Persuasive Sales Letter Rubric

Content—

• The letter is organized correctly:

1. The first paragraph gets the reader’s attention by telling a mini-story and/or offering facts and statistics.  The product or service is stated at the end of the first paragraph.  The paragraph is 5-7 lines in length.
2. The second paragraph discusses the product or service in detail. It is 5-7 lines in length.
3. The third paragraph provides specific reader benefits and provides a bulleted list of reader benefits; the bulleted items are parallel. The paragraph is 5-7 lines in length with a minimum of 3 bullets and 2 sentences/lines of text. 
4. The fourth paragraph asks the reader specifically for an action.  A specific time period is stated. It is 2-3 lines in length.    

• The writing includes specific and accurate word choice and details and does NOT use anything from the “forbidden words list.”
• The writing uses active versus passive voice.  
• The writing uses familiar words.  Any jargon or special terms are defined or explained.
   
• The letter uses “you-attitude” throughout; the letter emphasizes what the reader wants to know and does not use “I, me, my, myself, we,” or phrases that emphasize “The company (name)” and not the reader. 
   
• The letter uses positive words and de-emphasizes any negatives. 
• The letter provides specific and precise reader benefits.  Detailed examples of how the reader will benefit appear in the third paragraph.
   
• The letter does not refer to the reader’s or the writer’s feelings at all.  
   
• The writing uses no slang, cliches, trite or over-used expressions, and no biasied or sexist language. (Be sure the salutation goes to Ms. if the letter is addressed to a woman).

Formatting –

·         Full block format is used. 

·         12 point Calibri or Times New Roman font is used.

·         Spacing is correct. 

·         The letter includes a company letterhead, date, inside address to an individual at a company, a salutation followed by colon, four paragraphs, and a close. 

·         All components except for the letterhead are lined up on the left margin. 

Mechanics—

• The writing is free of typographical errors. Words are spelled and used correctly. 
   
• Commas, quotation marks, and other punctuation marks are used correctly.
   
• The writing contains correct grammar without sentence fragments, comma splices, and run-on sentences.