"But wait a minute (you might be thinking)... this sounds totally 'Bass Ackwards' doesn't it?" It sure does but it REALLY works too...

And here's why ... When you envision a product, prewriting sales letter first allows you to place no limitations on it. You can write more freely as very things you describe are actually helping you design and create your product's features and benefits.

Now all of a sudden you have an extended blueprint that can add many bells & whistles some of which will actually end up being part of your final product.

You'll also find that much of your original inspiration will also give you many great sales copy components that will also end up in your sales letter too.

And, in this mode of no barrier mind-streaming, you'll undoubtedly come up with more creative ideas than restrictive mind we use when analyzing possibilities.

1. The snooze-letter -- a newsletter so boring it puts readers to sleep.

Cure: Find out what your readers want to know and write about it. Keep tone lively. Don’t know what readers want? Ask!

2. Audience too broad - a newsletter with a broad audience (customers, employees and distributors, for example) may meet no one’s needs very well or might meet one group’s needs while ignoring others.

Cure: Different audiences = different information needs = different newsletters. Your newsletter will be better read if it provides information that’s relevant to specific audience.

3. Too long - Most folks are strapped for time. They won’t tackle a long newsletter.

Cure: Keep your newsletter short. (1-2 pages an issue )

4. I have a friend…. - Everyone has a friend, relative, spouse, or whatever who knows something about marketing and/or communication. Doesn’t mean they know anything about newsletters. The results include poor writing, poor design, poor targeting, and poor performance.

Cure: Use people with newsletter experience.