If you receive a direct response package in the mail, you will probably get both a sales letter and a sales brochure. What you will notice (if you have the eye of a skilled writer) is that they are very similar in certain respects. They have very similar techniques and features and obviously share the same goal: to get you to buy the product or service!

Here are some of the ways direct response letters and direct response brochures are similar:

They are written in the language of the reader. Never, ever use corporate language or corporate jargon when writing to sell (unless, of course, you’re selling to corporate executives, of course). To get that sale you must talk to your reader as if you were one of them, as a good friend would.

Benefits, benefits, benefits. Did I mention benefits? Like a great sales letter, brochures focus on the best benefits of a product. An effective brochure will show exactly what the product or service will do for the reader. Is that gear you’re selling? The brochure would then highlight how dentures make the reader feel younger by enjoying foods that he enjoyed at a younger age.

Call now to take advantage of this great offer!!! The brochure, like the sales letter, includes a call to action. This is important because you’re never sure the prospect will read both the letter and the brochure, so the call to action should be in both.

Yes, there are many important similarities between a brochure and a sales letter. They’re both trying to accomplish the same goal, so naturally you’ll want them to include the same sales technique.

However, there are many differences between the two because a brochure can offer unique opportunities that a sales letter cannot. Here are some of the main differences between business letter and brochure:

Pure novelty. Sales letters are more “real” in the sense that they are created to look like a real correspondence and the more “real” they are, the more effective they become. A brochure has no other derivation than something used in sales and marketing, so they take a more novel approach. Design and novelty take the place of customization. This new feature can be more attractive and increases the effectiveness of the brochure. People, especially jaded prospects, are used to seeing sales letters, so the appeal has worn off. The uniqueness of a well-designed brochure can break down the cynical barrier of the jaded prospect.

The brochure is “real life”. The brochure can often be a case example. The letter is written to capture the emotions of the reader, to play with his senses. The brochure is written to be the equivalent of putting the product in the hands of the reader. By the time they finish reading the brochure, the prospect should have a pretty good idea of ​​what it’s like to own the product.

Brochures are not designed “from top to bottom.” The letters are written to be read from top to bottom, from beginning to end. There is a narrative, a story that must be told in a letter. Brochures, on the other hand, are modular. They have dashboards that can be assigned different perks, features, calls to action, and even response cards.

Pictures, graphs, charts and other visual stuff. Brochures can present visually pleasing images of the product. They can feature graphs and pie charts, and charts illustrating the various benefits and features of the product. A well-designed brochure can be a work of art in the sense that it is so pleasing to the eye that it is difficult for the reader to put it down. Not every prospect wants to read a long sales letter, but if you have a beautifully designed brochure with graphics summarizing the top benefits, it’s hard for a prospect to ignore you.