It's the cart before the horse syndrome. You start off on the wrong foot and in so doing alienate your prospect. It's why so many sales letters don't work.

Let's be clear - a massive number of sales letters, or e-mails, do that every day. They put the value or benefits of the product or service before they identify the marketplace problem or issue that their product or service is designed to resolve. In fact, they may not even identify the problem in the marketplace.

Let's face it - if you're smart, and we aren't always - you've done your research. You've come up with a product that is absolutely brilliant in solving a particular problem. In other words you've checked the marketplace and you've looked to see where the gaps are in product and service. You've determined that if you can fill those gaps, there would be high demand for what you have to offer.

So be clear - the number one step in your sales letter is to identify exactly what the problem, issue or situation is in the marketplace. What is it that the consumer wants or the manufacturer wants or the professional or government wants to which you have the answer? Or to which you can find the answer?

It is simply too easy to say that you have the best travel agency in the city when there are several others competing with you. What you have to identify is the specific travel need and position yourself as the organization with the solution.

Too many people go straight to the marketplace with the sales pitch for their particular product or service. Sure it may be a great product, but you must tell me first what problem it is designed to resolve. That's what I'm interested in.

Back to the sales letter. One of the first things to do is to state clearly what the problem is in the marketplace. As a consumer I want to be sure that you appreciate the problems I'm facing and that I urgently need to resolve them.

This requires you to look at your business and see which niche issues might be resolved by your expertise. You could be in the weight loss business. Now your expertise could be resolving psychological issues, diet issues, exercise, supplements. All these areas have their unique positions where you could provide service. Your job is to define which area needs help and then position your company or your product as the solution.

So to come back to the main point - don't just pitch your product. You need more than that. You need to understand the problem that exists in the marketplace - and the buyer needs to understand that you appreciate the situation. From that point on you can stress the characteristics and benefits of your product to resolve the situation.

You just have to get the sequence right. With your sales letter, please don't put the cart before the horse.