Latest / The Copywriting Podcast with Fexingo: Sales Letters, Headlines, and Persuasive Writing / How a 27-Word Handwritten Note Beat a 4-Page Sales Letter
Transcript
- Lucas: So I found this old test from 1993 that I think is still one of the best arguments for brevity in copywriting. A small business owner—I think it was a consulting firm—sent out two versions of the same offer to a thousand prospects each. Luna: Two versions, so a classic A/B test. What were they? Lucas: Version one was a polished four-page sales letter, the kind you might get from a professional copywriter. Version two was a handwritten note on a postcard. Twenty-seven words total. No headline, no bullet points, no P.S. Luna: Twenty-seven words? That's barely a paragraph. Lucas: Right. And the handwritten note pulled a 14.7 percent response rate. The four-page letter got 2.3 percent. So the note outperformed by more than six times. Luna: That's a huge spread. But was it the brevity or the handwriting itself? Lucas: That's the question. I think it's both, but let's start with the handwritten element. There's a concept in behavioral economics called the effort heuristic—we tend to value things that seem to require more personal effort. Luna: So seeing a handwritten note signals, 'This person took time just for me.' That's got to be more persuasive than a mass-produced letter. Lucas: Exactly. And there's research backing that up. A study from 2012 found that people rated handwritten notes as more sincere and were more likely to act on them. But the really interesting part is that the note was short. Luna: Short and personal. What did the twenty-seven words say? Lucas: I found the actual copy quoted in a marketing newsletter. It went something like: 'Hi, I've got an idea that might help you save time on your next project. Call me if you're interested. Best,.' Simple, direct, no hype. Luna: And the four-page letter probably had all the bells and whistles—benefits, features, testimonials, guarantees. Lucas: Right. The letter was what most of us would consider 'proper' direct mail. But the note cut through because it didn't feel like a sales pitch. It felt like a conversation. Luna: There's a cognitive fluency angle too, right? Short, easy to process messages feel truer and more familiar. Lucas: Exactly. Psychologists call it processing fluency. When information is easy to take in, we tend to like it more and believe it more. A twenty-seven-word note is extremely fluent. A four-page letter requires effort to read, so the reader's brain may associate that effort with suspicion. Luna: So the very length of a long sales letter can work against it, even if the content is good. Lucas: That's the paradox. A lot of copywriters think more words mean more persuasion. But the data suggests the opposite, at least in this case. And it's not just direct mail. Think about email: how many long promotional emails do you delete before even opening? Luna: I delete most of them. But a short, personal email from someone I know? I'll read it. Lucas: Right. And the same principle applies to social media. A short, authentic post often outperforms a polished ad. The handwritten note is the analog version of that. Luna: So what's the lesson for copywriters today? Should we all switch to handwritten postcards? Lucas: Not necessarily. But the lesson is: don't add words just because you think you need to. Cut everything that doesn't serve the core message. And find ways to signal personal effort—even if it's just a personalized subject line or a short video message. Luna: That makes me think of a test I heard about where a company sent a two-sentence email versus a long email with the same offer. The short email had double the click-through rate. Lucas: Yeah, that's a common finding. The key is to respect the reader's time and attention. The handwritten note did that implicitly. Luna: One thing I'm curious about: did the handwritten note mention the offer explicitly, or was it more of a teaser? Lucas: It was a teaser. It said, 'I've got an idea that might help you save time.' So the prospect had to call to get the full pitch. That builds curiosity and commitment. Once they called, they were already engaged. Luna: So the note was really just a conversation starter, not a full sales pitch. That's a different strategy from the letter, which tried to close the sale in one go. Lucas: Exactly. And that's a crucial difference. The note aimed for a micro-commitment: make a phone call. The letter aimed for a macro-commitment: buy now. Micro-commitments are easier to get. Luna: So the real power might be in the combination of brevity, personal effort, and a low-friction ask. Lucas: I think so. And it's worth noting that the handwritten note was more expensive per unit—handwriting takes time—but the response rate more than made up for it. At 14.7 percent, the cost per response was actually lower. Luna: So it's not just about being brief; it's about being efficient with your resources. Lucas: Right. And that's a lesson that scales. Whether you're writing a sales letter, an email, or a LinkedIn message, ask yourself: can I say this in fewer words? Can I make it feel more personal? And can I ask for a smaller first step? Luna: I want to try this with my own outreach. Maybe a handwritten note to a few key prospects. Lucas: It's worth testing. And if you do, let me know how it goes. I'd love to hear if the 1993 results hold up in 2026. Luna: Speaking of tests, if you're enjoying these deep dives into copywriting, we do this every week because we believe in sharing practical, ad-free insights. If you've found something useful here that you've actually applied, consider supporting the show at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It helps us keep the episodes focused on the craft, not on selling you something. Lucas: Yeah, we keep the podcast ad-free by choice, and listener support is what makes that possible. No pressure, just if it's valuable to you. Luna: Alright, back to the test. One more thing: did the consultant track the quality of the responses, not just the quantity? Lucas: Good question. The newsletter mentioned that the handwritten note generated higher quality leads—more of them converted to paying clients. The letter's few responses were mostly tire-kickers. Luna: So the note attracted the right people, not just more people. Lucas: Exactly. And that's often the case with personal, low-friction outreach. The people who respond are genuinely interested, not just curious about a freebie. Luna: That's a powerful outcome. Quality over quantity. Lucas: So to sum up this episode: if you're writing a sales letter or an email, try writing a shorter version. And if you can, add a personal touch—even if it's just a handwritten P.S. on a typed letter. Test it. You might be surprised. Luna: And remember, the goal isn't to impress with your writing skills. It's to start a conversation. Lucas: Well said. Next time, we'll look at a test that compares a story-based opening to a fact-based opening. That one's got some surprising results too.