Have you ever received a sales letter that left you wondering, "What's the point?" Don't fall into the same trap. Here are eight tips to get the attention of prospects and customers and generate more sales.

1.Focus on one message. Before you write a sales letter, decide why you are writing it. Are you introducing your company or a new product? Are you making customers aware of a sale? Whatever the key point, make it in the opening paragraph and keep reinforcing it.

2.Include a call to action. What action do you want a customer or prospect to take after reading your letter? While it may be obvious to you, it may not be to the reader. Your call to action should be included at least three times.

3.Write from a customer's point of view. Forget about long, tedious letters filled with minute details about your company. People don't have time to read them. You have about five seconds to capture your reader's attention. Zero in on your customers' needs, how you address them and why your product or service offers the best solution. Keep it simple but complete.

4.Target your message. There is nothing worse than sending an irrelevant message to a customer or prospect. Tailor your sales letters to a particular audience. For example, don't try to sell a lawn mower to an apartment dweller. Hone in on your customers' needs. That's what makes a sales letter powerful.

5.Be succinct. Succinct writing is powerful writing. Take the time to think about what you want to say and then say it in as few words as possible. Succinct writing does not happen by chance. It is the result of careful editing.

6.Edit, edit, edit! Nothing screams "low quality" louder than a sales letter that is filled with grammatical and typographical errors. As a first step, use the grammar and spell check in your word processing program to check for errors. Refer to a style book if necessary. Avoid acronyms and jargon that will confuse your readers. Delete extraneous words. Once you think your letter is complete, put it aside, if only for a few minutes but preferably for a few hours. Edit it again. You may be surprised what you didn't find the first time you edited.

7.Look professional. Use text organizers such as headlines, bullets and subheads to guide a reader through your letter. Make it easy to read. A powerful headline should grab your reader's attention while bullets and subheads help a person quickly find the information he or she wants.

Joan B. Marcus, president of Joan B. Marcus Communications LLC, helps small businesses and nonprofit organizations build their brand through the power of words. Learn more at http://www.joanbmarcuscommunications.com where you can also sign up for a free subscription to Words That Work, a monthly newsletter that offers practical and low-cost strategies to help you market your business.