Sorry about the abrubt title on the thread but I really need some feedback. I have created a website based around my state, it's a guide to the restaurants there. I plan to send out a snail mail letter to many of the restaurants in my area offering them a review for a free meal (well two actually). After I get many restaurants listed and reviewed I'll sell premium spots. Here's my sales letter: To the owner/manager, I’m writing to inform you and your restaurant of a brand new online *Bleep* Restaurant guide – *Bleep*Eat.com. The site aims to compile a collection of many of the best places to eat around *Bleep*, sorting them by cuisine and location and giving customers an idea of what they can expect from yours and other establishments. If you would like a free review and permanent listing on our website we are more than happy to do this for you. All you need to provide is two complimentary meals for our reviewers and your establishment will have a place in the restaurant guide forever. Please understand we are not looking to review your restaurant in a bad light just merely trying to highlight what is great about it and compile a collection of the best eating establishments around *Bleep*. As the site is relatively new and still has far more promotion to undergo we offer a “First in, First Served†offer, those restaurants who choose to participate first will have the upper-most listing in your category, giving you an ideal location. Naturally with each listing we will provide contact details including your address and phone number allowing visitors to easily make a booking with your establishment. If you are interested or have any questions please feel free to get in contact with me, my contact details are as follows: Mobile: 040*Bleep*24 E-Mail: *Bleep*@*Bleep*.com We look forward to providing your business some more exposure and continuing to highlight the best of *Bleep*'s food. Sincerely, *Bleep* Okay so... comments? Will it work? Will people happily exchange a free meal for a listing? Or wont they see the point? Peace.
I have never sent a sales letter like this, so I can tell you wether it's going to work or not, however I would advice you to make sure your website is ready and looking good before you send them out or else I can look like your just trying to score a free meal..
I'd cut down on the number of explicative. I don't like the "All you need to provide", don't know. Something about that phrase sets me off when I'm readin that area.
Also I would be careful trying to get two free meals.. That makes it sound more like a excuse to take your girlfriend out for free lunch..
Tell them more about the site - SELL it to them - the number of visitors, the demographic of visitors, what good having a review there does for businesses - otherwise it does rather look like someone trying to blag a free dinner, I'm afraid.
Where is your credibility? If I was receiving the sales letter, I would probably disregard it, because it really isn't credible - there is nothing there to build trust.
Dude watch this video, don't ask for meals, just give them some form to fill. http://youtube.com/watch?v=z68gZJwdAAg
How much are you spending on snail mail? Mail is only slightly better response than email. Have you a sponsor (restauarnt supply business) for the letter? In my opinion, telemarketing (top flight) is the better option. (Mail 3%, email 2% tele minimum 10%). If I were doing the same in the UK I'd call restaurants rather than send anything and I wouldn't do that until the site was excellent. In my experience restaurants are tight when it comes to advertising spend and I'd imagine they'll see this as that. Recently I sold advertising (freelance for a new local magazine) that worked well because the advertising offered a way of being part of the community and supporting it because we had articles and features about local people, events, societies, sports teams, groups and charities also because it looked good and had a 40,000 distribution. Does your website have such features about BLEEP? What are its stats? That's what they'll want to know. In my experience small independent restaurants are low spend when it comes to advertising spend and if they do anything they do local press. Bigger establishments use agencies to place ads or buy via their central office and then it's a matter of knowing when they start planning their spend. A few restaurants (more restaurants and hotels) like email marketing - a feature in a newsletter with a link. I know a couple who paid £27 per 1,000 - that was to an opted in email database generated by a regional travel magazine. Do you have a database of local diners?
Try to avoid using "not" - instead, go on "you'll have", "you'll get", or any other thing you like, but make it sound positive.