The purpose of writing is to communicate a message. And the purpose of a sales letter, or any other marketing piece, is to help you more clearly and powerfully communicate a specific message to sell your product or service. Simply choosing the right words to convey your message can be the difference between a boring sales letter, and one that brings in boatloads of new business.

Here are three tips for choosing exactly the right words for the situation.

Key Number 1 - Be clear, not clever.

This is something I learned through years of seminars, books, and conversations with other authors. When I finally got this lesson, it was absolutely stunning how fast people started praising my stories.

You see, in the beginning, I was under the impression that if I just used big words and long complicated sentences, then everyone would think I am brilliant. But the stunning reality is that just the opposite occurs. The shorter sentences and smaller words actually INCREASE readership. It is far more important to be clear than it is to be clever.

If you write a sentence that you absolutely fall in love with, and you think it is the best line you've ever written, take a closer look. Chances are you created a clever sentence (in your mind) that others probably are not going to appreciate as much as you. Try rewriting it in simpler phrases.

Key Number 2 - Never use a big word if a small word will do.

People are not going to work very hard to try and understand what you mean. And they are not going to be impressed by your huge vocabulary. If you choose to use complex or uncommon words, few readers will take the time to look them up. It's not important to them, and your work will simply end up in the trash.

For example, if you insist on saying "considerable amount of moisture" when you mean "a lot of rain," or if you describe "apathetic juvenile females" when you mean "bored teenage girls," you will lose readers.

The rule is simple: Always be thinking short, clean, and clear.

Key Number 3 - Always break up long sentences into two shorter sentences.

If you write a long sentence that has two independent clauses connected with an AND or a THEN, break up the thoughts into two shorter sentences. For example, listen to this sentence.

"Angela searched the house looking for the key and when she found it, slipped it into her purse."

Those are two independent clauses. First she was searching for the key, then she put it in her purse. Those are two distinct actions and could be more clearly separated by saying:

"Angela searched the house looking for the key. When she found it, she slipped it into her purse."

Remember, long sentences only give readers more time to get confused.

Take a look at your current sales letter, or your most recent brochure. Does your writing follow the three keys above? Or do you perhaps have a little cleaning up to do? The more clear your message, the more often people will respond to it.

So how do you start? Where do you learn to write great marketing stories, and how can you make your writing cleaner and clearer? Those are exactly the questions I've spent the last 10 years researching, and you can find out the answers by visit our website Enter your first name and email address, and you'll receive a powerful white paper covering this subject.

Kevin Franz is a noted author of fantasy-adventure fiction, as well as an information marketer and entrepreneur. He has been making a living putting words on paper for more than 25 years, and currently is an active member in several writing and marketing groups.