world is looking for ways to make
money or save money, so a bank bag is great for getting
people's attention.
Who's not going to open a bank bag?
The bag serves as the envelope. So you just put your sales
letter in the bag with a mailing label on the side and drop it in
the mail.
For the letter, you can use something similar to the

Million Dollar Bill
letter:
______________________________
Joe - An Idea You Can Take to the Bank
Dear Joe,
As you can see I have enclosed this letter inside a

bank bag. Why have I done this? Actually there are
two reasons:
1) What I have to tell you is extremely important, and

I wanted to be sure to get your attention.
2) Since since this letter concerns money, I thought a

bank bag would be an especially appropriate eye
catcher.
Here’s what this is all about...etc.
______________________________
Too gimmicky?Keep an open mind. Use your
imagination and roll with it.
When you follow up with a phone call, you can say,
I'm the one who sent you the bank bag

" ."
Recommended:
Get bank bags for as little as $0.99 apiece at

3D Mail Results
.
______________________________
The “Two Young Men” Sales Letter
The letter that brought in $2 billion for the Wall Street Journal
--- perhaps the greatest ever written.
The beauty of the written word is that it’s observable.
There are tons of tested, proven sales messages available

for you to study, model and learn from, if you know where to
look.
Take the "

Two Young Men
" letter, for instance.
Written by copywriter Martin Conroy, this letter was

mailed for 28 consecutive years from 1975 to 2003, generating
between $1 - $2 billion in subscription revenue for the Wall
Street Journal.
● The ad never appeared in newspapers or magazines.

● It was never broadcast on TV or radio.
● It contains no fancy photos or artwork.
● It's not a slick, glossy or highly-polished marketing piece.
______________________________
● It's a black-and-white, two-page, 753-word letter mailed in
a standard business envelope.
View the letter here
The beauty of the Two Young Men letter is that it can be

adapted to sell almost anything. Just follow this outline:
1. A story of success and failure
______________________________
On a beautiful late spring afternoon, twenty-five years ago,
two young men graduated from the same college. They
were very much alike, these two young men.
Both had been better than average students, both were

personable and both -– as young college graduates are --
were filled with ambitious dreams for the future.
Recently, these men returned to their college for their 25th

reunion.
Two men, same background, different outcomes... the

story hooks you right away.
One became president of a company; the other remained a

low-level manager.
Don’t you want to know why?
2. What made the difference.
______________________________
The answer is something everyone can agree with:
"So what made their lives in business different?

Knowledge. Useful knowledge."
Which leads to...
3. Your unique sales proposition
The Wall Street Journal is a unique publication. It’s the

country’s only national business daily. Each business day, it
is put together by the world’s largest staff for
business-news experts.
4. A day-in-the life of your customer
______________________________
Right now, I am reading page one of The Journal. It
combines all the important news of the day with in-depth
feature reporting. Every phase of business news is
covered, from articles on inflation, wholesale prices, car
prices, tax incentives for industries to major
developments in Washington, and elsewhere.
No hype, no over-the-top phrases or outrageous claims.

Clear, person-to-person, conversational English.
5. Tell the reader what to do
Please mail the enclosed order card now, and we will start
serving you immediately.
______________________________
6. Reverse the risk
Should The Journal not measure up to your expectations,

you may cancel this trial arrangement at any point and
receive a refund for the undelivered portion of your
subscription.
7. The P.S. and final benefit
P.S. It’s important to note that The Journal’s subscription

price may be tax-deductible."
______________________________
The Secret of the "Coat of Arms" Letter
The “A Pile / B Pile” theory behind one of the biggest

money-making letters of all time.
The Coat of Arms letter was written by man from Ohio

named Gary Halbert.
At the time, Halbert's business was

struggling and he was under immense financial
pressure.
So he decided to transform himself with a

"gun-to-the-head" mindset, and wrote this letter
as if his life depended on it
.
The result was a one-page letter that was

mailed over 600 million times
.
View the Coat of Arms letter here
______________________________
Needless to say, the letter was profitable… you don't mail
something 600 million times unless it makes money.
It took a staff of 40 women just to deposit the checks that

came pouring in --- up to 20,000 a day.
The bank dedicated an entire floor to process the checks,

eventually opening a new branch just to handle Halbert’s
business.
At its peak, the letter was pulling in $300,000 per day.
One thing really important that you can learn from the
Coat of Arms letter is the principle of “A Pile / B PIle”.
Halbert realized how people sort their mail --- next to a

waste basket.
They divide their mail into two piles – "A" Pile and "B" Pile.
The "B" Pile gets tossed out. The "A" Pile gets opened and
read.
______________________________
Since people can't read your letter unless they open it, the
first job is to get into the "A" pile.
3 Keys for Making the "A" Pile
The first envelopes headed for the trash are the ones that
look anything like advertising.
That’s why your envelope needs to look personal, not

commercial.
1. Print or hand write the recipient’s name and address

directly on the envelope
.
Don’t use labels. Labels indicate “mass mailing”.
2. Use your street address for the return address.
Don’t use your name, your company's name or any logos.

Don’t use your company's stationery. These are all dead
giveaways of a commercial message.
3. Use a live first-class stamp

- not a meter or indicia.
______________________________
Here's an example:
Recommended:
Gary Halbert passed away in 2007, but his legacy is preserved

in his mind-blowing
newsletter archives
.
______________________________
Steli Efti's "Monster" Sales Email
Experts say nobody will read a long email... it should be no

more than 5 sentences... shorter is always better. Myth busted
with this top-performing email that's 4 pages long.
Steli Efti is a high school dropout and

self-taught entrepreneur who made it big in
Silicon Valley founding companies like
ElasticSales and
Close.io
.
He says the following message is his

company's best performing email.
The message is 1,151 words long --- about 4

pages in Word.
______________________________
Hi {name}
I hope you're doing great. About 8 days ago you made

the decision to sign up for Close.io and today I wanted
to personally write you and accomplish 3 things:
1. Share our story with you
2. Tell you everything you need to know in order to

decide if Close.io can make a difference to you
business or not &
3. Hear back from you and start a dialog :)
WARNING: This email is long but worth the read if

you're interested in growing sales :)
Background Story
______________________________
Over 2 years ago we started a "Sales As A Service"
business called ElasticSales.
The vision for Elastic was to build a massive sales

infrastructure and empower startups and companies
around the world to tap into that infrastructure in
order to scale their sales efforts.
Think Amazon AWS for Sales
Our mission was simple:
Never again should a great company fail because of a

lack of sales.
We started hiring top sales talent, opening offices and

signing up clients within the first few weeks. It was
clear that there was massive demand for this service
out there.
______________________________
What wasn't clear was what kind of software we
would have to use to make this whole sales operation
work smoothly.
We went out in the market to research the best

technologies available and came back incredibly
disappointed. Nothing out there was designed to
actually help you sell more successfully.
All existing solutions seemed to be focused on the

premise of turning sales professionals into manual
"data-entry-monkeys". None of them showed any
understanding whatsoever of what a sales person's
needs are when it comes to their job and daily
workflow.
So after a lot of frustration we decided to fix the

problem instead of complaining about it and we
started developing our own internal sales application.
We lovingly called it our secret sales sauce :)
______________________________
We knew nobody had ever been in a better position to
develop next generation sales software since we had a
few unfair competitive advantages:
● We had both salespeople and engineers in the

founding team
● We ran a sales outsourcing and consultancy firm
for startups empowering us to test the software
in all kinds of different use cases
● We had a clear and distinct philosophy and vision
for the product
All that translated in a few simple principles when we

started developing our software:
● It had to be simple to use

● It had to minimize manual data entry as much as
possible
● It had to be focused on the #1 priority in sales:
good communication
______________________________
We wanted to build software that sales people actually
love. We wanted to build something WE WOULD
LOVE.
It took about 1.5 years of constant development and

iteration with our internal development and sales
team to realize that early vision and create something
truly special.
During that time our sales people generated millions

and millions of dollars in sales for hundreds of venture
backed Silicon Valley startups using our secret sales
sauce: Close.io.
We knew we had a huge winner when we suddenly

started to get more and more demand from other
people who wanted to use our internal
"secret-sauce-sales-software". At first we resisted
(there is a reason you call it your secret sauce after all)
______________________________
but eventually we realized it was the right thing to do
to be true to our core mission:
Never again should a great company fail because of a

lack of sales.
So we did it. In January 2013 we finally released

Close.io to the world. And the response from the
market has been incredible.
"Close.io is awesome. Moving over form salesforce is

mindblowing. I just wanted to see something and
found it immediately. Funny how that's an advantage.
Keep it up!"
Joseph Walla, Founder & CEO, HelloFax
"The straightforward email and calling integration in

Close.io helped us solve many of our workflow issues
and increased our outreach by over 30%. This has
______________________________
caused us to achieve huge growth in revenues while
doing less work!"
Nick Persico, Director of Sales Operations, Krossover
"I used SugarCRM for a while, but switched to Close.io

because of its modern technology and nice design.
Close.io helps to make selling fun again."
Ryan Buckley, Co Founder and COO, Scripted
Not too shabby right? :) Yes! Well, But how exactly

does that affect you?
Let me tell you...
There are 4 reasons why Close.io will help you Close

More Deals & Make More Sales:
1.) You will make more & better calls
______________________________
Make and receive calls with just 1-click. All calls are
logged automatically. Lead activity information pops
up as soon as the phone rings so the data you need is
always at your fingertips!
2.) You will send more and better emails
All your sales related emails are automatically tracked

within the app no matter where you write the emails.
You can see who opens your emails, save templates to
improve your email workflow and keep all digital sales
communication in one place without any manual work.
3.) You can finally say NO to data entry
We hate data entry as much as you do so we tried our

hardest to help you avoid it. With auto-logging of calls,
emails and activity you can spend more time closing
deals instead of entering data.
4.) You can get answers to all your questions
______________________________
The app collects most data based on your actual
behavior and thus has not only more data but also
more accurate sales data. We've built a powerful
search platform that allows you to answer any
question within seconds. Example? "Show me all leads
in California with a 70 percent or greater chance of
closing, whom I haven't called or emailed in the last
week." Boom!
BUT IT'S NOT FOR EVERYONE!
Close.io is not for you if:
1. You are managing a pipeline of less than 100

leads per year
2. You are not using a phone or email to do sales
3. You work for a Fortune 500 Company
If you fall in one of these 3 categories, you SHOULDN'T

BUY Close.io since it's not a good fit for you. Don't
______________________________
worry, if you reply to this email and tell me this is not
for you, I will personally send you recommendations
for other sales software that will help you be more
successful. I know them all. No problem.
In all other cases you seriously need to become a

Close.io customer and see the immediate boost in sales
success it will give to your startup.
Wow! That was a lot :) So now it's your turn!
Please hit reply and share a bit about your business

with me and let me know how I we could make a
difference in your sales success!
Cheers,
Steli Efti, CEO of Close.io
steli@close.io
phone: xxx-xxx-xxxx
______________________________
P.S. Get help, see examples & talk to the team at the
Close.io Support Center
.
7 Steps to a “Monster” Email:
1. Why I'm writing and what I want to accomplish

2. Our background story and mission
3. How we are different from everyone else
4. Testimonials
5. What this means to you: X reasons why {our product}
will help you {achieve benefits}
6. This is not for you if
7. Here's what to do next
Final thoughts:
Though it’s long, Steli’s email is actually easy to read in it’s

original form. He breaks things up with bullet points,
numbered lists, white space, bolding, italics, all caps and
underlines.
Note that Stelli "warns" the reader that the email is long
but worth reading. Very smart thing to do.
______________________________
Not also point no. 6 , "this is not for you if..." where he
eliminates small companies and the entire Fortune 500.
The result?
"Many people email me back, trying to argue that point,"

says Steli.
They say,
"I think it is really for me because... They start
arguing. If you take something away from people, you make it
very desirable to people."
Recommended:
Follow Steli Efti on

Twitter
or check out
Close.io
.
Get inspired with more free sales tips from Steli

inside his free
Startup Sales Success email course
.
______________________________
Jason Leister’s Email for Inbound Leads
An email / phone message combo with a unique twist for

starting inbound sales leads on the right foot.
When a prospect inquires about your

products or services, the tone of your reply is
critical.
❏ You don't want to sound needy.

❏ You don't want to go into "chase mode"
and start hunting down the prospect.
❏ You don't need to begin tooting your own
horn.
At this point, your no. 1 job is to move the prospect to the

next step in the buying process, whatever that step is.
"Simply initiate the next step in you client-intake process,"

says marketing consultant and copywriter
Jason Leister
.
______________________________
"This email frames what’s going to happen and when...
AND what’s going to happen if that plan doesn’t play out."
You are not trying to sell them; you are trying to get them
to talk to you. Your only goal is to schedule a call --- nothing
more.
SUBJECT: Next steps.
Dear {name}
Thank you for inquiring about {your products or

services}.
Considering the nature of what we do, I find it's best

to arrange a time when we can speak on the phone.
That way, I can better understand the goals you are

trying to achieve. And I can ask questions to help me
figure out whether or not what we do is a good fit for
those goals.
______________________________
I have two times available in the next few days to
speak. Please let me know which would be most
convenient.
Or, if neither works, just suggest two times that would

work better for you. I'll pick one and confirm with you
within 24 hours.
Here are my available time slots:

[TIME 1]
[TIME 2]
If I don't hear from you in the next few days, I'll contact
you by phone on [DATE AND TIME] to schedule a time
that's mutually convenient.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR BUSINESS INFORMATION]
______________________________
What if you call and get voice mail?
"
Make it clear that you will send them information
(newsletter, etc.)
," writes Leister. "
Allow the information to
follow-up with them, NOT you.
"
Recommended:
Jason Leister publishes

The Client Letter
, a free daily e-letter
with advice on how to attract better clients, higher fees and
leave "Vendorland" for the world of trusted advisor.
______________________________
Yanik Silver’s "Imagine This" Sales Email
Ask someone to buy something, and they’ll probably say no.

Ask them to imagine having it, and it’s a whole different story.
Painting a picture in the prospect's mind and creating a

positive image is one of the best things a
salesperson can do.
That's the secret to the

"Imagine This
"
sales letter --- getting your prospect to
visualize the successful results of purchasing
from you.
This letter comes from Yanik Silver, a 7-figure

marketer and copywriter.
The template can be found inside his

Instant Sales Letters
:
______________________________
Subject: {Name}, Imagine This…
Dear {Name},
Imagine, for a moment, that it's 6 months from

today…
Do you think {a problem your prospect wants

solved} will have changed? Or what about your
{another problem} - will there be anything different
there?
The reason I ask is that recently you requested more

information on our {product or service}. I sent you a
mountain of information, but then I never heard
from you. If you had already decided to get started,
you would already see a dramatic difference in your
{positive result from your product/service}.
______________________________
Just like these recent clients:
{Testimonial}
{Testimonial}
The truth is, we get comments like these from

delighted clients almost every week. So let me ask
you:
Are you serious about {solving a problem}?
Are you ready to {gain another benefit}?
My strong hunch is that your answer is yes, so I want

to make taking that next step as easy as possible. If
money is a concern - don't worry -- {answer to the
money objection}.
Or perhaps you're worried about the {objection}.

Well, take a look at what clients say about this:
______________________________
{Testimonial answering the objection}
{Another testimonial the objection}
Why not call my office today at {xxx-xxx-xxxx} and

let's talk about taking the next step.
Or if you have any lingering concerns or questions, I'd

be happy to put you in touch with one of our
customers.
Sincerely,
{Your name}
P.S. Still a bit unsure? Remember {state another

benefit}.
______________________________
Imagine selling print management software, for example:
Subject: Joe, Imagine This…
Dear Joe,
Imagine, for a moment, that it's 6 months from today...
Do you think you'll be spending any less money on

toner? Or what about your paper costs - will there be
anything different there?
The reason I ask is that recently you requested more

information on our print management software and I
sent you a mountain of information. But then I never
heard back from you.
If you had already decided to get started, you would

already see a dramatic difference in your printing costs.
______________________________
Just like these recent clients:
"This has been a very cost effective solution to

controlling runaway printing costs in our academic
computing environment. We have enjoyed a 50% savings
in paper use and toner costs. This is a great product!"
- Chris, Truckee Meadows Community College - USA
"In our second year we have saved over £5,000 on

consumable costs, saved £12,000 on new printer
hardware by halving the number of printers in our
school, and reduced our print use by 62%. Fantastic!"
- Kevin, Colmers School - UK
The truth is, we get comments like these from delighted

clients almost every week. So let me ask you:
Are you serious about getting control over the printing

costs across your organization?
______________________________
Are you ready to eliminate unnecessary, wasteful
printing?
My strong hunch is that your answer is "yes", so I want

to make taking that next step as easy as possible. If
money is a concern -- don't worry -- the software usually
pays for itself within just a few months.
Or perhaps you're worried that the software is

difficult to install. Well, take a look at what clients
say about this:
“I have been delighted with the ease of installation

and configuration and the support provided during
our evaluation stage. We were up and running in a
few minutes, and the intuitive interface allowed us
to start customising easily.”
- Anthony, UK Wealth Management Ltd, UK
______________________________
“The one and only software for a printing solution
for your company/business! Actually we installed it
on an Apple Mac Server, and installation was as
simple as handling my coffee machine for a
cappuccino. In addition we received absolutely
great email support: fast, friendly and
professional.”
- Tom, Platzhalter, Switzerland
Joe, why not call my office today at

1-800-CALLMEXXX and let's talk about the next
step. Or if you have any lingering concerns or
questions, I'd be happy to let you speak directly
with one of our customers.
Sincerely,
Sally Sellers
P.S. Still a bit unsure?
______________________________
One of the most frustrating aspects of IT support
today is that many organizations "outsource" it to
3rd world call centers. Not us. In fact, our
developers do the support themselves.
That means you get the correct answer the first

time. No buck passing, no question is too hard.
Currently, our response time averages under 4
hours during week days.
Recommended:
Check out Yanik's

Instant Sales Letters
or
follow him on
Twitter
.
______________________________
The "Search Party" Sales Letter
A light-hearted way to reach out to prospects who’ve gone into

a Black Hole and stopped returning messages.
Who says the task of following up with hard-to-reach

prospects has to be a dreaded, tedious chore?
Why can't it actually be fun?
Instead of annoying your prospects with boring follow up

messages, the purpose of the Search Party Letter is to bring a
smile to their face and break down the barriers to response.
The last time I used the Search Party letter for a client, the
ROI was literally off the charts.
Here’s the template:
______________________________
Subject: {First name}, Should We Send Out a Search
Party?
Dear {first name},
Recently, I sent you a proposal about how you can

achieve {big benefit to the prospect}.
Frankly, I’m surprised I haven’t heard back from you. But

before I send out a search party…
Maybe you've been out of town... or on vacation... or just

plain busy.
Believe me, I know how easy it is to push things to the

side. Sometimes, there aren't enough hours in the day to
get everything done.
______________________________
Or maybe you saved my email, and have been meaning to
call, but it's gotten lost in the shuffle.
Or perhaps you never even got my message, because it

wasn't delivered to you in the first place! (Happens
sometimes.)
In any case, I'm attaching the proposal to this email, so I

can be certain you've received it.
I realize I'm being a complete NAG, but I just wanted to let

you know that I've been thinking about you and I care
about your situation.
Sincerely
{your name}
P.S. If you have decided to go in a different direction, will

you please let me know? That way I can quit worrying
about it.
______________________________
P.P.S. Companies often forget about their customers... not
us! You're what we're all about. Remember we are always
here for you no matter what. But I'd much rather hear from
you sooner than later.
Recommended:
Try sending this message by letter or fax. Here's the Search

Party Letter as a PDF file:
Search Party Letter
______________________________
Ryan Deiss’s 3-Part Follow Up Email Sequence
Go inside the mind of an 8-figure marketer and one of the top

email marketers on earth.
Ryan Deiss and his

firm
send out
millions of emails a week. And they track
everything.
This 3-part series was inspired by one

of his top performing templates, which
you can
download here
.
The series is carefully crafted to appeal to the top 3

reasons people buy:
1. The desire to gain something

2. The desire to justify the purchase logically
3. The desire to avoid fear of loss
To illustrate:
______________________________
Email #1 (Gain)
SUBJECT: Joe, have you taken a look at this yet?
Hi Joe,
Recently you requested more information about our CRM

platform, so I wanted to check and see if you had a chance
to read it yet.
If you're serious about wanting your salespeople to spend

a lot more time selling and a lot less time entering data,
this is the ideal first step.
Not only is this a proven platform for organizations like

yours, but it's a relatively small investment compared to
the kind of results you can expect.
______________________________
I can't guarantee how much longer this special pricing will
be available, so my advice is to jump on this now while it's
still fresh in your mind.
Sincerely,
Sally
Email #2 (Logic)
SUBJECT: Frankly I'm a little surprised…
Hi Joe,
This may sound crazy, but I'm more than a little surprised
you still haven't taken me up on my recent proposal.
The truth is, if you really want your salespeople to spend

more time selling and less time entering CRM data (and I'm
______________________________
guessing you do or you wouldn't have requested a
proposal), then this is the ideal first step.
Remember, not only will it eliminate hundreds of hours of

manual data entry, but it will also help your sales team
improve productivity so they can meet forecast.
So I urge you to take advantage of this special offer now,

before it gets lost in the shuffle of life. (:
Best,
Sally
Email #3 (Fear of missing out)
Option 1: Using scarcity
______________________________
SUBJECT: Last chance
Hi Joe,
I thought I'd give you a heads up that this is pretty much

your last chance to take advantage of the special price on
our CRM platform.
Next Monday, the discount expires, so I encourage you to

jump on this now. Chances are, you won't be seeing
prices like this any time soon.
Good luck,
Sally
P.S. Remember, not only will it eliminate hundreds of

hours of manual data entry, but it will also help your
sales team improve productivity so they can meet
forecast.
______________________________
It’s easy to get started:
Call:
Text:
Email:
Option 2: No scarcity involved
SUBJECT: Last chance
Hi Joe,
Over the last couple of weeks, I've been encouraging you to

take advantage of the special offer on our CRM platform,
but time is running out. After today, you won’t hear me
talking about it any longer.
______________________________
So I wanted to give you this one last heads up. I don't want
you to risk missing out on this opportunity completely.
All the best,

Sally
P.S. Remember, not only will you eliminate hundreds of

hours of manual data entry, but the productivity of your
sales team will improve, leading to better results.
It’s easy to get started now:
Call:
Text:
Email:
All the best,

Sally
Recommended:
______________________________
Download the template for Ryan Deiss’s email series
here
.
______________________________
How to Use Humor in Your Sales Emails
Laughter is the secret sauce in this email which pulls a 46%

response rate.
Humor goes a long way towards building trust, likeability

and rapport.
How? Five ways:
1. Humor gets people's attention.
Attention is step 1 in the AIDA sales formula:
Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.
Without attention, you can never get to step 2.
2. People like people who make them laugh and smile.
People tend do business with people they know, like and

trust, and humor makes you more likable.
______________________________
3. Laughter breaks down objections.
When you make people laugh, you create positive feelings

toward you, your product or idea.
4. Laughter is long-lasting.
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what
you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
~ Maya Angelou
5. Humor defuses tension.
During the 1984 presidential debates, Ronald Reagan was

asked if, at age 73, he is too old to be President.
Reagan paused. The tension in the air was thick.
"I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not

going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and
inexperience."
______________________________
The crowd roared --- even Reagan's opponent Walter
Mondale had to laugh.
It turned out to be a defining moment in the campaign,

and Reagan beat Mondale in a landslide.
Here’s an email that uses a little touch of humor to connect

with prospects who’ve gone silent:
Subject: Quick Question…
Hi {name}
I've tried to reach you, I haven't heard back from you and
that tells me one of three things:
1. You've already chosen another company for this

and if that's the case please let me know so can I
stop bothering you,
______________________________
2. You're still interested but haven't had the time
to get back to me yet,
3. You've fallen and can't get up and in that case

please let me know and I'll call 911 for you...
Please let me know which one it is because I'm starting to

worry...
Thanks in advance and I look forward to hearing back from

you.
According to
Bernie Reeder at Yesware
, this email gets a
46% reply rate.
The truth is, when someone goes silent, you don’t

necessarily know the reasons why. Could be personal issues,
family problems, a change in priorities...
So instead of being an annoying pest, show some humor

and your prospect will be more inclined to reply.
______________________________
Recommended Resource:
Find out who’s opened your email, what links they’ve clicked
on and more with Yesware’s
email tracking software.
______________________________
Dean Jackson’s 6 Word Email for Reviving Dead Leads
Can an email with just one line and six words turn dead leads
into sales opportunities? See for yourself...
You probably have a list of prospects you've spent time

with, but for one reason or another, things didn't work out.
Maybe the timing wasn't right... but it might be now.
Maybe they didn't have the budget then... but they have it
now.
Maybe they had other priorities... but have gotten things

sorted out now.
Or maybe they decided to go with someone else... but

didn't get the results they expected.
In any case, it may be well worth your while to get back in

touch with the
"6 Word Email"
.
______________________________
This ridiculously simple message was originally created by
Dean Jackson
for the real estate market. The results were
impressive, so other salespeople started using it too.
Here it is:
Subject: {Prospect's first name}
Are you still looking for ___?
Sally
Told you it was simple.
This email can be used for just about anything.
For example:
______________________________
Subject: Joe
Are you still looking for a new CRM?
Sally
Or:
Are you still looking to cut your energy costs?

Are you still looking for an ecommerce solution?
Are you still looking for safety training?
Are you still looking for new packaging equipment?
Are you still looking to improve your staff's productivity?
Are you still looking to lower your printing costs?
Are you still looking for a new supplier of ___?
Are you still looking for a way to ___?
______________________________
Don’t be misled by the simplicity of this message. There’s
subtle psychology at work.
First, the subject line begins with the single most

important word in the dictionary to your prospect: His or her
name.
All kinds of studies have proven that when people see

their name in print or in an email, they are attracted to it
immediately.
Second, by asking the question,
"Are you still looking for ___?"
You are creating an "open loop", which people feel

compelled to close by replying to you --- exactly what you want.
Finally, it doesn’t sound salesy, pushy or desperate.
Caution:
Most salespeople want to add something to the
email.
______________________________
Like "Call me because we've added some great new
features I'd like to tell you about."
Don't do it. Let the email do it's job. That’s a

conversation for later.
This is an email you can into practice TODAY.
1. Make a list of prospects who have dropped off your

radar screen over the last 6 - 12 months or so. (Most
CRM's have a "dead" prospect category.)
2. Send them this email.
Obviously, you won’t have a 100% success rate. Some

people will say "no", and some still won't be ready to take
action.
But since there’s so little time and effort required, it

doesn’t take much to get a positive return on yoiur investment.
Besides, they're not buying from you now, so what have

you got to lose?
______________________________
______________________________
Recommended Resource:
Dean Jackson is co-host of the popular "

I Love Marketing
"
podcast. The 6-word email idea is described in Episode 106.
______________________________
Dave Kurlan’s 3-Tap Multiple Choice Email
Another top-performing email for prospects who've gone silent

and unresponsive.
The best thing about this email is

people can reply to it in seconds, with just 3
taps on their computer or smartphone:
Hit "reply," tap one letter and then

"send".
This message comes from sales expert, author and keynote

speaker
Dave Kurlan
.
______________________________
Hi {name},
I’m guessing you’re swamped, since I haven't had

much success reconnecting with you. But I would
hate for you to miss this opportunity to {solve a
problem or achieve a benefit}.
It might just be that you don’t have any interest in

talking with me -- and that’s okay --- I just need to
know.
To make this quick and easy for you, you can reply
with a simple keystroke.
Just reply with either A, B, C or D, and I’ll take care

of it, but please do reply so I'll know what to do.
A. Stop emailing me and remove me from your list
______________________________
B. We need some help, but the timing isn’t right.
Keep in touch.
C. I would like to schedule a time to talk, please

send your calendar link.
D. I forgot who you are. What’s this about?
Thank you.
{Your signature}
Recommended:
The Art of the Sales Email:

9 Templates From First Contact to
Follow Up
Read Dave Kurlan's

blog
or connect with him on
LinkedIn
.
______________________________
Mark Cuban's Billion Dollar Sales Formula
This may be the most reliable sales formula ever invented.
One reason Mark Cuban is

worth $3 billion is because he knows
how to sell things.
In
a recent video
, Cuban makes
the pitch for two of his latest
software products ---
Xpire
and
Cyber Dust
.
If you examine his message and strip it

down to its core DNA, you will find the classic sales formula:
Problem - Agitate - Solve
● Problem
: Identify your prospect's pain point.
● Agitate
: Stir up the discomfort.
● Solve
: Deliver a solution.
______________________________
Problem-Agitation-Solution may be "the most reliable sales
formula ever invented", says Dan Kennedy in his book
The
Ultimate Sales Letter
.
Here’s how Mark Cuban applies the formula:
1. The
problem
is stated in the first sentence:
The biggest mistake that people make in social media

is that they let their posts live forever.
I think we are about to go through a huge

transformation in digital media... people are starting
to recognize that our privacy is disintegrating...
We’ve gone from a scenario where we were a little bit

concerned about cookies... and how different sites
would track us... to not really realizing in social media
that every person you follow on Twitter, Pinterest,
Tumblr, Facebook, whatever it may be, every person
______________________________
you re-tweet, re-pin, re-post, re-note, re-gram on
social media defines who you are.
And there are applications now who are collecting

every bit of that and creating profiles of you and
anticipating what you are going to do next.
And so... by what you do on social media you are

creating a profile about yourself, and that is going to
be used by not just online companies, but that’s going
to be used in every walk of life.
2.
Agitation
.
You’re going to go look for a job and they’re going to run

an online social media analysis of you and use that as a
psychological profile.
______________________________
You’re going to get sued if you’re a business person, and
they’re going to look to see where and how you posted.
Then they’re going to bring in an expert and say,
"Mark Cuban, based off of who you tweeted, who you

re-tweeted, who you pinned, who you re-pinned, who
you posted, who you re-grammed, what you wrote in
this forum, we’ve aggregated all that together and run it
through some algorithms and we decided that you are
most closely like this person who we convicted of that
crime, so you must be alike.
That is definitely going to happen.
And then what’s going to happen... you’re going to be

walking down the street, and they’re going to recognize
who you are through video facial recognition. And
they’re going to say,
"Ah, there’s Mark Cuban. We’ve already run the analysis

on him, because we anticipated that he shops here, and
______________________________
he doesn't live too far from here, so it’s very likely he will
be here, and we know what he likes, and it's going to put
Minority Report and every other sci-fi movie to shame…
3. The
solution.
And every single one of these things I’m working on now.
And that’s exactly why I’ve got two apps that I wrote one
will be coming out called Xpire, another one called Cyber
Dust, which is a messaging app...
When you send somebody a message on Cyber Dust, 30

seconds after they open it, the message disappears...
We store it nowhere. It cannot be used as part of as part

of your digital footprint.
______________________________
4. More
agitation
...
Think of this another way...
When you send a text --- it could be the most benign text,
"Yes I want to buy something."
The minute you hit send you lose ownership of that text.
Whoever you send it to, now owns that text.
They can add whatever context, whatever commentary,

whatever feedback or other information or video or
pictures around it to create whatever image or picture or
message they want to communicate about you.
And you have zero control over it.
So while we’ve educated kids about the risk of posting

pictures, "Hey you might not get into that school, or you
might not get that job because of that picture of you
______________________________
holding up a beer can..." we haven’t educated them or
anybody about what happens to texts. And they are just
as dangerous, if not more.
At least a picture tells a thousand words. With a text, the

other 995 can be created by anybody to create whatever
picture they want to create.
5. Again, the
solution
:
And that’s the reason I created Cyber Dust, to take care of

that. That’s the reason we created Xpire.
Problem-Agitation-Solution works for selling almost

anything B2B.
Why?
______________________________
Because the whole reason most companies exist is to
provide solutions to problems.
Recommended:
Get Mark Cuban's book,

How to Win at the Sport of Business
.
It's a great read.
Find out more about

Xpire
and
Cyber Dust
.
______________________________
John Carlton’s "Last Chance" Email
A wickedly simple approach from the John “just sell the damn
thing” Carlton.
John Carlton
has been a top freelance
advertising copywriter for almost 30 years.
Some of his ads are legendary, like his

"one-legged golfer" ad that shocked the
country club crowd.
His formula for a winning message?
1. Tell them what you've got

2. Tell them what it will do for
them
3. Tell them what to do next
Imagine you’re selling seats to a Karrass Negotiating

seminar:
______________________________
Subject: Last Chance
Dear Joe Prospect,
Okay Joe... I'm about to give up, but they say persistence is
vital to success.
So I'll try one last time to convince you to take advantage

of our negotiating seminar for sales and marketing pros.
Here's What I've Got
The most successful and widely-used negotiating program

in the world. An intensive, information packed workshop
with immediately helpful exercises and tips in a fun,
exciting classroom setting that covers:
______________________________
● How to sell the value and beat low-priced
competitors
● How to create win-win solutions for you and the
customer
● How to anticipate and avoid objections
● What to say when the customer says "your price is
too high"
● How to avoid the 5 biggest killers in the
negotiation phase
● 5 techniques buyers use that every salesperson
should know
Here's What It Can Do for You
Instead of over-hyped promises, here are some real-life

examples of what this seminar has actually done for
people just like you.
"This is the best negotiating class I have ever attended.

It will add 5% to my department’s bottom line"
- John S., Microsoft, Practice Mgr
______________________________
"Excellent program, a must for all salespeople. Now I can
see things from a buyers perspective"
- Holly F., Siemens Power, Account Mgr
"Blown away! This course opened my eyes and my mind to

new ideas and a new way to see the world."
- Robert B., Lockheed Martin, Business Dev
"This is far and away the best corporate training I’ve had
after 14 years in the finance business. I’m turning this
information into results right away!"
- Ed N., Caterpillar Financial, Regional Account Manager
Here's What to Do Next
It's easy to enroll. Call me at 1-800-CALLMENOW. Or

email me at Sally@EmailMeNow.com.
But hurry... the enrollment deadline is this Friday!
______________________________
Sincerely,
Sally Sellers
P.S. Over one million business professionals from over ten

thousand companies worldwide, including most of the
Fortune 500, have attended Karrass Effective Negotiating
seminars.
Isn't time you put these 'insider' strategies to work your

business?
Recommended:
Check out John Carlton's Simple Writing System

home study
program here
.
______________________________
Neil Patel’s $200K “Mad Men” Sales Letter
How Neil Patel uses old school advertising principles to sell

high tech, high-ticket consulting gigs.
Neil Patel went from selling vacuum

cleaners door-to-door to one of the most
recognized names on the internet, with an
estimated net worth of $10 million.
He is the co-founder of technology

companies including
Crazy Egg
,
Hello Bar
,
and
KISSmetrics
.
Companies like Amazon, NBC, GM, HP and Viacom hire

him to drive “eyeballs” to their web properties.
You can hire Neil Patel as a SEO (search engine

optimization) consultant for $50,000 a quarter.
Read his sales letter here

.
______________________________
Though still young at the age of 30, Neil uses classic sales
wordsmithing principles that date back to the Mad Men days.
7 Old School Sales Principles from Neil Patel
1. A Compelling Headline
People read your headline to decide if they will read the

rest of your message.
Legendary ad man David Ogilvy said five times more

people read the headline than the body copy.
Neil’s headline:
Would You Like Me To Personally Grow Your Revenues

In Exchange For A Percentage Of Your Business?
He
says
he writes about 10 or 20 headlines until he finds
one that "feels right".
______________________________
2. A Big Promise
In essence, marketing is a promise to the customer.
How many consultants make a promise as ballsy as this?
I absolutely unconditionally guarantee you generate

significant profits or else I will literally write you a check
for $25,000.00 out of my own pocket.
3. Social Proof
Neil uses the timeless principle of social proof to overcome

skepticism:
Every single company who has ever partnered with me to

personally create, deploy, and maintain their marketing
______________________________
and sales strategies for them on a retainer + equity has
generated more than seven figures as a result.
And if I think you and I might be a potential match, I’ll

personally introduce you to them and walk you through
every single campaign I created for them so you can see
for yourself before you decide to engage me.
4. Make Them Qualify
Instead of chasing any prospect with a pulse, Neil puts

them through a pre-selection process:
The criteria to qualify to work with me is steep…
Now, below, read my “10 Point Partnership Criteria”

carefully, and determine if you’re the “right person” or
not...
______________________________
5. Irresistible Offer
The heart of a sales message is your offer --- the terms of

the deal --- what the customer gets and what they have to do or
pay to get it.
With a great offer, even a mediocre salesperson can still be

successful:
Ultimately, This Costs You Nothing. Here’s why.
My retainer is $50K per quarter, plus a negotiated

percentage of the business. If, by the end of the first
quarter, you haven’t seen at least a measurable 200%
return on your initial retainer investment, I’ll
immediately return your retainer and I’ll write you an
additional check for $25,000.00 as a “fee” for wasting
your time.
______________________________
6. Scarcity
When the supply of something is limited, more people

seem to want it.
That’s why the fear of losing out is a powerful motivator.
WARNING - TIME IS A FACTOR
Due to the intensely “hands on” nature of the work

provided, I can only accept a very limited amount of
clients. The last time I advertised this level of service, 84
businesses applied. I accepted one.
7. The P.S.
No sales letter is complete without a postscript.
______________________________
Neil uses the P.S. to restate the call-to-action and the
scarcity factor:
P.S. Once more, the website to apply is

http://www.neilpatelseo.com
.
This letter is being sent to several thousand of my best

customers, and appointments are granted on a first
come, first served basis.
If this is of interest to you, I encourage you to apply

immediately. The demand for this level of service is very,
very high and I can only accept a very small number of
clients.
Note also that his sales letter is all text --- no images, charts
or graphs.
Yet another reminder that words --- not images --- make a
compelling sales message.
______________________________
Recommended:
Follow Neil Patel on

Twitter
or read his
Quicksprout blog
.
______________________________
Dan Kennedy’s "3 Reasons Why" Email
From the desk of one of the world's highest-paid sales

wordsmiths.
After 40 years, Dan Kennedy

has forgotten more about writing
sales messages than most of us will
ever know.
He commands $50,000 to
$150,000 for sales copywriting
projects --- plus royalties.
The following message is a promotion for membership in

his entry-level
Insider's Circle
.
It’s long, but you’ll find the structure is simple enough that
any salesperson can model it and apply it.
Here’s his formula:
______________________________
a) Understand the most common reasons why your
prospect hasn't responded
(b) Answer each objection one-by-one.
To illustrate:
Subject: 3 Possible Reasons You Held Back
Hi {name},
Recently, we discussed how you can achieve {the

benefits of what you have to offer}.
After checking our records, it looks like you haven't taken

me up on it so far.
So I did some head-scratching and came up with three
possible reasons why you held back:
** REASON #1 **
______________________________
{Objection no. 1 and why that objection isn't valid}
** REASON #2 **
{Objection no. 2 and why that objection isn't valid}
** REASON #3 **
Finally, {Objection no. 3 and why that objection isn't

valid. Include your guarantee if you have one}.
Bottom line: there's really NO good reason holding you

back from taking advantage of this offer - a real value of
{the benefits to the customer in dollar terms}.
The sooner you accept, the sooner you can start realizing
these benefits.
______________________________
If you really want to overcome {the problem you help
them solve} then I urge you to take advantage of this
before it's too late.
An example from the desk of Dan Kennedy himself:
Subject Line: 3 Possible Reasons You Held Back
A couple days ago I let you know about a special, limited

time offer we're making which includes $633.91 worth of
resources, training, and tools designed for the small
business owner / entrepreneur.
Basically it's some of my BEST business building and

marketing information - and you can get it for FREE.
I had our tech folks check the database records (I don't

get my hands messy with that sort of thing!) and it looks
like so far you haven't taken me up on it.
______________________________
So I did some head-scratching and came up with three
possible reasons why you held back:
** REASON #1 **
You might think all this doesn't apply to your SPECIFIC

business. Well, that would be a mistake.
I've shared this info with more than 1,000 different kinds
of companies dealing with consumers and B2B, local,
national, global, bricks and mortar or cyberspace --- you
name it.
I GUARANTEE that when you go through all the pieces

you'll not only have no more lingering doubts; you WILL
discover overlooked opportunities in YOUR business.
** REASON #2 **
______________________________
You worry "NOW" might not be a good time to embark on
new strategies. Maybe you feel too busy yourself, with no
extra time to review or implement.
Maybe you're worried that the "New Economy" requires

you to "hunker down" and wait out the storm for "right
time."
Well, the truth of success is that it's NEVER "the right

time." Successful people make "NOW" the right time.
The good news here is that many of these

BREAKTHROUGH STRATEGIES will save you time, make
you more productive, and make it easier to win in
business.
Regardless of the economy, with these resources you'll be

much better equipped to thrive and grow and prosper.
One of the most famous self-made-billionaires who

started and built his sales enterprise during the great
______________________________
Depression, W. Clement Stone, said that THE biggest
difference between highly successful entrepreneurs and
all others is saying "NOW" and "YES" instead of "LATER"
and "SOMEDAY."
** REASON #3 **
Finally, you may be hesitant to trust people you've only

just met on the internet.
Well, I can't blame you.
I'm afraid there are a lot of 'self-invented yesterday'

pretend experts out there - after all, anybody can throw
up a website and some videos.
Well, we are VERY real.
GKIC has a experienced team of researchers, writers,

marketers, and concierges at our corporate HQ in Chicago
and scattered across the US - all dedicated to the success
of small businesses and entrepreneurs like yourself.
______________________________
Our flagship publication, the "NO B.S. MARKETING
LETTER" is now in its 25th year as the largest circulation
paid subscription newsletter of its kind.
Finally, I'm now celebrating my 40th year in this business

with zero interest in going anywhere any time soon.
So not only are we the total opposite of "New Kids On the

Block," we absolutely GUARANTEE everything we provide,
and will not keep even a penny of your money unless you
agree we've earned it thousands of times over.
Bottom line: there's really NO good reason holding you

back from taking advantage of this incredible offer - a real
value of $633.91 in proven business building resources -
all for FREE.
The sooner you accept, the sooner the dynamic

moneymaking breakthroughs can begin for you.
______________________________
If you're an entrepreneur who could really use a true
friend... who understands you, who provides you with
practical and actionable information, who applauds your
initiative and success....then take advantage of this before
it's too late.
Recommended Resources:
For more about Dan Kennedy and GKIC's Inner Circle,

click
here.
______________________________
3 Irresistible LinkedIn Invitations from Jill Rowley
Tips from social selling Jill Rowley on the language of LinkedIn.
"Connecting is an art, not a science," says Jill Rowley.

"Every person and every industry is a
bit different."
"Never use LinkedIn’s

boilerplate invitation language," she
says.
"Always include a personal note.

Always refer to something the person
has done that attracted your attention.
Always tell the person something about you
that is likely to interest him or her."
For example, here’s how Jill connects with

conference-goers --- even when she can’t go to the conference:
______________________________
Johnny -
So bummed I’m not able to make it to the

conference next week. I’m looking forward to
listening to the recording of your presentation.
I’d be honored to be in your network and delighted

to have you in mine. Can we please connect here on
LinkedIn?
A message for Jill’s alumni network:
Johnny –
Wahoowa! I too am a UVA alum.
______________________________
I see that you are leading HR onboarding at Cisco.
Wow, what an interesting time to be in the talent
management space.
I’d be honored to be in your network and delighted

to have you in mine. Can we please connect?
How Jill reaches out to network connections:
Tony -
We share 45 connections, many of whom are my

favorite marketing thought leaders.
I see you're also speaking at Dreamforce 2014. I'm

looking forward to your session on
#ModernMarketing.
______________________________
I'd be honored to be in your network and delighted
to have you in mine. Let's connect!
"The art of the LinkedIn invite is making it about them, not

about you and what you want," Jill says.
"It’s about connecting, congratulating, relating to that

individual. And just like relationship-building and dating, it
happens over time."
To learn more from Jill, connect with her on

LinkedIn
or follow
her on
Twitter
.
______________________________
Michael Senoff’s "Karate Kid" Sales Email
Buyers can spot a sales pitch coming a mile away. But no one
can resist a good story, well told.
MailChimp
sends billions of emails
each month.
Average open rate?
Less than 25%
That means 3 out of 4 marketing emails

go unread.
If you want to get your message opened and read, you

have to do something different.
Like storytelling.
You don’t have to be a great storyteller to tell a great story.

Just tell one that’s already been told.
______________________________
Here’s how:
1. Think of a popular movie your audience is familiar

with.
2. Take a "life lesson" from the movie and relate it back to

what you’re selling.
For example, consider the “Swan Kick Marketing Secret”

email written by Michael Senoff of
HardtoFindSeminars.com
.
Here’s how he uses a story from

Karate Kid
--- one of the
most popular films of all time.
Subject: The Swan Kick Marketing Secret . . .
My favorite movie of all time is the Karate Kid.
______________________________
It's a classic about a skinny kid who goes to an old
Japanese master to learn Karate so he won't get beat up
and bullied at school.
Anyhow... it's got a lot of life lessons that can be applied

to business too.
For example...
Wanna know what one of the biggest stumbling block to

most business growth is?
Lack of originality or uniqueness.
Think about it.
The biggest problem with your marketing, is clutter.
Too many people in the same niche, selling the same

kinds of products, the same way to the same people.
______________________________
The only difference is price.
The problem with competing on price is that almost

everyone can be a player in that game because it takes no
special skill to do it.
Competing in a crowded, competitive market is a lot like

fighting in a high-stakes karate tournament.
On the streets, a black belt is great.
But if everyone else you’re fighting has one, you're one of

them.
Same with your marketing.
You can only make the same claims so many times before
they become worthless.
Your key to winning more business is to be different.
______________________________
You can differentiate your business by highlighting your
unique benefit.
This gives you a unique reason for our customers to do

business with us, therefore taking price out of the
equation.
(Or at least long enough for us to make our sales pitch)
Or in my Karate example . . .
The Karate Kid learned a devastating "Swan Kick" that

permanently eliminates even the most intimidating
competitors.
So if you want your business to be the "Karate Kid" of

your market, take a look at what I've got for you below...
See how it works?
______________________________
The story doesn’t have to come from a movie, of course.
It could be from a popular book, TV show, sporting event...
as long as you can tie it into your offer.
Recommended:
For more examples like the "

Karate Kid Email
",
subscribe
to
Michael Senoff's list. There’s a lesson hidden in every email he
sends (and he sends a LOT).
Michael is also the publisher of the world's leading free

digital
audio business library
, with over 117 hours of free
downloadable audio interviews with sales, marketing and
business success experts.
______________________________
The "Japanese Apology" Letter
A carefully crafted message designed to please the world's most

demanding customers.
In a perfect world, products would always be delivered on

time and 100% defect-free.
Suppliers would always be reliable.
The weather would always cooperate,

machines would never break down and
people would never make mistakes.
Hello! Wake up... you've been

dreaming!
Inevitably, no matter what kind of

business you're in, sometimes things don't
go as planned or as promised.
______________________________
How salespeople respond in these situations can make the
difference between keeping or losing a key customer.
● Do not make excuses.

● Do not blame others.
● Do not use insincere phrases like
"we're sorry for any
inconvenience this may have caused."
● Do not make vague, empty promises like
"we have taken
the necessary steps to ensure this doesn't happen again."
● Don't blame the customer.
What to do when things go wrong
Here's a 3-step method I learned dealing with large,

quality-obsessed Japanese manufacturing companies like
Canon and Lotte:
1. Apologize
2. Explain what happened
3. Explain specifically what you and your company are
going to do to FIX the problem --- and make sure it doesn't
happen again
Here's an example:
______________________________
Dear {Customer Name},
On behalf of my company and colleagues, let me say we

are truly sorry for the problems we caused with the late
shipment on August 24th. I understand you are upset,
and frankly, I would feel the same way too.
In short, the late delivery was caused by a breakdown of a

key piece of equipment in our factory, which resulted in a
production outage of almost 18 hours. Because of the
high demand for that product, it took us over three days
to catch up on the backlog of orders.
That said, to prevent any shipment delays to you in the

future, we have decided to keep 30 days of product
inventory stocked in a warehouse located two blocks
from your facility (at our expense, of course). That way,
you can rest assured of 100% on-time deliveries in the
future.
______________________________
We decided to make this investment for two reasons.
First, we understand the value of on-time shipments to

you and your company.
Second, we are grateful for our relationship and the

support you have shown us over the years.
I trust you will find this resolution acceptable, however, I

welcome any questions, comments or feedback you may
have.
Again, please accept my sincere apologies for the

trouble.
Sincerely,
{Your name}
______________________________
Recommended:
IMPORTANT NOTE: Some companies view an apology letter as

an expressed admission of guilt. Always check with your
manager or legal department before sending.
______________________________
The "Oops We Goofed" Apology Letter
Make your customers’ hearts grow fonder.
Here’s an easy way to transform minor missteps and

misunderstandings into more goodwill and long-term customer
loyalty.
When you make a mistake:
First, buy one of those jumbo

erasers that says "Ooops", "For BIG
Mistakes", "Not Again!" or "My Bad!"
In the U.S., you can find them at

places like Dollar Tree.
Then handwrite a personal note

that goes something like this:
______________________________
Dear {name},
So sorry I was late for the meeting yesterday.
You will laugh when you hear the reason I was late... I
will tell you about it the next time I see you. It's
something that could only happen to me.
Anyway, no excuses. I wish I could take this big eraser

and wipe it out like it never happened. But it doesn't
work that way.
I hope you will forgive me and not hold it against me.

Next time, I promise to be there EARLY to make up lost
time. OK?
Sincerely,
______________________________
Put the note and the eraser in an envelope and drop it in
the mail.
Yes, an email would be a lot easier.
However, cold pixels on a computer screen will never

have the same impact as the big eraser and a personal,
handwritten note.
Recommended:
You can order these erasers at a number of places online for a

dollar or less. Search for
“Jumbo Erasers Big Mistakes”
.
______________________________
Acknowledgements
This e-book would not have been possible without the

contributions of these sales and marketing masters. I am
grateful for the opportunity to share their work:
Robert Collier Martin Conroy Gary Halbert

John Carlton Mark Cuban Ryan Deiss
Steli Efti Dean Jackson Geoffrey James
Dan Kennedy Dave Kurlan Jason Leister
Dan Martell Bernie Reeder Jill Rowley
Ilya Semin Michael Senoff Yanik Silver
And to Carmen, who showed me how to write faster and

better on my first day on the job.
______________________________

How To Write Sales Messages 2x Faster and 5x Better Than You Do Now (PDFDrive)

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Straight from the desks of sales and marketing masters…

How To Write Sales Messages 2x Faster

Start conversations, develop opportunities, move sales

Ready-to-use, fill in the blank templates •

Jason Leister’s Email for Inbound Leads

The little-known secret to writing better and faster.

It was a hot, humid September Monday morning in

After a morning round of introductions, my boss, Dr. Don

Beyond that, he asked me to sort out a billing error with

The task was simple enough: Write a letter to the hotel

After staring at a blank page for a few minutes, that’s when

I had absolutely no clue how to write the letter.

Talk about writer’s block; I didn’t even know how to begin.

She glanced at the piece of paper I had scribbled on and

I cringed and slunk back to my office.

Fifteen minutes later Carmen knocked on my door and

One look at the letter and I

The address block, date,

My name was typed four lines below the last sentence.

At the bottom left was JS/cm --- my initials letters followed

As I read it and signed my name, on one hand, I felt like a

But on the other hand, I realized that I COULD have written

The truth is, anyone can craft an effective sales message.

“The surest path to success is the clever, adaptive copycat.”

There’s no need to be creative --- be emulative. Model what

Inside, you’ll find sales messages written by some of the

The whole idea is to help you write better, faster and

How a 29-year-old whiz kid from Russia attracted $2 million

Some companies spend months or years developing a new

Good strategy? Not according to ​

"Personally, I hate leaving anything to

"Before I create a new product I want

That's the strategy ​

Here's the "Looking for advice" email the 29 year old

● KISSmetrics became Datanyze's first customer.

A few months later, Mark Cuban joined IDG Ventures and

"To come up with a good business idea, invert your

Datanyze gives sales teams a competitive edge with alerts when

Learn more about Datanyze​

Learn more about Ilya Semin on his ​

Don't guess what your prospects want --- find out

This is a great little email / survey tool

Instead of delivering a sales pitch, he’s

Subject: {Name}, will you do me a favor?

Do you have 2 minutes to answer some quick questions?

That's why we need YOUR help to fine tune what we

I would be more than honored to hear from you.

Thanks in advance for your time and consideration.

P.S. To show my appreciation for your feedback, I will

Plus Typeform is free.

What survey questions to ask?​Start with:

1. When it comes to {your topic}, what is the no. 1 thing

2. What's holding you back?

3. What solutions are you considering to overcome these

Get more sales and marketing advice from Dan Martell ​

Geoffrey James - author and contributing editor at

For instance, in the early 90's, he

He tells the story in ​

Geoffrey James is also a talented wordsmith.

His articles are viewed over 1 million times a month.

His advice for writing sales emails?

Subject: Inventory Cost Overruns

Dear Mr. Jones:

Good strategy? Not according to

That's the strategy

Learn more about Datanyze

Learn more about Ilya Semin on his

What survey questions to ask?Start with:

Get more sales and marketing advice from Dan Martell

He tells the story in

Here’s what Mark Cuban says in the introduction to his

Length, width and