Comments on: Are Long-Form Sales Letters Dead?

By: Darren Scott Monroe

Darren Scott Monroe — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 00:31:48 +0000

David I think you touched on something really important and that that the presell is the thing that matters most. The relationship always leads to a connection but the solving proccess leads to a sale

By: becky

becky — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:07:02 +0000

I absolutely am sick to death of those red sales letters. Nope, I never buy from people who sell in my face. I mean, when I've DECIDED I want to buy, I'm ready to pay and see the price and see the receipt at checkout, NOT be sent continually to have my arm twisted again and again with a severley annoying sales letter. It is such a sales turn off and runins my buying experience. What you gurus keep missing is that if the site is good enough, if the quality content is there and I like who I'm buying from, then forget the sales letter. Just ask yourself why Amazon is so successful – wow, I love this site – so easy to use with NO damn sales letters. When I'm ready to buy I just checkout – like in a normal store. WOuld you have some assistant selling to your face when you're standing in the queue ready to check out with a product you're about to buy – heck I'd put it back on the rack, walk out and go some place else to buy. It's all about user experiece and the sales letter fails miserably.

By: becky

becky — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 08:07:02 +0000

By: Mo "Mad Dog" Stoneskin

Mo "Mad Dog" Stoneskin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:52:23 +0000

This is the first I've heard or seen anything like this. You see, I tend to live in a little cocoon. The world is nuts, but I guess this stuff works.

By: infopediaonlinehere

infopediaonlinehere — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:24:04 +0000

great post

By: Dave Doolin

Dave Doolin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:44:56 +0000

It's interesting that almost no one commenting here like long copy, just the opposite in fact.

Yet your long copy converted better than 5%, and might have done even better had a pro written it.

Curious.

By: Dave Doolin

Dave Doolin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:41:20 +0000

Well put, Erica.

I howled with laughter at Kern's *long form* sales letter for Video Boss... where ragged all over long form copy "nobody wants to read long sales letter." I suspect that email converted very well for him. It was extremely well written.

Long, short, doesn't matter as much as "not boring" I suspect.

In the end, long copy is just another tool in the shed. Use it when needed.

By: Eric

Eric — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:17:00 +0000

Honestly everyone is different and I'm on the same boat. I personally don't prefer them unless I know the person behind them well enough because I think that the person who creates them is just in it for getting a hold of my money.

If I know the person and have build trust with them at all, it's different.

By: Ursula

Ursula — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:16:45 +0000

I find I never read anywhere near the whole letter — I just skim quickly through a few parts here and there, but since I know their format, I pretty much just scroll all the way down towards the bottom (or almost-bottom) to find the price and the buy buttons.

I'm not sure if I'd use a long sales letter myself for my future products… something to think about!

By: travisamorgan

travisamorgan — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 08:01:23 +0000

Gonna have to agree with you on this one.

Even as a potential customer to others out there, I HATE HATE HATE sales letters. It looks and feels like bogus. It feels very over-exaggerated and frustrates me to no end, I'm at the point now, where if I see a sales letter, I immediately click out of there.

Sorry, a little venting...

However, when I see something like a video presentation, or the salesman right there in front of me, describing it and showing me around, I feel like it's a bit nicer than just flat out text. Plus, I get to sit back, relax and enjoy a nice presentation. No reading, just watch and listen.
Maybe this is because of the microwave society we live in?

Anyway, great post, I'm going to have to 150% agree with you, maybe even more than you agree with you. If that makes sense. Thanks bro.