The purpose of your sales letter is to grab and keep the attention of your reader. Once you have accomplished that step the next step is to get them to take immediate action. One way to accomplish this is by engaging your reader in a good story without finishing it. After starting the story, pause in the middle to tell them you will complete the story in a minute… but first you would like to tell them about _____.

For example, you may use something comparable to this:

“The next day Jack was shocked when he looked in the mirror. In just a moment I’ll tell you what he saw – you’ll be just as shocked as Jack. But first…”

Once again, you use curiosity to compel the reader to keep reading. But the other reason he’ll keep reading is for the same reason people watch movies all the way through – namely, they have to find out what happens. You can use that curiosity and desire to leave no loose ends to your advantage.

As referenced above, another effective way to guarantee to keep your reader engaged is to bring out their emotion For example:

• You can gently remind a person who stutters what it felt like to get laughed at in school.
• You may gently remind an overweight person how embarrassing it is not to fit in an airplane seat, and how humiliating it is to go shopping for clothing.
• You can gently remind a person how it feels to be stressed out all the time at work.

Notice I said “gently” in each case. You want to get your point across but with a great deal of sensitivity. You want them to realize you feel their pain and you sympathize with them. A good way to do this is to say something, “I used to feel my cheeks get hot every time someone laughed at me when I stuttered”.

The purpose is to make them relive the problem in their mind and create a sense of urgency to solve the problem. Then, highlight the positive benefits they will experience after purchasing your product. If you take your prospects through this process they will be much more likely to purchase from you more often.

Did you ever sign up for an email list and in the sales page it says they will deliver (what ever they are promising you) to your email instantly….. “yes, even if it is 3 am in the morning”. Well, they are using an email autoresponder to automate their business.

Once you get the feel for what your customers are looking for you can continually tweak your messages and keep on adding more email content to them. I have seen some autoresponders set up outside a year long. Imagine the messaging you can send on a consistent basis not to mention the cash you can generate on a regular basis.

In my opinion a mailing list is your most valuable asset. The larger the list the more money it is possible to make. I have made up to $1,000 for one mailing in a very narrow niche with a list of only 1,800 people. But your list is only valuable if handled with care and respect. The important part is that you know how to use it to its greatest potential. Don’t over use it and keep jamming sales letters and affiliate links down their throats. Make sure to send top content on a regular basis and they will be ready to by your product when it comes out.

If I knew how valuable my lists would prove to be I would have started to build them much sooner. It is hard to believe the feeling when you need some cash and you put out an email to your list offering a great deal on some of your e-products and the cash starts rolling in. Once this happens, you will never look at list building the same ever again. I guarantee it!

Before we get into the actual marketing to your list, let’s go over some basics about autoresponders and the steps you need to take before you ever send that first email.

How to Find the Right Autoresponder for YOU

Don’t just sign up for the first autoresponder system you come across. Make sure you compare several companies and see what they have to offer. Do your research and find out which autoresponder has which features and benefits. You want to find the one that best matches your situation.

There are quite a few systems out there to choose from so I’ll tell you which system I use and some of the other top names. Don’t limit yourself to this list. If you have heard good things about a company then check them out. I actually looked at the companies that were used by the guru’s sending me email and started my search from there. That might not be a bad idea for you as well.

I use Aweber because it fits my system perfectly. It is easily scalable and you can start off small and for very little money. This worked great for me and the most of the people I learned the business off of where using Aweber so I gave it a try and have been with them ever since. It may or may not be right for you so compare it to others to see if it is right for you.

Here are some links to other popular autoresponder systems.

Aweber

iContact

Get Response

Email Aces

Making a wise decision before starting a marketing campaign can and will make a difference. Yes, you can change to a new autoresponder later, but why go through the hassle if it’s not necessary. Choose wisely.

Know The Programs Available

Educate yourself on your autoresponder before beginning any marketing campaign. Take the time to learn how all the bells and whistles work. Once you know what you’re working with, you’ll be unstoppable. Don’t leave anything on the table that will keep you from utilizing this powerful tool to its fullest potential.

If your autoresponder can do all that you need it to do, and you know how to use it to your advantage, your marketing campaign will flourish.

Now let’s take a look at some do’s and don’ts. This is where an autoresponder will make or break your business. If done right, you’ll discover why everyone and their brothers say, “The money is in the list.”