Chapter 14, Additional Exercise 2: Analyzing Audience and Purpose in Sales Letters

If you search the web for "sample sales letters," chances are you'll find some that run counter to nearly every piece of advice given in Chapter 14. In groups of three or four, use a search engine to search for "sample sales letters." Analyze the letters you find, focusing on audience and purpose. Try to find a letter that is so ill-conceived, poorly executed, or misguided that it seems almost certain to alienate readers or sabotage its own purpose. In other words, find a sales letter showing that the writer has failed to assess audience and purpose accurately. Be prepared to explain to the class why the letter fails and how you would revise it to make it more effective.