Does Santa really care if you’ve been naughty or nice? We suspect he, like the rest of us, is swayed by the power of words. So here are some tips to get what you really want this Christmas – without holding Rudolph to ransom.

It might be a while since you penned a letter to Santa. But across the globe, kids will be frantically scribbling and emailing over the next few days, all eager to bag that special present.

But what makes a persuasive letter to Santa? And what can we learn from the strategies of children at Christmas time? As with any good letter, there are certain rules that need to be followed:

1) Grab your reader’s attention

Santa’s clearly a busy man. So how are you going to make sure he reads your letter? It’s really important to have a strong opening line – one that intrigues and engages your reader and gets them on your side. This is something 17 year-old Johanna from Finland managed with pure aplomb:

Dear Joulu Pukki [Finnish equivalent of Santa], Did you know that people here used to think that you were a goat?

2) Give practical advice

Most letters request a response from the reader – and letters to Santa are no different. But it’s always important to clearly state what you want the reader to do. Take this example from Ashley, 7, who lives in New York:

Santa, you know how it is nowadays, my parents are divorced, so please put me on your special delivery list to come 2 nights, Christmas Eve at Mom's and Christmas night at Dad's. Thank you!

3) A strong call to action

No letter is complete without a strong ending. And there’s definitely something interesting in the example set by one 13 year-old schoolgirl from Bedford this year – who has mastered the art of a ‘killer’ call to action.

According to the papers, she sent a list of demands to Santa which threatened to kill him if she didn’t get at least two of her requested presents – which included a smartphone and ‘the real-life Justin Bieber’.

She left Santa in no doubt about the consequences of non-compliance and ended her letter with one of the all-time greatest festive finishers:

Remember… two of these, or you die.