We all make mistakes, but years ago a teacher told me, “If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not doing enough.”

Mistakes can be learning experiences, but as valuable as it is to learn from our own mistakes, it can be more profitable to learn from the mistakes of others.

Throughout my 30-plus years of direct marketing, here are five of the most common mistakes I see mailers make. And regardless of our own experience, we can always profit from the lessons others had to learn the hard way.

1. Refusing to make a long-term commitment to direct mail

Successful direct mail is methodical. It requires a plan and the discipline to follow the plan. It is not a get-rich-quick scheme.

Not everything will go right on every mailing. Whether you are a startup or a mature mailer, some tests will lose money, and your organization needs to have a long-term commitment to its direct mail program in order to get through these situations. You can’t repeatedly start and stop a direct mail program and hope to be successful.

You can test direct mail and if in six months it doesn’t prove profitable, you can get out. But, with very few exceptions, you can’t make direct mail profitable in six months. Successful direct mail is a process of building upon test results from one mailing to another. It takes discipline and commitment. There are no shortcuts.

2. Not doing the math first

Before investing money in a mailing, determine the results you need to justify its costs. Without this information, you can’t make an informed decision on whether the mailing makes sense.

It’s one thing to read test results and acknowledge that a mailing failed, yet it’s far better to avoid any test that has little chance of succeeding.

Too often mailers test offers, formats and premiums that because of their cost require an unrealistic response to beat the control. And just as often I’ve seen mailers reject a promising test because they thought it cost too much.

Performing a few easy calculations–using rollout costs–before you commit to the test will help you determine whether a test makes sense. (See How to Use a Pre-Event Routine for More Profitable Direct Mail Testing.)

3. Ignoring list selection

Nothing plays a greater role in your mailing’s success than list selection. No matter how good the copy or offer, you’re not going to sell lawnmowers to Eskimos. Work closely with a list professional who has experience in your market and who will take the time to learn about your organization, its competitors, the mailing’s offer and your past mailing results.

Yet as invaluable as a good list broker is, don’t make the mistake of forfeiting responsibility for list selection.

Take list selection personally. Marketing directors should understand the list selection process, what the selected lists have in common with existing customers or donors, and where the names originated. (Are these survey names, previous buyers, subscribers, etc.?) Copywriters can’t talk effectively to the recipients without knowing what lists are being mailed. And only by understanding who will receive the mailing can a graphic designer select the proper colors, fonts and graphics.

Stay involved with your mailing’s list selection. There’s nothing more important to your direct mail’s success.

4. Failing to invest in a regular testing program

I’d be a rich man if I had a dime for every time someone said, “I don’t need to test. My control is still working.” Or “I can’t afford to test.”

In truth, you can’t afford not to test. And you certainly don’t want to wait until your control stops working before launching a testing program. That would be like waiting until you crash your car before buying auto insurance.

There are a limited number of people who will respond to your mailing, and that number shrinks each time you mail.

Even the best mailing packages get fatigued. To remain competitive, you must continue to test new lists, offers, formats and copy. Even the few direct mail letters that remain the control year after year need to be “tweaked” to maintain response. A successful direct marketer is always pushing for better results, and you can achieve this only with a disciplined testing program.

5. Don’t ask for the order

Direct response is sales pure and simple. If you’re too embarrassed to ask for the order or contribution, or if you believe that asking doesn’t reflect your organization’s image, then you’re in the wrong business.

As direct marketers, our job is to convince recipients to take a specific action. Whether it’s to buy a product, make a contribution or provide contact information, you need to tell the recipients exactly what you want them to do. Then remind them and, finally, tell them again.

You must ask for the order. Otherwise you’re engaged in a public information or brand-building effort. And while these are both noble exercises, they are not direct-response marketing.

This list of five common direct mail mistakes isn’t intended to be a complete list of “learning experiences.” You probably have an experience or two you want to add to the list, and I would appreciate seeing your comments below.

But let’s all agree that it’s better to learn from the mistakes of others than to pay to make the same mistakes ourselves.

Whether you’re promoting an idea, a product or a service, successful direct mail copy persuades the reader to take a desired course of action.

Years ago, the televangelist Don Stewart successfully wrote to his supporters saying, “Send $25 now. I’ll explain later.”

But today we live in an “age of skepticism,” and without facts to support the letter’s claims—and a clear understanding of the mailing’s purpose—the direct mail copywriter cannot write his or her most persuasive appeal.

Facts help build creditability, and every promise needs to be supported with believable data. But, to do his or her best work, the direct mail copywriter needs more than product information. Before beginning to write, your copywriter also needs to know:

• What’s the purpose of the mailing?
• Who will receive the mailing?
• How will the offer benefit the reader?
• What are we asking the recipients to do?
• Are there any terms or phrases that must be included or excluded?

Additionally, I want to know current response rates, average order and the cost of the control package so I can estimate how much we can spend on a new test package. Does it make sense to add an insert to the mailing, use a larger format or include a premium? (See my past blog entry, How to Use a Pre-Event Routine for More Profitable Direct Mail Testing.)

Why share mailing list information?

The best direct mail is a one-to-one communication between the letter signer and the mailing’s recipient. And only by understanding who will receive the mailing can the copywriter effectively communicate the offer.

When we meet someone for the first time, our conversation becomes much more effective once we learn a little about each other. The same is true for the copywriter when writing to prospects or customers for the first time.

Understanding which mailing lists or segments are most successful—and least successful—along with all available demographic information and buying/contribution history, can help the copywriter speak more effectively to the mailing’s recipients. Plus, the copywriter can use this information to personalize the letter copy—which typically increases results.

Why mail volume is important to the copywriter

Including involvement techniques—surveys, CDs, samples, admission tickets, address stickers, etc.—in a test package is often a great way to achieve breakthrough results. The same is true of oversize formats and premiums.

All of these add-ons come at a cost, but with the price breaks typically available with large volumes, the copywriter can consider testing “bells and whistles” that would not make sense for a low-volume mailing.

And when knowing there will be more mail volume, the copywriter can propose more tests.

For example, if your mailing is only 100,000 pieces, it doesn’t make sense to mail five different tests of 10,000 names each. This would put half of your total mailing at risk, and that’s not a good idea for cash flow. And, depending upon the response rate, making your test cells smaller might not generate enough responses to achieve statistically valid results.

Yet when mailing a million pieces, assigning the same 50,000 names to testing would only represent one-twentieth of the total mail volume—a far less risky investment.

Sharing potential mail volume can help the copywriter make better use of your test dollars.

More information is better

The more information the copywriter has the better job he or she can do. Here are several other things I want to know before I start to write—and why:

• Who is the letter signer? I ask for a biography of the letter signer because the direct mail copywriter speaks for him or her. And the more the copywriter knows about the person signing the letter, the better he or she can relate the copy to the recipient’s needs.
• Who are the client’s competitors? A competitor presumably shares at least a portion of the audience I’ll be writing to, so I want to see how they present their offer and review the benefits they promise.
• I also want to see samples of the company’s space ads, collateral, and radio and television ads. Direct mail is only part of the organization’s marketing plan, and the copywriter needs to create a synergy between the different advertising mediums. The company’s communication to the targeted audience—whatever the source—needs to share a common image and message.
• Share testimonials and press clippings—both positive and negative. They can add creditability to the copy.
• Provide the copywriter with a sample of the product or let him or her experience the service. Holding, feeling and using the product or service lets the copywriter experience its benefits, and as a result, he or she can then better relate these values to the prospective buyers.
• How will the client judge the package’s success? Will it be net dollars, number of new customers, customers making a second purchase, click-throughs, telephone calls or the number of leads received? The client will judge my performance by the package’s success, and we can avoid disagreements by agreeing on the rules beforehand.

Share mail samples

Some organizations worry that sharing past mail samples will limit the copywriter’s creativity and influence the work. But creativity isn’t the job of the copywriter. Increasing response is.

Past mailings should influence the copywriter. After all, the whole concept of direct mail testing is to build on past successes and avoid past mistakes.

If there are particular techniques that consistently work, I want to consider including them. If there are concepts that have consistently proven not to work, I want to avoid them.

And the argument not to share samples because the organization must preserve its confidentiality just doesn’t work. Once the package mails to thousands of complete strangers, it’s not a secret. Share it with your copywriter.

To achieve the highest return on the organization’s test budget, share information, samples and past results with your copywriter. When you do, everyone wins.

Direct mail is a sales medium. We use it to sell ideas, products and services. And like any other form of sales, its success is based on trust.

Regardless of how much the prospect may value your offer, if he or she doesn’t trust the person attempting to make the sale, it’s not going to happen.

In direct mail, our salesperson is the letter signer. And to establish trust we use testimonials, money-back guarantees and clear, straightforward language.

By definition, an asterisk “indicates omission…”

An asterisk signifies that the claim being made isn’t complete. There are qualifications and/or limitations to what you’re being told. In blunt terms, an asterisk says that you’re not being told the whole truth.

Recently, I received a mailing with the headline “Save $1,000.*”

Seeing the asterisk, I read this headline as “Save $1,000? Maybe.”

The headline makes a big claim but the asterisk warns me that I’m not getting the full story. Continuing with the letter, I encountered three more asterisks before I completed the first paragraph.

Where’s my trust level now?

I’ve never been impressed by fast-talking salespeople who oversell and promise something they can’t deliver. If there are restrictions or qualifications to become eligible for an offer, just say so in clear, straightforward language.

Full disclosure is not only a legal responsibility and a matter of conscience, it’s good salesmanship.

I expect that on more than one occasion you’ve walked away from a sale because you sensed the salesperson was more interested in making a sale than giving you all the information you needed to make a good buying decision.

Isn’t this the same message an asterisk delivers to our readers?

There will be times when using an asterisk to direct the reader to the disclosure is your best choice. But too often we use an asterisk because it’s easy. All we need to do is insert an asterisk and drop the legal department’s comments into an endnote and we’re done.

But typically, there’s a more effective way.

• When making a statement that requires a comment, write, “You’ll find the full details and limitations below.” You’ll still have the endnote, but you’ll avoid the asterisk.
• In a four-page letter, try to work the mandatory copy into page two or three where it won’t disrupt the flow of the letter.
• Rather than try to hide the legalese, see if you can find a way to feature the disclosure copy. Be upfront and let the reader know, “Here are facts that you need to know.” People want to do business with people they trust—someone who doesn’t hide information concerning the sale.

Recently, I attached a Post-It note to the letter’s first page and wrote:

As you might expect, with an offer this good—and discounts this huge—there are certain conditions that apply. You’ll find complete details printed on the blue insert I’ve enclosed.

You may not like this particular idea and I can’t say how well it worked because we didn’t test it separately. But my point is that we can meet regulatory and legal requirements without littering our copy with asterisks.

Here are a few examples:

• Often we see an asterisk pointing to a disclosure that reads, “For new customers only.” Instead, try adding copy to the letter that says, “The savings and benefits offered are reserved exclusively for our new customers.” Now, the mandatory copy adds exclusivity to the offer.
• If the offer is only good for a limited time, don’t hide it in the disclosure. Turn the “limited time” into a deadline to respond and add urgency to the offer.
• Using diet products as an example, you often see “With diet and regular exercise” added to the disclosure. But rather than put this into the disclosure, include letter copy that says, “With regular exercise and proper diet, you can see amazing results with XYZ product.” You’re communicating the same message but the qualifying statement is now part of the benefit.
• When promoting Certificates of Deposit rates, financial institutions often add “New Money Only” to the disclosure. Instead, try putting this into your copy: “Because we’re looking to raise money to make new home loans, this special rate is limited to new money—money that’s not already deposited with the bank.” This not only gets rid of an asterisk, it also opens the offer to existing customers.

There will be times when directing the reader to the disclosure with an asterisk is still the best approach. Sometimes there’s just no better way to communicate mandatory information. But don’t make it the first thing you try because more often than not, you can make better use of the disclosure information in the letter copy.

Including required information in your letter copy can increase the believability of your offer and build trust. But using an asterisk to point to a disclosure in eight-point type can only hurt the mailing’s creditability.

________________________________________

*To kill the perfect offer, use an asterisk in the headline and letter copy.

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.

When I started my direct marketing career, I wanted to be a copywriter. Copywriters were the agency “hotshots”; it seemed like they were the star attraction.

Yet my mentor told me that the people of most value to the agency were direct mail “generalists.” Taking his advice, I spent the next six years learning how to initiate, develop and manage successful direct mail campaigns.

I studied list selection, graphic layouts, the letter’s structure, print production and lettershop capabilities. And I gave special attention to what and how to test.

Yet today, most of my income comes from direct mail copywriting.

Over the years, I’ve tested against other copywriters who wrote fancier words, enjoyed reputations that are more widespread and commanded larger fees.

And I freely admit that others write copy that’s richer, less choppy and often, they select particular words that I wish I had thought to use.

Yet when testing head-to-head against these higher-profile writers, my packages regularly generate higher profits.

It isn’t because of the words I choose. It’s because of the lessons I learned long ago.

An Unbeatable Advantage

Before putting a word on paper, I invest time to learn about the mailing lists that will be used, review current and past mailing packages, study test results, and ask
about the printer’s and lettershop’s capabilities. And once the copy is accepted, I work with the graphic designer to review the layout, the graphics, and the selected font, plus do little things like make sure paragraphs are indented and pages break in mid-sentence.

Giving attention to the details is a nearly unbeatable advantage.

Yet too many agencies, clients and managers fail to give their copywriters these practical advantages.

Today, many agencies have consolidated into mega-agencies. And as they grow larger, they tend to become more stratified.

A team leader—usually an account executive—is assigned to every account. Other team members work on the campaign strategy, select the lists, and handle design, production or back-end analysis.

Too often, the copywriter isn’t brought into the picture until after other team members have developed and released the creative brief. Essentially, the copywriter becomes an order-taker.

It’s More Than the Words

But to do our best work for the team, the client and the organization, copywriters need to be direct mail people first and wordsmiths second. For example:

• List Selection. The best copywriters understand that good list selection is more important than the words they put on paper. You can rehash common statements like “The list is 300% more important than copy,” but in fact, the list is infinitely more important. Even if you have the all-time world’s greatest package, if you mail it to the wrong people, you’ll fail. It’s that simple.To be successful, the copywriter needs to know which lists work and which don’t, and have access to all available demographic and behavioral data. A copywriter should also get to know the list brokers, study the “data cards” and ask to be included in new list announcements.
• Graphic Design. You want your copywriter to understand how graphic design affects readership and, thus, how it affects response. He or she should work closely with your design team and understand that it’s in the designer’s DNA to make things pretty and want to win awards. It’s the copywriter’s job to fight for a layout that encourages readership and directs the recipient to take a specific action. Pretty isn’t important. Results are. Let the designer do his or her thing with your collateral pieces, but for anything being measured by its response, the direct mail people—including the copywriter—should have the final word.
• Production. Encourage your copywriter to meet with your printer and lettershop, and include him or her in meetings with new vendors. Copywriters don’t need to be production experts, but they do need to know the full capabilities of the printer and lettershop. Otherwise, they can’t take advantage of the technology and unique capabilities that they can use to drive results.
• Back-end Analysis. Direct mail isn’t “fire and forget.” Share results of past mailings with the copywriter so he or she can take advantage of your new findings and avoid repeating past mistakes.

If you need an outside copywriter to sign a nondisclosure agreement, do it. If you don’t want to share specific results, assign an index to the numbers. If you can’t trust the copywriter with this, why are you using him or her anyway?

And for the record, once a piece mails to thousands, if not millions, of people, it’s no longer confidential, so give a sample to your copywriter. (A pet peeve.)

Whatever your cause or whatever you’re selling, you can achieve greater results by making the copywriter a full participating member of the account team. Bring him or her into the job early in the campaign’s planning stages and you’ll get better results.

Life doesn’t have to be complicated. Empower your copywriter and enable him or her to deliver greater profits. After all, higher profits keep the client and/or the board of directors happy, pay the bills and will give you a good night’s sleep.

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.

Simply put, your direct mail offer is the “deal” you promise the recipient. It’s what you promise the reader and what you ask in return.

Your offer needs to be specific and to clearly state how it benefits the prospect. It includes the product—or for a fundraiser, the organization’s mission or project—the price or asking amount, terms, incentives, guarantee, etc.

And, of all the components of your mailing—other than the list—the offer is the most important element of your success. If you’re looking for breakthrough results, here are 17 quick ideas to consider:

1. Offer something free—a free gift for responding, a free trial period to test the product, free shipping, etc.
2. Offer something new. Along with “free,” “new” is still one of the most powerful words you can use.
3. “Flip-flop” your offer. Rather than emphasizing “You’re paying $400 too much for auto insurance,” test “You can save $400 on your auto insurance.” You can sell a product at “50% off” or offer the reader “Buy one and get one free.” You can offer a product for $24.99, or test selling it for “$29.99 with free shipping.” In each of these examples, the cost to the mailer is the same, but repositioning the offer can lead to a big difference in results.
4. Use specifics. Rather than offering to save the reader $400, offer to save him or her $398.43. Although it’s less of a savings, the specific dollar amount can attract more attention and give the offer added credibility.
5. For political fundraisers, rather than ask for money to “help elect” a candidate, raise money to “defeat” the opponent.
6. Use goals that people can relate to. For example, rather than raising money to feed millions of hungry people, ask for help to feed one hungry child. Rather than cutting taxes by billions of dollars, offer to save each taxpayer $1,023.
7. Where possible, don’t use percentages. What does it really mean to save 25%? Instead, offer to “Save $19.” Rather than “Sixty percent of all consumers agree,” use “Three of every five consumers agree.”
8. Test a premium. If you’re already offering a premium, test a new one. (See Why Test Premiums)
9. Test new prices and/or asking amounts.
10. Provide a guarantee. Everyone can offer a guarantee; if you don’t think you can, you shouldn’t be selling the product. Even a nonprofit can offer a guarantee to use the donor’s money wisely or promise to refund the donor’s initial contribution if they ever become dissatisfied with the organization.
11. Include a trial offer. Like the guarantee, a trial offer limits the prospect’s risk and reduces their concerns about responding.
12. Make the offer “For a Limited Time Only.” By including a specific deadline in your offer, you can force the prospect into making a decision.
13. Offer “Early Bird” savings or gifts. (“If you act within the next 10 days, you get…”)
14. Test “Yes,” “No,” or “Maybe” options with peel-off stickers that the recipient transfers to the response form, or include the options with simple check-off boxes. Giving the prospect Yes or No options typically increases response. And adding a Maybe option often boosts response even more.
15. Offering a “Charter Membership” gives the prospect added recognition and is a simple way to boost response for a new organization. Also, consider offering an “Introductory Price” as a cost-effective way to acquire new customers.
16. Offer a “Bill Me Later” option or installment payments. The “Bill Me Later” option is common for subscriptions, and offering installment payments can make large-ticket items seem more affordable.
17. Regardless of your offer, sell only one thing at a time. This is one of the oldest rules of sales—ignoring it can prove costly.

You often get the best results by combining two or more unique offers, so don’t be afraid to mix and match from the above list. If you find a premium that works, perhaps adding free shipping or a discount will increase the mailing’s net revenue even more.

And this brings up an important point. The measurement of success is net dollars. If you need to increase your mailing’s cost to sweeten the offer, don’t let the higher cost be the one thing that stops you. If you believe the new offer has a reasonable chance of increasing the mailing’s net return, it’s worth testing. Focus on net dollars. (See “The What, When and How of Direct Mail Testing.”)

When you need breakthrough results, test your offer. Other than careful list selection, nothing will make a bigger difference in your success.

One thing we can do to improve the profitability of our direct mail is to learn the lessons of a famous jam study.

That’s right. Jam. The stuff we spread over our toast.

In a gourmet market, Professor Sheena Iyengar of Columbia University and her research assistants set up a booth offering samples of Wilkin & Sons jams.

Every few hours, the researchers switched from offering customers a selection of 24 jams to offering a group of only six jams.

Each participating customer – regardless of the number of selections offered – received a $1 savings coupon and tasted an average of two jams.

Here’s the interesting part.

Of those shoppers seeing the larger display, 60 percent stopped to sample the jams. Yet when researchers switched to the smaller display, only 40 percent of shoppers stopped for a taste.

But of those sampling from the smaller display, 30 percent decided to buy jam while only 3 percent of those confronted with larger display purchased a jar.

The display with more choices drew the largest crowd but customers presented with fewer choices bought more.

Researchers then repeated the study using a wide variety of products – everything from chocolate to speed dating. And each time, regardless of the product tested, offering fewer choices to the prospective customer resulted in more sales.

Professor Iyengar concluded, “In reality, people might find more and more choices to actually be debilitating.” And while it may be too simple to conclude that offering lots of choices is bad, we shouldn’t assume that providing more choice is always better.

What does this have to do with our direct mail?

Look through your mailing samples – particularly at the response device. We’ve all seen response devices from nonprofits that suggest five, six and even seven asking amounts. And the offers we get to bundle cable, phone and Internet service can be paralyzing.

Offering too many choices can immobilize the reader’s decision-making process and cost us a sale.

Taking the lessons from Professor Iyengar’s study, let’s make it simple for our reader to respond. For nonprofits, three suggested contribution amounts plus an “Other” option is more than enough. But whether asking for a contribution or a lead or a sale, keeping it simple makes it easier for the prospect to respond and feel good about it.

Littering surveys with too many questions is no different. Surveys are a great way to involve the reader with our mailing but we need to keep it simple.

You’ve probably have received a telephone call asking for your participation in a survey. You’re interested in the subject so you say “yes” and 20 minutes later, you can’t wait for the call to end.

Let’s not make the same mistake with our mail.

Remember, when we include a survey in a mailing, its purpose isn’t to gather information, it’s to encourage a response!

Limit yourself to five or seven questions and allow the reader to move quickly to the order form.

And finally, don’t accept the argument that the reader needs more choices to understand the offer’s full value. Instead, accept this as a challenge to do better list selection. Better segmentation of your mailing list will reduce the need to overwhelm the reader with too many choices.

We can all learn from the jam research. Keep it simple, make it easy for the reader to respond and the result will be better than your morning toast.

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.