There are numerous ways to open a sales letter … For example, you can tell a story which allows for a slower build-up to the product/service benefits and gives the reader time to percolate all the right emotions. In contrast, you can showcase the offer right away (works well for well-know and understood products/services) for a faster, punchier presentation.

There are lots more. But this is my favorite. Works for B2C (business to consumer), B2B (business to business), fundraising, associations. You can use it as is or as a means to explore the emotional hotspots of your prospect.

• When is the last time you …
• When is the last time your …

Is your mind turning over all the possibilities? What’s effective about these kind of openings is that they set up the problem in the reader’s mind in an emotionally genuine way — allowing you to present your product/service as a strong, viable solution.

Examples:

• When is the last time you felt good about getting on the scale?
• When is the last time you liked the face in the mirror looking back at you?
• When is the last time you felt well-served by your neighborhood bank? ("Felt well-served" can be especially powerful.)

More examples:

• When is the last time your bank made you feel like your business was worth something?
• When is the last time your husband looked at you with that special gleam in his eye?
• When is the last time you stopped to admire your own lawn?

Works nicely doesn’t it? Practice this approach with a current project and see what develops.

I tend to like to open my letters with provocative statements or questions. One remark that sets the tone (or creates the environment and context) for the sales pitch that follows. But what you don’t want to do with a question is allow the reader to answer "Yes" or "No" — the better question is one that can’t be easily answered in the affirmative or negative.

The particular beauty of this opening, to my mind, is that the general answer is "I can’t recall" or better yet, "never"  — and that it taps that big, fat well of discontentment we all share in a world of callous indifference allowing you to march in with a strong solution.

Essential Takeaway Point:
Try to avoid asking questions that can easily be answered "Yes" or "No" by the prospect. It’s a huge stopper. Instead, think of how questions can be written as an opening to their emotional state of mind.