72 Master Letters and What Made Them Pay
The pattern
This still is filed under Direct-from-the-founder letter.
Define
A letter in one person's voice, written as if to one reader, signed by the person who owns the outcome.
Mechanism
Personal authority. The signature is the proof. The tone is the brand. A committee cannot write this and keep the mechanism.
Verdict
Trust sits on a person
Why it works
The use of an exact, odd number (72 out of 5,063) instantly establishes credibility and implies a rigorous selection process. It creates the feeling of an exclusive 'best of the best' collection.
Steal this when
When you want to position your product as the ultimate curated collection of proven winners.