There’s just something magical about a good ol’ fashioned direct mail sales letter—it lands in your customer’s hands, not buried under a mountain of emails or lost in the digital void.
And when you time it just right, like now, before the holidays hit and winter slows down the landscaping game, you’ve got a golden opportunity to fill your schedule while giving your customers a deal they can’t resist.
By working with the postal service to send this letter to your loyal maintenance clients, you’re putting a real, tangible reminder right in front of them. Think about it. You can have a uniformed, easy-to-identify, and trusted person visit your customer’s home for less than a dollar (cost of a stamp for first class postage is 73 cents as of this writing) to deliver your message.
Here’s the beauty of it: even if just 2 or 3 folks say “yes,” that’s pure profit. You find work for the months that you typically are slow. You keep your crew busy, recover some overhead costs, and make your company sales more predictable—and year after year, this simple system can rake in a pile of cash.
Use the Principles of Ethical Persuasion
If you want to have success with direct mail sales letters (who wouldn’t want sales success), you need to understand how to craft a well-written sales letter. You’ll want to use the principles of ethical persuasion.
There’s no one who knows this better than the man who wrote the book on persuasion—literally. Dr. Robert Cialdini’s Influence breaks down why people make decisions, and we’re using his powerful principles in this letter.
With strategies like reciprocity (offering them a deal in exchange for keeping your crew busy), scarcity (limited-time offer), social proof (others are doing it!), authority (showing them you know winter is the best time to plant), liking (warm and friendly tone) and commitment (getting them to take that first small step), this letter is designed to do one thing—drive action and grow your bottom line. Simple, proven, and highly profitable—just the way business oughta be.
Below you will find a sales letter template that effectively uses these six principles of persuasion to make an offer for winter work.
Use This Sales Letter Template and Never Run Out of Work Again!
We recommend you use this letter with existing customers or past customers that you already have a successful relationship with. Although this letter might work with prospects you don’t know or have never worked for, don’t waste your time fishing where the fish are harder to catch. Go right to the people who already know you, like you and trust you.
The letter is below. Copy and paste onto your letterhead. But if you don’t have letterhead…that’s OK…just make sure all of YOUR contact information is correct.
Print the letter out on standard white paper. Sign your name at the bottom. Hand address each envelope for best results. Drop the letter in the mail with a first class postage stamp. Then let the magic happen!
Tony Bass, founder and author
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Dear [Customer’s Name],
“Your Lawn Looks Great… Let’s Make Your Entire Landscape Shine!”
First, thank you for trusting us with your lawn maintenance. It’s customers like you who make our work so rewarding, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to keep your property looking its best year-round.
As the winter months approach, we’re excited to offer you a special opportunity: the best pricing of the year on landscape enhancements. We know landscapes like yours can always benefit from an upgrade or remodel. From long-lasting blooming plants to raised garden planters to correcting pesky drainage problems, we can help make your landscape enjoyable and easy to maintain.
By scheduling your project for January or February, you’ll not only enjoy the best prices of the entire year, but also help us keep our hardworking crew busy during their slowest season. It’s a win-win for everyone!
Why Take Advantage of This Pre-Season Offer?
- The Best Time to Plant: Did you know winter is ideal for planting trees and shrubs? Cooler weather allows plants to establish strong roots, giving them a head start come spring.
- Exclusive Savings: As one of our most valued customers, you’ll get our best prices of the year—guaranteed.
- Peace of Mind: We stand behind every project with a warranty on plants and workmanship. That’s our commitment to your satisfaction.
Why Act Now?
This exclusive offer is only available until December 20th. After that, we expect to be fully booked since we only have room for a few projects this winter and unable to extend pre-season pricing. Acting now ensures you lock in these incredible savings and secure your preferred project date.
What Our Customers Say (or a note about our design or past install service):
“Last winter, [CUSTOMER NAME] had us plant a stunning row of privacy trees. Not only did they save money, but they’re now enjoying lush greenery year-round instead of that ugly view that was getting on their nerves!”
Here’s How to Get Started:
- Call us at [YOUR PHONE NUMBER] or email us at [EMAIL ADDRESS].
- Schedule a FREE consultation before December 20th.
- Let us create a plan to enhance your landscape with beautiful plants, vibrant mulch, custom lighting, or anything you’ve been dreaming about.
- Hurry! We can even prepare your plan in time to give this as a gift at Christmas
Thank You for Supporting (Your Business Name):
By booking during our slow season, you help keep our talented team working—and we’ll reward your support with unbeatable savings. It’s a partnership we deeply value.
Don’t miss this chance to improve your landscape while getting the best deal of the year. We expect to fill these winter weeks quickly, so act now to secure your spot!
To your beautiful outdoors,
[Your Name]
[Your Title]
[Company Name]
[Phone Number] | [Website]
P.S. Remember, the deadline to secure pre-season pricing is December 20th! Call us today to schedule your consultation and take advantage of this limited-time offer.
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Just in case you have never studied or used the principles of ethical persuasion as described in the book Influence by Dr. Robert Cialdini, we have included a few more details for you below. We believe the results of all of your customer communication will get better if you learn to use these principles as a matter of habit.
Why This Works (Cialdini’s Principles Applied):
- Reciprocity: You’re offering customers exclusive savings in exchange for helping keep your crew busy during the slow season.
- Scarcity: Limited-time offer with a clear deadline (December 20th) motivates action.
- Authority: Highlighting that winter is the best time for planting demonstrates expertise.
- Social Proof: Sharing a testimonial builds trust and shows others are taking advantage of this offer.
- Commitment/Consistency: Encouraging them to take a simple first step (scheduling a consultation) starts the commitment process.
- Liking: A warm, friendly, letter builds rapport and likability. Using a hand-written addressed letter makes the message authentically personal and demonstrates this is NOT a mass-marketing effort.
Start with sending 10 of these letters this week. Send ten more next week and ten more again the following week. Before you know it, your calendar will be full of highly profitable work for the winter.
Take control of your future success by using this direct mail sales letter. Put it to work for you in advance of every winter season. You’ll see that good ol’ fashioned direct mail can be your best friend!
Let us hear back from you. We’d love to celebrate your success as a lawn and landscape contractor who uses direct mail.
Profit Greatly,
Tony Bass, founder and author
866-923-0027
PS – We are holding the highly-rated Profit Builder Training event in January 2025. We have a few seats open. If you would like to join us, go ahead and reserve your seat by clicking here. It’s a small group, so don’t delay!
If you have questions about the Profit Builder event, please call or text our Director of Training and Education, Tabitha Lovell at 678-943-4856. She will be happy to answer questions and reserve your seat.
PPS – would you like to send this letter, but don’t feel like you have the time? We can help… just let us know!
