3 Steps to Writing a Stronger P.S.

P.S. I love you ...

When you write a letter to a friend or lover, the PS does reflect a coda, an afterthought to the main body of your note. It's an extra thought tacked onto the end.

When writing a direct mail letter, especially a multi-page letter, your PS isn't read as an afterthought. Actually, it could be the second or third item read before the content of your letter is actually read!

That's why there are a few things to keep in mind while you're putting your letter together...

Essential Step 1 - Your PS will be read as a prelude to the body of the letter.

After the "Dear FIRST NAME" (because we all like to look at our name) or "Dear Friend" salutation, most readers will turn to the closing of the letter to see who signed it ("Whose this letter from?" Do I know them?".) That means your PS will not be read as an afterthought, but as a prelude to the letter.

Don't introduce information, facts, offers, etc. that are not supported or discussed in the letter. Use the PS as a tasty morsel that will send the reader back into the letter.

Essential Step 2 - Don't load the PS with too much stuff. Focus on one enticing, motivating element and support it with smaller ideas.

Your letter will contain (or it should) a strong USP (unique selling proposition), a great offer, a primary benefit, and lots of secondary benefits and offer sweeteners. Don't recap all this information into a single PS.  Consider the strongest element and rework it in your PS, e.g. "Remember - this all-natural hair restoring cream for men is not available in stores and never will be. Call us right now toll-free 1-800-xxx-xxx-xxxx and order your jar today. Free overnight delivery, too!"

What's the biggest idea here? Not available in stores. The rest of the sentence supports the big idea -- all natural, for men, free call, free delivery.

Essential Step 3 - Every letter needs a PS, but sometimes 2 PS's can be even more effective.

If you want to add a little extra oomph to your PS, consider a second PS. I find the second PS works great to create a little extra urgency like emphasizing an important deadline (Discount is gone Midnight,  January 1!) ... or nuding the undecided off the purchasing fence (Remember, you risk NADA. Your satisfaction is fully guaranteed. We'll even pay for the return shipping if you don't absolutely love WIDGET!)

Maven's Maxim
People generally don't read direct mail letters in a straight, A to Z, linear fashion. They will hop around and your PS is usually the second or third hop. Keep it one strong single idea that will make the reader want to say, "Wow, this looks good. I gotta go read the rest of this."

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