Too often, we receive direct mail that’s offensive to the eye.

Big blocks of text crowd the page. Narrow left and right margins choke the life from the words. And small sans serif type makes the copy difficult to read.

Visually, these letters are uninviting.

Tips to Increase Readership

Graphic designers may love the look of grey-colored type, but readers need text printed with high contrast. Illustrations and graphics can enhance a mailing, but when overused they pull the reader’s eye in so many directions that it’s virtually impossible

What might appeal to someone’s sense of design doesn’t necessarily help the reader. And with only a few seconds to capture the reader’s attention, any distraction to the eye flow can doom the mailing.

Even when you mail award-winning copy with an offer that meets the recipient’s every need, few people—even those who respond to your mailing—will read the entire direct mail letter. But when you follow a few proven techniques, you can lead more readers to the letter’s most persuasive points and direct them to the call for action.

Here are some basic techniques that you’ll want to see included in your next mailing. They will increase your readership and help you achieve a more profitable campaign.

1. Make the letter look like a letter. People know what to do with a letter—read it. Don’t confuse them with something that looks like a brochure, a flyer or some creative hybrid approach. Most recipients will recognize your letter as being part of a mass mailing, but providing the perception of a personal letter will typically increase results.
2. Provide lots of space for your left and right margins and only justify the left margin—flush left, ragged to the right.
3. Use a serif type for your letter copy. (Serif type has little “feet” at the bottom (Courier, Times New Roman and Georgia are examples.) Virtually every newspaper, magazine and published book uses serif type because has proven to enhance reading flow and reduce eyestrain. If you want it read, use a serif type.
4. Always indent your paragraphs. Studies show that indented paragraphs “catch” the eye moving down the page and make the letter more readable.
5. Single space the letter and put a double space between paragraphs.
6. Don’t end a page with a complete sentence. Look at your newspaper. To finish practically any article, you have to turn the page and that’s exactly what you want the reader to do with your letter—keep them turning pages until they reach your call to action.
7. When using “handwritten” notes in the margin and/or underlining, be sure the letter signer uses the same pen used to sign the letter. This is one letter, written by one person to one other person. Make it believable.
8. Letters printed in a faux handwriting font have their purpose but keep them short. It’s a struggle to get through four pages of handwritten text.
9. Use nothing smaller than 10-point type (except for disclaimers). For an older audience, you’ll want to use a larger 12-point type.

Direct mail isn’t rocket science. If you’re going to persuade the reader to respond, he or she needs to read your letter—or at least its main points. No one wants to work their way through a letter they didn’t even ask for so keep it simple, stay on point and make it easy to read.

On average, the reader takes no longer than 11 seconds to decide whether to read or trash your letter. Research by Professor Siegfried Vogele found that during this 11-second preview, the reader’s eyes fix only on pictures and headlines—never on the body copy. Knowing this, you can use illustrations to draw the reader’s attention to your most persuasive copy and lead them to the call to action.

1. Typically, readers follow the classic pattern of reading left-to-right, top-to-bottom, but eye flow can be redirected using “pointing devices” with a graphic element. For example, when you place a graphic of people in your letter, the reader’s eyes will follow the eyes of the subjects in the picture. Use this by pointing the subject’s eyes toward your copy.You can use practically any “pointing device” to direct the reader’s eyes. With an illustration showing a model wearing a man-style tie, for example, the eyes of readers will follow the tie right down to its pointed end—and to the copy below.
2. Most illustrations need a caption. To get the caption read, put it below or to the right of the illustration, not above or to the left of it.
3. With 2-page layouts—as in a brochure—you can expand what the reader sees by placing color pictures to the left and black-and-white pictures to the right. Warmer colors will draw the reader’s eyes across the page revealing more of your message. When using pictures with and without people, put the people pictures to the left to encourage the reader’s eyes to go across the page.

People love a good story especially when it’s about them. To increase readership, you want to:

1. Include a salutation. You wouldn’t start a conversation without a greeting so include a salutation with your letter. And assign title codes. There is nothing more impersonal than using the recipient’s full name in the salutation. (“Dear Mr. Hugh Chewning,” for example. It’s either “Dear Mr. Chewning” or “Dear Hugh.”) When you can’t assign a title code, use a default—“Dear Member,” “Dear Homeowner” and “Dear Friend” are examples—but say “hello” and welcome the reader before launching your sales pitch.
2. Have the copy written as if it’s a one-on-one conversation between the letter signer and the recipient. Direct mail is an “I” to “you” medium. Not “us” and “we.” People are more comfortable with an individual than a large, impersonal organization, so keep it personal and they’ll keep reading.
3. Personalize the copy with the reader’s name and any other pertinent information that’s available. Properly used, the cost of adding personalization to the letter will almost always pay for itself. And when you’re mailing to customers or donors, recognize the recipient as such early in the copy.
4. Give special attention to the letter’s first paragraph and the P.S. Typically, these areas get the most attention so use them to state the problem your offer will solve, how the reader will benefit by responding and to issue your call to action. If they read nothing else, they’ll know how to respond and why they should respond.
5. Don’t worry about using incomplete sentences, contractions or a preposition at the end of a sentence. Write in a conversational style as if the letter signer is speaking directly to the recipient.
6. Create an image for the reader. If the reader can see him or herself in the situation you describe, they’ll take an interest and continue to read.
7. If you can’t spell a word or need to look up its meaning, don’t use it. You want to give the reader a “warm and fuzzy” feeling not impress him or her with your vocabulary.
8. Don’t let the reader stumble on in-house abbreviations. When using the term for the first time, spell it out. For example, rather than beginning a letter with “ACLU” you would write, “American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).” You’ll lose all momentum if the reader must turn back to the start of the letter to understand your meaning.

The more you create the perception that your direct mail letter is a personal communication from the letter signer to the recipient—and make it easy to read—the more readership you will have.

And the math is simple—greater readership equals higher response.

Getting every possible response is always worth the effort of giving added attention to the package’s layout, its use of graphics and its copy style. Increase readership of your letter and you and your organization will profit.

Too often, people and organizations put all their attention into getting the big things right, but ignore the details.

There’s a word to describe this. It’s “mediocrity.”

Giving attention to the details can’t ensure your success, but ignoring the small stuff can quickly bring about your downfall.

Every detail has bottom-line repercussions and it’s irresponsible to think of any aspect of direct mail as trivial, unimportant or inconsequential.

Here are a few fine points often overlooked in a mailing. None will ensure your success, but collectively, they can make a huge difference in your mailing’s success.

• Double-check the planning schedule. Don’t assume that someone has selected and ordered the mailing lists. Has the copywriter submitted his or her work in time to get it approved and into production in time to meet your mail date? Have the envelopes been delivered to the mail house? Too many projects never get off the ground—or mail at an unfavorable time—because no one monitors the planning schedule.
• Make certain all the mailing’s components—the outer envelope, the letter, the response form and other components—synergize into one mailing package. It’s one direct mail package, not a collection of individual components.
• Understand that giving attention to detail is not the same as cluttering the package’s design with details. Including too many graphic elements in the design can confuse the eye and keep the reader’s attention away from where you want it to flow.
• Check the art and make certain the letter uses a serif font. If anyone questions the value of using a serif font in the letter, have them pick any book from the library or look at any magazine or newspaper, and they will see that they all use serif fonts. Why? Because a serif font is more readable. And having more people read more of your letter can only increase response. When you want something read, use a serif font.
• You wouldn’t start a conversation without greeting the recipient, so make certain the letter includes a salutation. And give attention to title codes—Mr., Mrs. and Ms., for example. For me, there’s nothing more impersonal as “Dear Hugh Chewning.” It makes everything sound like a sweepstakes letter. Open the letter with “Dear Mr. Chewning” or, when appropriate, “Dear Hugh.” And provide a “default” for names that you can’t match to a title code. For example, “Dear Member,” “Dear Customer,” “Dear Neighbor” or even “Dear Friend.”
• Keep the letter’s paragraphs short and provide plenty of white space for the margins. Wide margins and short paragraphs invite the reader’s eye to the page. Fat paragraphs and long sentences are intimidating and unwelcoming to the reader. You want to get the letter read, so make it warm and comfortable to the recipient. (Compare the pages of a novel written in the 1930s or earlier with those of a contemporary book and see which you find more inviting.)
• Make sure the letter’s paragraphs are indented. Eye-camera studies show that indented paragraphs “catch” the eye moving down the page and make the letter more readable.
• Check for asterisks and, whenever possible, eliminate them. Asterisks are for the lazy and they announce that you’re hiding something. If there’s something you must say, just say it. It’s far better to announce a limitation or condition than for it to appear that you’re hiding the full truth. In a four-page letter, put required legal information on page two or three—very few people read those pages anyway.
• Format the letter as a “friendly” letter rather than a business letter—even for business-to-business mailings. Think of the letter as a one-on-one conversation between the recipient and you—the salesperson. To whom would you be more likely to respond—a salesperson who comes across as warm and friendly, or someone who is formal and distant?
• Read the letter aloud. Its copy is a conversation you’re having with the reader and that’s how you want it to sound.
• Don’t let a page—other than the last—end with a complete sentence. Any newspaper—with the possible exception of USA Today—will force you to turn a page to finish the front-page article. Why? They want you to see the advertisements. In direct mail, we also need the reader to turn the page to discover the benefits of our offer and reach the letter’s call to action.
• Give attention to the letter signer’s signature and any margin notes. The signature needs to be realistic but readable. You don’t want it to look like an artist signed the letter, but the signature needs to be legible or it’s going to hurt the letter’s credibility. And make certain any “handwritten” note in the margin is in the same handwriting and ink color as the signature.
• Has the letter used any in-house words or abbreviations without providing an explanation? Don’t assume the reader—even customers—will understand the terms that are unique to your business. If your spouse, best friend or neighbor aren’t familiar with the term, you need to explain it or omit it from the copy. When you do use abbreviations, always spell the word out when first used. For example, rather than beginning a letter with “ACLU,” you would write, “American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).” You’ll lose all momentum if the reader must turn back to the start of the letter to understand what you’re talking about.
• On the response form, tell the reader to whom their check is to be made payable. Don’t make them guess or give them any reason to hesitate. And it’s not “Make your checks payable to…” You’re only asking for one check, so use, “Make your check payable to…”
• Check the response form and make sure it fits into the return envelope. And, if appropriate, have you included a toll-free telephone number or a website the recipient can use to respond?
• When you do offer a toll-free number or webpage as a method of response, make certain that you have procedures in place to include these responses in the mailing’s results report.
• Finally, have the letter proofread. Don’t expect the copywriter to be the final proofreader of his or her own work.

Managing any one of these details isn’t going to produce a huge lift in your direct mail results. But collectively, getting the details right can be the difference between success and failure. Plus, it’s the professional thing to do.

You’ll often find the greatest success within the smallest details. And when it comes to making a difference in your mailing results, a penny is a penny. And pennies make dimes and dimes make dollars.

Sweat the small stuff. Strive for perfection and you’ll achieve excellence.

With direct mail, it’s often said, “The letter sells while the brochure explains.” With this in mind, it’s important not to let your explanation get in the way of making the sale.

I do a lot of “Beat the Control” work, and whenever I’m up against a package that includes a brochure, my first instinct is to test eliminating the brochure. More times than not, dropping the brochure will increase the mailing’s response.

Why? Because when people are reading your brochure, they aren’t responding. Too often, the brochure becomes a distraction and diverts the reader’s attention from the letter’s call to action.

Yet, there are times when it makes sense to test a brochure.

With some products and services, you can better communicate their benefits with a picture, illustration or graph than you can with just words.

For example, if you want to demonstrate the inner workings of a gadget, exhibit the beauty of a collector’s item or show the photo quality of a travel magazine, a brochure can help you sell your offer.

You use a brochure to document the claims made in your letter.

With a brochure, you can show pictures of customers using your product, include more testimonials, provide a chart comparing your service with that of your competitors, include graphs to validate improved product performance, and deliver product information your prospects can keep or pass along as a reminder of your offer.

Selecting the Right Format

You define your brochure’s format by the job you need it to do. For many offers, a simple flyer is enough, while a tri-fold brochure may work better for others. High-ticket offers may even require a multiple-page booklet.

Whatever the format, the brochure is always part of the total direct mail package and its design must share the image of the mailing’s other components. For example, a glossy, four-color, multiple-page booklet doesn’t fit with most fundraising offers. A tri-fold brochure may be out of place with an offer for gold coins, but it can be the perfect fit for a security alarm company.

When designing your brochure, you also want to consider the following:

• Unlike the letter, design the brochure to be scanned, not read.
• Include a strong headline that tells the “what and why” of your offer. The headline identifies the reader’s problem and suggests that there is a fix.
• Make your first paragraph count. Engage the reader and briefly describe how they will benefit from your product or service.
• Include a strong guarantee. Nothing will overcome the reader’s hesitation more quickly than a strong “No-Risk, Money-Back Guarantee.”
• Issue a clear call to action and tell the reader how to respond—by mail, telephone or via your website. Include a response device at the bottom outside corner of the page, where it’s easy to cut out. Show perforation lines around the response device to suggest what the reader needs to do. Also, include your toll-free number and the URL for the offer’s landing page. The brochure is a stand-alone device and needs to provide all the information necessary for the reader to respond.
• A brochure is a great place for Questions & Answers—written as if the reader is asking and you are answering.
• Increase your credibility with testimonials.
• Use graphs and product reviews to compare your product with those of your competitors. People will scan, not read, your brochure and graphs and charts can often tell your story better—and quicker—than text.

Focus the Reader’s Attention

The brochure is a “show me” component; you want to use its graphics to focus the reader’s attention so they quickly get the information that will motivate them to respond.

Use photos freely because before any word of text is even noted, the reader’s eyes will be pulled to photographs and illustrations.

• Select a readable typeface (serif); use short paragraphs and sub-headlines.
• Include pictures of people using your product or service. Readers will look at pictures with people before they see pictures of products.
• On two-page spreads—the inside of a folded brochure, for example—put your strongest picture as far to the left as possible. In most cases, eye flow begins at the upper right of a two-page spread and continues in a sideways “U” like this . Placing a strong picture to the left pulls the reader’s eyes back across the page and “exposes” more of your message.
• People read captions. Place captions as close to your pictures as possible—below or to the right of the illustration.
• Your reader’s eyes will typically follow the eyes of the people in your photos. You can take advantage of this by, for example, having the models in your photo look to the left when you want to call attention to copy that’s to the left of the picture.
• Place color pictures to the left and black-and-white pictures to the right. Warmer colors draw the reader’s eye to the left and they will see more of your message.
• Readers will see action illustrations before still pictures. Portraits gain attention before full pictures of people and, most often, a larger group of people will gain attention before a smaller group does.

Does It Help or Hurt?

Your brochure can be a great asset, but you do need to test its effect on your mailing. It’s a mistake to assume that the brochure’s four-color beauty, high-quality photos and fancy charts will increase response.

Test and retest your mailing’s brochure. And remember, the brochure’s purpose isn’t to educate, entertain or impress. In a direct response mailing, the brochure has only one purpose: to increase the mailing’s net income.

When receiving direct mail, the outer envelope is the first thing we see. Yet too often, its design is an afterthought.

But without a convincing envelope, even the strongest offer and best-written copy will take a quick, one-way trip to the trash.

When creating a new direct mail package, I try to think like a door-to-door salesperson. The outer envelope is my knock on the door and how effectively I use it, will determine the mailing’s success.

ELEMENTS OF THE ENVELOPE

Eye-study research reveals that recipients will spend no more than 7 seconds deciding whether to open the outer envelope. Fortunately, we have five tools we can use to convince the recipient to look inside. These are the:

1. Address piece (label, window, personalization)
2. Teaser
3. Return address
4. Postage type
5. Color and stock of paper, and the graphics

According to Professor Siegfried Vogels’ Eye Flow Studies Provide Clues for Improving Your Direct Mail, here’s how people look at an outer envelope.

First, their eye goes to the mailing address (1) and then to the left of the address (2). From there, the eye moves to the return address (3) and then to the postage (4). The package’s color and paper stock are typically the last things noticed.

Here’s how you can make each of these four elements work for you.

1. The mailing address is the first place people look. They like to see their name, so get it right!
2. When you use a teaser, Vogel’s study says it belongs to the left of the mailing address. But if you don’t have a good teaser, don’t force one. Not having a teaser can actually tease. If you have a FREE offer, go ahead and shout it, but don’t feel that a teaser is required.

Use your choice of typestyles to make the teaser more effective. Sometimes big, bold type is best. Other times, a “handwritten” font works better. But recognize that you have choices, and make your choice based upon the look and feel of the entire mailing package.

3. Vogel’s study shows that a return address on the outer envelope is an important factor when people are deciding whether to open your mailing. You can use a “handwritten” or Courier type for a personal look. Or you can print the return address in a formal type along with the company logo. It all depends on the look and feel of your entire package. For acquisition mailings—especially when you’re repeatedly re-mailing the same people—you may want to test using the return address without the company’s name. But when mailing to repeat customers, showing the company name will typically add credibility to the mailing. (If it doesn’t, you have a bigger problem.)
4. Your choice of postage is not a decision left to chance. When using First-Class postage, multiple stamps typically beat a commemorative stamp. A commemorative stamp will beat a regular stamp. And a stamp will beat postage-meter indicia, which will regularly beat preprinted indicia.

Even if you have to overpay postage by a penny or two—when the denomination of available stamps doesn’t exactly meet the actual postage cost—live stamps typically more than pay for themselves.

However, like your teaser and return address, make sure your choice of postage type fits the image of the entire package. For example, live stamps are the most personal—especially multiple stamps#&8212while preprinted indicia are the most impersonal. Yet, if you have official-looking outer envelopes, preprinted indicia fit the image far better than do stamps. You have choices, so use them to your advantage.

A final note on postage: First-Class postage adds perceived value to the correspondence. When using live stamps, pick stamps with colors that contrast with the envelope. And anytime you are mailing First Class, make sure the recipient knows you’re investing extra money to deliver your message. Don’t keep it a secret. In big, bold letters imprint:

FIRST-CLASS POSTAGE

Don’t let there be any doubt. You consider your recipients special and you’re investing extra money to deliver your message to them.

5. Stock and Color may be two of the most over-tested components of a direct mail package but they do help convey the overall image of your package. For example, for “official” packages, I like to use a brown kraft stock. When I’m using a teaser to promote a free offer, I like yellow or white stock because of its contrast with the type. Overall, I try to stay away from cool colors when selecting paper stock.
6. Don’t forget about the back of the envelope. Of the seven seconds the prospect might spend examining your envelope, more than half of that time will be looking at the backside as they open the envelope.
7. Regularly test new outer envelope deigns. New envelope designs are the easiest and most cost-effective way to keep a control fresh.
8. And perhaps most important, the outer envelope is only one part of the total package—not an independent component. You wouldn’t use an official-looking envelope with a handwritten letter inside. Likewise, you wouldn’t use a live stamp with most official letters. All the envelope’s components must work together, and the envelope must work with the entire package.

Follow these guidelines and you’ll have a better chance of getting the envelope opened and your message read. The envelope is your first contact with the prospect and, when designed properly, it will make a positive first impression and lead you to greater success.

When times get tough, everyone wants to cut direct mail costs. After all, if we can bring in the same amount of money and spend less, our profits increase.

And there are ways to cut costs without necessarily hurting the effectiveness of your mailing.

Cut Costs or Make Money?

You can, for example, trim your package format by ¼ inch or so to make it run better on your printer’s press, use a cheaper paper, test smaller formats, omit package inserts or eliminate the premium.

But don’t act too quickly.

Before getting caught up in the rush to cut expenses, we need to remember the objective of our direct mail campaign.

Because few, if any, of us mail to save money.

For most of us, the mailing’s objective is to make money.

This is a huge distinction. Saving money and making money isn’t the same thing. And, more often than not, we can increase the mailing’s profitability by adding to the package rather than by subtracting from it.

To increase your mailing’s profit, even as you increase its cost, you can:

• Add an involvement technique—a survey, membership card, petition, name stickers, a certificate—anything that gets the reader involved with the package. But it’s not enough just to toss the piece into the package. You must weave it into the copy and give it a reason for being there.
• Offer a premium and promote it with a separate insert—I’m a strong believer in premiums and need a reason not to offer them. The premium doesn’t need to be expensive and can be as simple as a white paper, a decal or a bookmark. But it does need to have a perceptible value.Many groups hate premiums believing that they cheapen the organization. But most donors and customers respond to them and, in my experience, when used properly, a premium will increase the mailing’s net profit.
• Test a larger format. A larger format is going to increase your production cost and perhaps even your postage cost. Yet they grab attention and generate response. Today, fewer oversize formats are being mailed so they command even more attention in the mailbox and can be especially useful for acquisition campaigns. In tests, when nothing other than the format size was changed; I’ve seen response increase by 100% when using a large format.
• Add an insert that emphasizes your guarantee. (If you’re not using a guarantee, you need one.) The mailing’s recipient has plenty of reasons—real or perceived—not to respond to your offer and the guarantee helps remove any hesitation that might otherwise jeopardize the sale. And by featuring your guarantee with a separate insert, you’re calling attention to your promise of a good customer experience.
• Include a lift note. The lift note, signed by someone other than the letter signer and printed on a different paper stock—the perception is that it’s coming from source other than the main letter—has many uses. You can use it to add credibility, present a testimonial or endorsement, emphasize your risk-free offer, expand upon the offer, tell a story, customize the offer to particular list segments and provide an added “push” to get the reader to respond.
• Spend money on list segmentation. Every good list includes bad names and every bad list includes good names. And since the mailing list is the most important component of your mailing, there’s no better place to spend money than to refine your list segmentation. List modeling/profiling isn’t cheap but with better segmentation you can increase your response and even reduce your total costs by mailing fewer, but better targeted, mailing pieces.

All this isn’t to suggest that you should drop your efforts to reduce costs. But cost cutting alone will not produce sustainable success. And I’m not suggesting that you change your control mailing without testing.

I am, however, suggesting that before investing in a new test mailing, you do the math to determine how much of an increase in response or average order is needed to justify the mailing’s added expenseand decide whether, with the changes being tested, this is a reasonable expectation.

It’s certain that we will continue to come under increased pressure to reduce costs but as direct marketers, we must change the conversation from how to cut costs to how we can make our mailings more profitable.

Just about every direct mail copywriter can benefit from a good editor. Yet many decision makers who approve copy—clients, compliance officers, board members and managers—aren’t trained to edit the copywriter’s work.

Here’s a simple 3-step method and checklist that might help.

Step 1

When reviewing a direct mail letter for the first time, sit on your hands.

One of the biggest mistakes is to pick up your red pen before you’ve reviewed the complete mailing package. Checking for errors in grammar, spelling and sentence structure is essential. But when you proofread the letter before reading the entire package, you’re likely to miss the big picture. It’s like letting a tree block your view of the forest.

Before you pick up your pen, read the complete mailing package and then ask yourself, does this letter:

• Speak directly to the recipient?
• Convincingly show how the offer fulfills the needs of the reader?
• Clearly communicate the mailing’s objective?
• Establish the creditability of the organization and/or product?
• Issue a clear call to action?

Once you’re satisfied that the copy meets these initial requirements, it’s time to move on to a more detailed review.

Step 2

A good editor knows to look for more than the writer’s use of words and will ensure that the copy quickly captures the reader’s attention.

[ ]  Is the letter starting with its best lead? Often, you’ll find the strongest lead buried in the third or fourth paragraph.

[ ]  After reading the first few paragraphs, will the recipient know why he or she are receiving the letter?

[ ]  Within the first few paragraphs, can you recognize the audience targeted by the letter? If, for example, the letter is targeting previous donors or customers, the copy should recognize the recipient’s status early in the letter. If you’re writing investors, collectors or sports fans, the first few paragraphs should acknowledge the recipient’s interest.

And to increase readership, the editor will check:

[ ]   Is the letter inviting to read? Does it use short sentences, wide margins and a double space between paragraphs? Are the paragraphs indented?

[ ]   Do pages break in mid-sentence so the reader must turn the page to complete the thought?

[ ]  Is the letter using a serif type style?

[ ]  Is the text at least 12-point type, especially for older audiences?

[ ]  Does the letter have a logical flow from paragraph to paragraph?

[ ]  Does the message unfold in a logical manner?

[ ]  Are there any “in-house words” that the average reader won’t understand?

[ ]  Is the letter written as if it’s from one person to one other person? Check the copy for “us” and “we” and, whenever possible, replace them with “me” and “I.”

[ ]  Is the copywriter taking full advantage of the printer’s capability to personalize the package? For example, if the inside address and/or salutation are personalized, why not extend the personalization to other parts of the page?

[ ]  Can you rework any passive sentences?

And to add creditability to the package:

[ ]  Review the letter as part of the complete direct mail package. All components—the outer envelope, letter, response form, reply envelope and any inserts—need to work in harmony.

Although we’re now focusing on the letter, remember that you’re editing one component of a package and not a stand-alone element. For example, if the outer envelope has an official look, the letter copy needs a more formal approach. But if you’re using a hand-addressed envelope, the letter’s copy will be more informal. Everything needs to work together.

[ ]  Does the letter use testimonials or other documentation to support its claims?

[ ]  If the letter includes “handwritten” notes or underlines, are the same color ink and “handwriting” used for the letter-signer’s signature? Remember, the person signing the letter is the person writing the notes.

[ ]  Is the letter’s signature legible? (Signatures that are difficult to read promote a negative response.)

And to make the sale:

[ ]  Can you quickly identify the offer?

[ ]  Does the letter close the sale by specifically telling the reader what action to take?

[ ]  Does your P.S. restate the benefits and the call to action?

Step 3

Now, read your letter aloud. Remember, the best direct mail is written in conversational English, and this is where you’ll spot clumsy phrasing, overuse of particular words, and paragraphs that don’t connect smoothly with the previous thought. Hear the written words as a conversation with the recipient.

Finally, review the letter for typos, misspellings and improper word use.

With the letter’s copy on your computer screen, increase the font size to 16 or 18 points and you’ll find that it’s easier to spot typos, misused words or unnecessary words. You may even want to read the copy backward, as this forces you to see each word one at a time.

Regardless of how experienced the copywriter is, a good editor is worth his or her weight in gold. Rather than confrontational, the relationship between copywriter and editor is a partnership. Each respects the expertise of the other and recognizes that they share a common goal—making—the mailing more responsive and profitable.

What to test

In his book, Secrets of Successful Direct Mail, Dick Benson states, “Any idea you honestly believe can economically increase response is worth testing.”

The key words are “economically increase response.” But what is economical? Typically, the more dramatic a change you make in a package, the more dramatic the difference in results.

For example, when you need a breakthrough, test the components that have the greatest influence on the mailing’s success—lists, offer, format and copy. Forget about testing minor changes on page three or the color of the return envelope. Test big things for big results.

However, for clients mailing larger volumes, “tweaking” the control for incremental gains often makes sense.

For example, Client A and Client B both have an average response rate of 1%, with a $25 average transaction. Both test a new package that lifts results by 10%. The only difference is that Client A has an annual mailing volume of 1 million pieces. Client B mails 10 million pieces every year.

For Client A, with its smaller mailing volume, this 10% lift means an annual difference of $25,000 in income. But for client B, the same 10% lift means $250,000 in additional income.

While the smaller client might appreciate an extra $25,000 to spend, it is probably not going to have a major impact on the organization—especially after accounting for test costs. On the other hand, a quarter of a million dollars is “adult money.”

But whatever you decide to test, do the math first. Even if the test beats your control, it won’t make sense if it takes too long to recover your test costs or requires an unobtainable rate of response.

When to test

The best time to test is when you have a successful control. A too-common mistake is to delay testing new concepts because “our control is still working.” By this reasoning, you wouldn’t test new concepts until the control takes a dive, and this is a disaster for cash flow. You may even find that it’s time to update your résumé, because there’s not going to be enough cash flow to make payroll.

Instead, test from strength, not weakness. Virtually every mailing is an opportunity to test. However successful your control is, and however long it’s been the control, it can be improved.

How much to test

When deciding how many pieces to test, the important thing isn’t how many pieces you mail with your test package. What’s important is how many responses you get back.

Your test volume should be no fewer than the number you need in order to produce statistically reliable results. Mathematicians using formulas I won’t even pretend to understand tell me that as few as 39 responses can be statistically valid with a 90%–95% probability of accuracy. Personally, I’m more comfortable with closer to 100 responses.

You can use an online calculator to tell you how much to mail, but the concept is easy. Just take the control’s response rate and see how much you need to mail in order to produce 100 responses. For example, with a 1% response rate, you would need to mail 10,000 pieces to produce 100 responses.

As a rule of thumb, you’ll want to limit your total test volume to no more than 20%–25% of the total mailing. This way, if the test fails, the returns from your control will help absorb the loss and preserve the operating budget.

Smart testing

Testing is essential to profitable direct mail, but we need to test smart. Evaluate the success of the test based on its rollout cost, but always do the math first and make sure you can pay back your full test costs in a reasonable time.

And remember Dick Benson’s advice and test only what you honestly believe can economically increase response.

Direct mail isn’t a complicated business. If you can get more people to read further into your letter, you’re going to achieve a greater response.

Successful direct mail is a conversation that motivates the reader to take a specific action. If we can get the prospect to listen more, or in our case read further along in our letter, we’ll have a greater chance of getting them to take the desired action.

Here are 18 proven ways you can increase readership of your direct mail letters and achieve a more profitable mailing campaign.

1. Make the letter look like a letter. Practically everyone is going to recognize it as a “mass mailing” but create the perception of a personal letter.
2. Include a salutation. You wouldn’t start a conversation without a greeting so include a salutation with your letter. And assign title codes. There is nothing more impersonal tan “Dear Mr. Tom Jones.” (Even if you only have title codes for half your prospects, use them. Getting 50 percent right is much better than 100% wrong.)
3. You’re writing one letter to one person. Good direct mail is an “I” to “you” medium. Not “us” and “we’s.”
4. Sell benefits, not features. You may be proud of what you’re selling but the letter isn’t about you. Write about what’s important to the reader and show them the benefits of responding.
5. Use wide margins and double space between paragraphs. And don’t justify your right margins. Flush left, ragged to the right.
6. Use a serif type for your letter copy – Georgia, Courier and Times Roman are examples. (Serif type has the little “feet” at the bottom and is proven to enhance reading flow and reduce eye strain which is why your newspaper, magazines and published books use serif type.) Graphic designers seem to love sans serif type – Arial, Helvetica and Verdana are examples – but save it for headlines and things you don’t want read like disclosures.
7. Typically, the letter’s first paragraph and the P.S. at the end of the letter get the most attention. Use these areas to capture the reader’s attention and tell them the benefits of responding.
8. Remember, you’re trying to communicate, not impress. Write in a conversational style as if you were speaking face-to-face and if this includes incomplete sentences, the use of contractions or a preposition at the end of a sentence, so be it. As a rule of thumb, if you can’t spell a word or need to look up its meaning, don’t use it.
9. Use your words to create an image for the reader. If the reader can see himself or herself in the situation you create, they’ll take an interest and read on. It’s like selling a house. When you hear the prospective buyers talking about where the sofa will go, you know you’ve got them. Same thing here. With your words, let the reader picture how they’ll benefit by responding today.
10. Use an involvement device – surveys, petitions, punch-out tokens, samples of cloth, address labels, greeting cards, CDs – anything you can use to get the reader involved will increase readership and response.
11. Keep your paragraphs short. You want to vary your paragraph length to keep your copy interesting and flowing. But as a rule of thumb, limit each paragraph to no more than five lines.
12. Always indent your paragraphs. Eye-camera studies show that indented paragraphs “catch” the eye moving down the page and make the letter more readable.
13. Single space the letter. Double space between paragraphs.
14. Don’t end a page with a complete sentence. Look at your newspaper. To finish practically any article, you have to turn the page and that’s exactly what you want the reader to do with your letter – keep reading toward the final call to action.
15. When using abbreviations, always spell the word out when first used. For example, rather than beginning a letter with “ACLU.” you would write, “American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). You’ll lose all momentum if the reader must turn back to the start of the letter to understand what you’re talking about.
16. Remember, as a direct mail copywriter you’re a salesperson competing for the reader’s time. Get to the point and stay with it.
17. When using “handwritten” notes in the margin and/or underlining, be sure the letter signer uses the same pen used to sign the letter. This is one letter, written by one person, to one other person. Make it believable.
18. Use nothing smaller that 10-1point type (except for disclaimers) and for an older audience, you’ll want to use a larger 12-point type.

As direct mail copywriters, we can’t close the sale without getting the prospect to read our letter. Use each of these proven 18 tips to increase readership and you’ll see a positive impact with your response.

The response device is one of the most important components of the mailing. After all, it’s used to complete the sale.

Yet too often, the response device is the last thing we get to when creating the package. Consequently, it’s rushed and doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

We work hard to make sure our envelope design grabs the reader’s attention. And we work and rework our letter copy until we get the reader fired up and ready to part with their money. Unfortunately, the sale is often lost once the reader gets to the response device. Either it’s too confusing, too complicated or it lets them forget why they wanted to respond in the first place.

To help keep this from happening, here are 18 Proven Ideas for a Better Reply Device. You don’t need to test any of these ideas.  Just be sure they are all included when you design your next mailing.

18 Proven Ideas for a Better Reply Device

1. Include one. Make it easy for the respondent to reply. And show them know that a reply is expected.
2. Write the response device before you write the letter. This will force you to describe the offer, benefits and call to action in a brief, concise and easy to understand fashion which, in turn, will help you write a better letter.
3. Title it. And consider your wording. Acceptance Form is better than Application Form because “application” implies possible rejection. Savings Certificate is even better. Some believe that just adding the term “Certificate” to the response device’s title will increase results.
4. Put the recipient’s name, address, and mail code on the reply form – not on the back of the return envelope. And don’t make the recipient write their own name and address. This slows things down and gives the recipient time to reconsider their action.
5. Include the name and mailing address of the organization — the person who is waiting for your reply. Even if they lose the return envelope, the recipient will still be able to reply. While part of the package, the reply should be able to withstand the test of a stand-alone device.
6. Repeated the benefits promised in the letter.
7. Show a guarantee. The reply form is the prospect’s last opportunity for resistance and a guarantee will help overcome this reluctance.
8. Speak in the first person. The reply is the recipient writing back to the letter writer.
9. Tell the reader exactly what to do. (I’m enclosing my check for…”  Note:  the speaker has changed from the letter.)
10. Tell the reader who to pay their check payable to. And it’s “Make Your Check Payable. . .” not “Your Checks.” Then, tell the reader what to do with the check (put it in the enclosed postage-free envelope and mail it back today).
11. For fundraising, list specific asking amounts on the reply form. And when possible, show what these asking amounts will accomplish. ($15 will help seven children receive life-saving vaccines.)
12. Again, for fundraisers, test odd asking amounts – if you can explain the odd amount. For example, “$15.50 will help nine children…”
13. Make sure it stands out. Your reply device should pass the “drop it on the floor test” and be easily identifiable from the other package components.
14. The reply is an action device. Use warm, action colors.
15. Make it easy to use. The type should be no smaller than 10 point – and larger if you’re writing to seniors.
16. When the reader must make choices, use check-off boxes. But don’t give them too many choices. This is when you want them responding, not thinking.
17. Make sure the reply device fits into the return envelope.
18. If you have a tear-off stub on the response device, use it to recap the benefits and guarantee — or even as a free bookmark.

I’m a great believer in testing. However, each of these 18 ideas have been tested and retested. Ignore them at your own risk.