Think about the last long email or letter you received. You did not read it from top to bottom.

You glanced at the opening. Then your eyes dropped straight to the bottom, looking for the P.S.

Your readers do the same thing. That makes a powerful postscript one of the most valuable few lines you will ever write for your business.

Most people toss it off in ten seconds. Others skip it and end with a limp “thanks for reading.”

A line that small can decide whether a reader moves on or steps forward. In this post you will see why that final line gets so much attention. You will see what it should say. And you will learn to write a good one in about five minutes.

You will also get a simple test that shows whether yours is earning its place or wasting it. If you send emails, write letters, or build pages that ask for a next step, this one habit is worth ten minutes of your day.

Why Your Eyes Jump To The Bottom First

A reader decides in seconds whether a message deserves their time. They cannot judge it from the first line alone, so they skim.

In my own training on writing letters that sell, I teach that apart from the greeting and the opening paragraph, a P.S. draws the strongest attention of any part of a letter.

Think about why. A busy person scans the top to see who is talking. Then they jump down to see where the message ends. The P.S. sits in that landing spot, set apart from the paragraphs above it.

Picture a reader with ten unread messages and five spare minutes. They will not read all ten. They will scan each one for a reason to stay.

It looks small. It feels optional. So people who would never sit through five paragraphs will read two lines.

Your postscript is the line a skimmer reads first.

The greeting gets a look too. I have tried letters with and without one, and the letters with a greeting always pulled better.

Yet most people write the P.S. as an afterthought: a thank-you, a sign-off, a reminder of something minor. Your reader’s eyes land there, find nothing useful, and leave.

So ask yourself one question. If this were the only part someone read, would they know what you offer and why it matters to them?

What Goes Inside A Powerful Postscript

The rule I teach is simple. Your postscript should restate the main benefit from your headline. Then it can add one more benefit.

That is all. You are not adding new ideas. You are handing the skimmer the best of what your full message says.

Here is an example. Say you wrote a short guide on restoring classic cars. Your email opens with a headline about finding a car’s original paint color.

A weak P.S. reads: “Thanks again for being on my list.”

A strong one reads: “P.S. Inside the guide you will find the steps to match a car’s original paint color, plus a checklist to help you avoid the wrong parts.”

Notice what the strong version does. It names a specific result. It adds a second benefit. Then it stops.

The weak version says nothing useful to your reader. The strong version shows a skimmer what is waiting for them. If you want more ideas like this one, take a look at other posts I have shared recently.

Why Three Postscripts Is The Limit

One P.S. is good. Two can be better. Three is the limit.

The sequence runs P.S., then P.P.S., then P.P.P.S. Stop there. Any more than three starts to look contrived and tacky.

Give each one a different job. The first restates your main benefit. The second can remind your reader of a deadline, if you have one.

The word real matters here. A deadline you invent costs you trust faster than having no deadline at all. If your bonus closes on Friday, say so in plain words. If nothing closes, leave it out and let the benefit do the talking.

Take a knitting newsletter as an example. “P.S. Your starter scarf pattern comes with the stitch notes beginners often miss. P.P.S. The bonus pattern is included until Friday.”

Two short lines. One benefit, one true reason to act now. A third postscript is seldom needed. Add one when you have another reason that is both true and useful to your reader.

Use It Anywhere Readers Skim

The idea was born in letters sent through the mail. It carries over to anything a reader skims.

In an email, the P.S. sits under your name, right where the eye lands after the sign-off. On a web page, it sits below the last button and catches visitors who scroll down to see what is on offer. In a short note to a customer, it can carry the one thing you most want them to remember.

The format changes. The job stays the same: give the skimmer your main benefit in a few plain words.

Picture a note to a customer who just bought your pool-care guide. Your message covers setup, timing and safety. The P.S. might say: “P.S. Run your pump for the full time the guide suggests, and your water stays clear all season.” One line. One result they care about.

Keep it short. One or two sentences is plenty. A P.S. that runs to a full paragraph stops looking like an afterthought, and the pull is gone.

Point The Reader To One Clear Next Step

A powerful postscript does one more job. It tells the reader what to do next.

My training is blunt on this point. Do not be shy or coy about asking. If you want a reader to click a button, reply to your email, or pick up a free guide, say so in plain words.

Many people hold back because they fear sounding pushy. Yet a reader who likes your message wants to know the next move. Leave it out, and they close the tab with a good feeling and no direction.

So finish the P.S. with one clear action. Not three. One door, with a clear label on it.

Compare two endings. First: “P.S. Let me know if you are interested.” That leaves the reader guessing. Now this one: “P.S. Tap the button below to grab the paint-matching checklist.”

The reader knows what to tap and what they get. That is a postscript pulling its weight.

Three Mistakes That Waste The Last Line

I see the same slips again and again.

Mistake one: a goodbye instead of a benefit. “Talk soon” is polite. It gives a skimmer no reason to act.

Mistake two: a brand-new topic. The P.S. is not the place for a second offer. A reader who skipped your message will be confused by an idea that comes from nowhere.

Mistake three: pressure with nothing behind it. “Act now” means nothing without a reason. Say what is true, in plain words.

Your postscript is the line a skimmer reads first.

Write Yours In Five Minutes

Here is the method I use. It takes about five minutes.

First, finish your message. Write your powerful postscript last, when you know what you are offering.

Second, find your headline benefit and copy it onto a blank line. Third, add one more benefit that is true and specific. Then cut every word that does not carry weight.

Now run the skim test. Cover everything except your opening and your P.S. Hand it to someone who has never seen your offer. Ask them what it is and why they would want it.

If they answer in one sentence, your postscript is doing its job. A pass sounds like this: “It is a guide that helps me match my car’s paint, and it comes with a parts checklist.” A fail sounds like this: “Something about cars?”

If they shrug, rewrite it.

Repeat the test on your next three emails. You will spot the pattern fast, and the habit will stick.

Where This Leads Next

If you want to go further, the next step is the full set of guidelines behind this post. At OneLetterFromRetirement.com you will find my home study course One Letter From Retirement. It gives you eighteen guidelines for writing a letter, from the strong opening statement to the P.S. to the final read-through.

It then takes each part of a letter in detail, starting with the greeting. So you see where every line belongs, and the last line you write is never an afterthought.

Write your next postscript this week. Keep it short, keep it true, and watch what your readers do with it. Small changes to the last line of a message can bring a big change in how people respond to you.

I am cheering for you every step of the way.

Nick James

Claim Your Free MP3 And PDF Training: The 3-Part Plan To Topping $100,000 Per Year In Profit

Enter your name and email address below to receive a new lesson delivered to your inbox once a week. Your first lesson will be delivered immediately.

Privacy Policy : We value your privacy. You can unsubscribe from receiving future emails with 1 click at any time.