The Ultimate Sales Letter, 4th Edition: Attract New Customers. Boost your Sales. Paperback – February 14, 2011

While some information in this book is a bit dated and it was primarily focused on direct marketing, Dan Kennedy also shares timeless principles of writing sales letters that can be applied even today no matter what kind of sales letters you are writing.Getting to know your target audience will never become outdated, and the suggestions he shares from his past experience are quite thorough. He mentions that in order to get into the mind of his readers, in this instance dentists, he'd read every industry publication every month, visit websites that host discussions forums for dentists, subscribe to email groups where only dentists communicate back and forth, attend industry functions, conventions, seminars, trade shows, he'd play prospect, and routine mastermind with dentists.He then shares a step-by-step process he used to write a copy, very detailed with various examples. He shares a fill-in-the-blank headlines with examples, different ways to attract attention and to overcome barriers, how to re-write and then he offers an extensive check-list with 35 points to check your copy.Yes he does have a plug for his website and services which I find appropriate in this book, and he also has a plug for few other tools like mike Capuzzi's CopyDoodles.He then suggests re-writing for passion, and editing for clarity, and how to test your copy.At the end of the book you'll find additional resources.

For someone who is completely new to the world of sales letters, this book takes you through the whole process from A-Z. The book is extremely accessible (minimal use of jargon), gets right to the point (do this, don't do that), and you'll find yourself using the principles almost immediately. I had a freelance sales letter opportunity fall in my lap soon after reading this, and I made myself sound like an old pro; the client was satisfied from the first draft forward. The book really is that good.The only item that irked me, especially as the book drew to a close, was the amount of "upselling," both for the author's products as well as those of some of his colleagues. However, this is ultimately a sales book, the author apparently knows what he's doing, and it did not detract from any of the real content.Overall, I couldn't recommend more highly, whether you're a complete beginner looking for the inside track, or a seasoned pro searching for some fresh ideas.

Kennedy does a good deal of blowing his own horn, promoting his own sites and products he probably has a financial interest in. He also promotes his own copywriting skills and offers them for sale in the book. Moreover, he offers up his political views in more and more of his writing. When I buy a book, all I want is good, useful information --- not an ad for the author.But enough of that. This is a good book. As a professional copywriter who has written successful sales letters for over 40 years, I can tell you that Kennedy has presented some useful methods of putting together an effective sales letter. It's probably one of the better books on the subject to date. This update is a true update. Yes, there's some copy from previous editions but, for the most part, it's new stuff.Just about every copywriter has different ideas on what makes a good sales letter. Few agree on everything. But we all agree on the basics and that's more or less what you'll get here.This is not an in-depth book. It's not a course and you're not going to be able to go out and sell your skills as a copywriter for $15,000 a letter after you read it. But it will help you to get a basic understanding of the parts of the sales letter and how to put them together so they sell.Recommended.-- Susanna K. Hutcheson

I am rewriting some of my sales letters to adhere with the insights from this book.

Although the book is old, the lessons are timeless. As a 12 year copywriter, Dans lessons work perfectly in emails and online. Ad these examples to your swipefile.

The Ultimate Sales Letter is truly jam-packed with value and is a must-read for any copywriter or marketer IMO. Dan Kennedy is like a Yoda of marketing, and he will guide you to all the riches your heart desires - if you study him carefully and implement his wisdom.

I have not applied anything from this book yet, but I know that it works because it all makes sense. I made a comparison with what was taught in this book and I do realize that everything being said here is accurate.

I would highly recommend this publication for new business owners, like myself. I found the principles laid out in this book to be very practical—they can be implemented immediately, and straight forward. I appreciate the author's expertise in the area of writing sales letters and believe this is a valuable resource for those looking to write sales letters themselves (as opposed to outsourcing). Not at all disappointed!