Some rule books go further and devote pages to faulty diction that must be avoided and print lists of words that should not be used and words that are "preferred".

The folding of the typewritten page usually comes in for a rule and instructions are generally given regarding corrections--whether the pen can be used at all or if letters must be rewritten.

With these rules laid down for the guidance of the stenographer, her mind is left free for other things that will contribute to her usefulness. It is no reflection on their knowledge of correct English to say that the majority of correspondents, working under high pressure, make mistakes that the stenographer must catch. It is extremely easy in dictating to mix up the tenses of verbs and to make other slips which most letter writers look to their stenographers to correct. It should be a hard and fast rule that an ungrammatical letter must never be sent out under any circ.u.mstances.

Some correspondents not only look to the stenographer to edit their "copy" but to come back for a new dictation if the meaning of a letter is not perfectly clear. The thought is that if the stenographer does not understand it, there is danger of its being misinterpreted by the one to whom it is addressed.

Many rule books include a list of trade terms and phrases that the most expert stenographer may never have met with in their previous work. Legal terms are especially difficult to take down until a girl has become familiar with the unknown Latin words. This may also be said of technical terms, mechanical terms, architectural and building terms, and so forth. It is a saving of time and annoyance in many offices to have a list of frequently used words that the new stenographer can study before she attempts to take dictations.

It is not likely that any two business houses could adopt the same rules throughout. But this does not lessen the desirability of having specific instructions covering all these points, for without uniformity, the letters will not have the character, the dignity and the individuality that is desired by every concern.

How to Write the _Letter_ That Will "LAND" the _Order_

PART V--WRITING THE SALES LETTER--CHAPTER 16

_Selling goods is considered the biggest problem in the business world. Hard as it is to close a deal with the prospect right before you, it is infinitely harder to get his order when he is miles away and you must depend upon a type-written sheet to interest him in your proposition sufficiently to buy your goods. Methods that have succeeded are described in this chapter and samples of order-bringing letters are given_

The letter that is sent out unaided to make its own approach, open its own canva.s.s and either complete a sale or pave the way to a sale may be called "the original sales letter." There has been no inquiry, no preliminary introduction of any kind. The letter is simply the subst.i.tute for the salesman who voluntarily seeks out his own prospect, presents his proposition and tries to land an order.

Such a letter undertakes a big task. It has a more difficult mission than the personal salesman, for it cannot alter its canva.s.s on the spot to suit the prospect's mood. It must have its plan complete before it goes into the mail. It must be calculated to grip the attention, impel a reading, prompt a favorable decision and get back, in the return envelope, an order or at least a request for further information.

The letter that can do that, a letter so clever and so convincing that it makes a man a thousand miles away put his hand into his pocket, take out his hard earned cash and buy a money order; or makes the shrewd man at the desk take up his pen, write a check and send it for the goods you have to sell, is a better employee than your star salesman because it gets the order at a fraction of the cost. And the man who can write the letter that will do that is a power in the business world--his capacity is practically unlimited.

Original sales letters are of two kinds: those that endeavor to perform the complete operation and secure the order and those that are intended merely as the first of a follow-up series or campaign.

Which to use will depend upon the nature and cost of your proposition. A simple, low-priced article may be sold with a single letter--the margin of profit may not warrant more than that. On an expensive, complicated article you cannot hope to do more in the initial letter than win your prospect's interest, or possibly start him toward the dealer who sells your goods.

Consider first the former. You are to write a single letter and make it an attention-getting, interest-winning, complete, convincing, order-bringing medium. There is no better way to do this than to put yourself in the position of the salesman who must do all these things in a single interview. You really must do more than the salesman, but this is the best way to get in your own mind the proper att.i.tude toward your prospect.

Say to yourself, "I am now going into this man's office. He does not know me and does not know I am coming. This is the only chance I have to see him and I shall probably never see him again. I must concentrate all my knowledge of my proposition on this one selling talk and must tell him everything I can about it that will make him want to buy. I must say it in such a way that he will clearly understand; I must give him a good reason for buying today and I must make it easy for him to do so."

Then picture yourself in his office, seated beside his desk and proceed to _talk_ to him. Above all, keep in mind that you are talking to _one_ man. No matter if your letter is to go to ten thousand people, each letter is individual. Remember, it goes to one person. So when you write it, aim directly at one person.

And _see_ him in your mind's eye. Get as clear an idea as you can of the cla.s.s your letter is going to and then picture the average man in that cla.s.s. The best way is to pick out some friend or acquaintance who most nearly represents the cla.s.s you want to reach and write the letter to him. You'll be surprised how much easier it is when you have a definite person in mind. And your letter will then be sure to have that much desired "personal touch."

Of prime importance in this single sales letter is the close, the clincher. Your one big purpose is to get the order, and no matter how clever you may be three-fourths of the way through, if the letter falls short of clinching the order in the end, it may as well not have been written at all.

Here is an excellent example of one of these complete letters. Note particularly the summing up, the guarantee offer and how easy the writer makes it to order:

HOW TO GET A POSITION AND HOW TO HOLD IT

Is the t.i.tle of a little book that business men and editors say is the most sensible and helpful thing ever printed on its subject Contains the boiled-down experience of years. Written by an expert correspondent and high-salaried writer of business literature who has hunted positions for himself, who has been all along the road up to places where he, in turn, has advertised for employees, read their letters, interviewed and engaged them--who is now with a company employing 2700 of both s.e.xes and all grades from the $3 a week office boy to a $75 a week specialist.

HOW TO GET A POSITION AND HOW TO HOLD IT treats of what one should be able to do before expecting to find a good position; takes up the matter of changes; advises how long to hold the old position; tells what kind of a new position to try for; explains the various ways of getting positions; suggests how the aid of prominent people can be enlisted; shows the kind of endors.e.m.e.nts that count; teaches how to _write letters of application that COMMAND attention_; gives hints on preparing for the interview and on how to make the best impression; tells what should be done when you are selected for a position and take up your duties; deals with the question of salary before and after the engagement; with the bugbear of experience; the matter of hours; and gives pages of horse-sense on a dozen other important topics. The clear instructions for writing strong letters of application, and the model letters shown, are alone worth the price of the book. Not one in a hundred--even among the well- educated--can write a letter of application that convinces.

_How many of yours fail?_ The engagement usually depends on the interview; and the interview cannot, as a rule, be obtained without the impressive letter. Consequently, the letter is of tremendous importance.

If you carry out the suggestions set down in plain language in this little book, you can hardly fail to land a position. And I am offering the book for _twenty-five cents a copy_. Just think of it! The principles and plans outlined in its pages have been the means of securing high-salaried positions for its author and for others, and this valuable information is yours for the price of five car rides.

This is my offer: Send me a 25-cent piece in the enclosed coin-card, or twenty-five cents in stamps, and I'll mail you a copy of HOW TO GET A POSITION AND HOW TO HOLD IT. If, after reading the book, you do not feel it is worth many times its cost, just tell me so and return the copy in good condition. I'll send your money back without any quibbling. Could any offer be fairer?

Order today--now. Next week there may come to your notice an opening that may be the chance of a lifetime--when my little book will be worth its weight in gold. Besides, it tells how to create openings when none are advertised. You need not write me a letter. Just write your full name and address on the back of this sheet and wrap your stamps up in it, or put your name and address on the coin-card after you have enclosed the 25-cent piece. I'll understand.

Write plainly. I am selling the book so cheaply that I cannot afford to have any copies go astray in the mails.

Yours truly, [Signature: Charles Black]

Now as to the other kind of original sales letter--the one that is merely the first of a series of three or more letters skillfully planned to build up interest until the climax, the purchasing point is reached. This letter is really a combination of the two kinds. If you can land the order with the first letter, you want to, of course. But you know you can expect to do this only in a small percentage of cases. So while you must put into the initial letter enough information to make your proposition clear and must give at least one good reason for buying, you must keep good convincing sales talk in reserve for the succeeding letters. And you must plan this first letter so that the re-enforcements to follow will logically support your introduction.

This can best be ill.u.s.trated by a clever first letter from a very successful series. The manufacturer of a $5 fireless cooker planned a letter campaign to induce hardware dealers and department stores to buy a stock of his product.

The first sales letter of the series scored strongly on one or two points and at the same time paved the way for the second letter:

Dear Sir:

Are you ready for the woman who wants a fireless cooker but can't pay ten or fifteen dollars?

The aggressive advertising done by the manufacturers of fireless cookers and the immense amount of reading matter published in women's magazines about the fireless method of cooking has stirred up a big demand.

But just figure out how many of your customers can't afford to pay $10, $12 or $15.

Think of the sales that could be made with a thoroughly reliable cooker at $5--one that you could feel safe in standing back of.

It's here!

We had the $15-idea, and we worked out the prettiest cooker you ever saw at any price. But we got together one day and figured out that the big market was for a low-priced cooker that every woman could buy.

How to get a Jenkins-quality cooker, one that a retailer would be proud to sell, down to the retail price of $5 was the question. But we figured our manufacturing up into the tens of thousands, and the enclosed folder tells about the result.

Our advertising next month in the Woman's Home Companion, Ladies'

Home Journal, Ladies' World, Good Housekeeping, Everybody's, Cosmopolitan and McClures will do big things for you if you have the Jenkins $5 Fireless Cooker in your window.

We have a good sized stock on hand but they won't last long the way orders are coming in from far-sighted retailers.

How would a dozen do as a starter for you?

Yours truly, [Signature: Black & Black]

A letter of this kind should be effective because it gives enough information to make a sale in case the reader is an unusually good prospect, and at the same time it lays a good foundation for the second letter.