Answer to Question 1
In a typical five-letter follow-up series, all letters should include the amount owed and the date
due.
a) First follow-up letterthough clear and firm, should still give the customer the benefit of the
doubt.
b) Second letterwhich should be mailed no later than 15 days after the first letter, should
remain friendly and courteous but should be firmer and more insistent than the first.
c) Third lettershould be even more insistent and forceful than the second letter.
d) Fourth lettershould demand payment.
e) Fifth lettershould state what legal action will be taken if the delinquent customer fails to
take advantage of this last opportunity to pay. The goal of this last letter is to urge the reader
to pay the bill in order to avoid legal action.
Answer to Question 2
To keep a sales prospect reading, a writer needs to establish a familiar tone with the reader.
One way to achieve this goal is to refer to the reader as you as often as possible. Another
good device for establishing a mood of familiarity is to start the letter with a question that will
result in a yes answer. Writers can also establish a familiar tone with the reader in the first
paragraph by:
a) using imperative sentences.
b) using informal punctuation such as dashes, exclamation points, underscores, ellipses, and
parentheses.
c) using contractions.
d) using short, informal sentences.
e) repeating the reader's name once or twice in the letter.
f) complementing the reader.
