For example, knowing that buyers would rather not suffer loss than gain more you must show what will happen if customer refuses to buy your product. It's all about consequences.

Now here is point at which most businesses fail in their marketing efforts. Let's say that you are trying to sell a garden tool. This tool will cut a hedge fence much faster and easier than any other tool on market. Along with listing all new features of this tool and how effective it is at cutting hedges, smart marketer must take this to logical conclusion.

I mean, what is customer really buying? It's not garden tool at all. It's not well manicured fences either. If there were no neighbors to admire that fence your customer wouldn't care less about your garden tool innovation. Your customer is really buying admiration from others.

Knowing this then you must promise what they are really buying. You must make every effort to show how your new garden tool will cause your customer to be "envy of neighborhood" because of immaculate hedge fences.

The same applies to any product that claims to make prospect more money. Nobody is interested in money. People want what money can bring-power, security, influence and things money buy. So marketer should show consequences of increased income by showcasing lifestyle that money brings. Such as vacations, luxury cars, dream home, relief from calls of debt collectors.

After studying several online sales letters I observed that such websites that showed owners enjoying good life because of their increased income had high conversion rates. Do you get it? Even if you are selling a product that has nothing to do with lifestyle you must show that your product will somehow allow customer to enjoy an improved lifestyle.

It's all a matter of how far you go in showing consequences.

Your sales material must pass common "So what? test. This is a little tool used by copywriters to determine whether something should be mentioned or not in a sales letter. It is also used to show consequences as well.

According to copywriter Joseph Sugarman, purpose of first sentence of a salesletter is to get reader to read next sentence. And second sentence? To get reader to read third sentence. This becomes even more crucial on internet than in print, since attention spans are very short online.

There are certain types of letter openings that prove very effective in pulling prospect into rest of copy. We'll briefly look at ten most effective ways.

1. Tell a Story

Stories have been used for ages to relate lessons. From bedtime stories to greatest philosophers, we all love a good story.

A story creates empathy with reader and helps to draw him into sales pitch. This works best if story identifies with problem that prospect is now experiencing for which you've found solution. Some of most effective direct mail pieces used this technique.

2. State offer upfront

If your product or service is well known to your audience and doesn't need any special introduction, then you can just state offer right away. This serves best if your offer is a very attractive one. In this case real appeal is in offer itself.

A common example is if you have a free offer or deep discount on products your target audience is already interested in. Your entire salesletter can then be based on offer and not on product features or benefits.

3. Use a startling quote or statistic

This type of opening is really intended to get reader to sit up and pay attention. It should be 'newsy' and have some 'shock value'. It should raise a question in prospect's mind and build some curiosity to read rest of letter.

4. Make an announcement

This will work best if you have a new product that you are introducing to market. This should sound like a press release. In other words, there should be little 'hype' and more factual type statements emphasizing what's new about this product.

5. Ask a question

Questions are very effective in pulling reader into your salesletter. This is especially true when answers to questions are very important to reader. These questions also force prospect to think and get involved with your copy. The questions remain unresolved until you answer them in copy. Questions also make letter sound conversational and more personal.

6. Write to reader as a colleague