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Getting the basics right goes a long way toward achieving direct mail success. In my last post, we discussed 11 strategies that you’ll want to include when planning your next campaign.

You can see these here.

To complete 21 Steps to Direct Mail Success, here are ten more often overlooked strategies that you’ll want to include in your next campaign.

12. Test, test and test are the three most important rules of direct mail; yet mailers regularly claim they can’t afford to test. In truth, you can’t afford not to test. Even the best mailing packages fatigue. There are a finite number of prospects who will respond to any mailing, and each time you mail your control, fewer and fewer people remain in this pool of names. 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 are “tweaked” with subtle changes to maintain response. A successful direct marketer is always pushing for better results, and this can be achieved only with a disciplined testing program.
13. Test the big things. When you’re looking for breakthrough results, test the lists, offer, format and copy. Testing minor copy revisions on page 3 or changing the paper stock of the reply form or the color of the return envelope will make a difference only to large-volume mailers. To everyone else, it’s a waste of money.
14. Maintain control of the package design. Don’t surrender control of the package’s design to the graphic designer. Direct response isn’t about looking good or winning awards. It’s about getting results. Understand how people read direct mail and design your layouts accordingly. It may not look “award winning” and the designer may not agree with your choice of type, but readability is more important than pretty. (See How to Use Graphic Devices to Boost Direct Mail Response Rates.)
15. Focus on the letter. Brochures explain while letters sell. There are exceptions, but more often than not, including a brochure will depress results. And, if you don’t make the outer envelope interesting, no one will see your great letter copy. Focus on the letter, the response form and the outer envelope.
16. Ask for the sale. In direct response, your purpose is to convince the recipients to take a specific action. Whether it’s to buy a product, make a contribution or generate a lead, you need to tell the recipients exactly what you want them to do. Then remind them. And tell them once again. To make the sale, you have to ask for the order.
17. Test before you adapt. We can learn from the mistakes of others and we can learn from their success, but every organization is unique, so don’t assume that what works for your competitor will work for you. Test it first.
18. Put the needs of your donors or customers first. You’re not the only one writing to your customers, and more often than not, even your multiple buyers/donors won’t remember your name. In every communication, remind even your most frequent donors/buyers what your organization is, why it’s important to them and how they benefit.
19. Give the copywriter all the information he or she needs. Several clients have told me that they don’t want to prejudice my thinking by sharing package samples or past results. But are you paying the copywriter to be creative or to beat your control? We live in an “age of skepticism,” and the more information the copywriter has, the better the job he or she will do. Besides, an experienced copywriter can often discover new concepts buried in old package samples and research material.
20. Respect your test results. In direct response, we don’t need to decide what lists, offer or copy works best. With proper testing, the customer will tell us what works. Before adopting any major change to your mailing package, double-check the list work for the test, review package samples and confirm your postal receipts. But once everything checks out, don’t second-guess the test results.
21. Deal with the back end before you mail. When accepting orders via phone, everything comes down to one telephone call. And if the person answering the phone isn’t trained, professional and polite, you’ll not only lose the order, you’ll lose the customer. And if you’re directing respondents to a landing page, make certain that its contents and look match that of the mailing piece. Confirm your inventory and work through the entire ordering process to ensure that it gives the customer a good experience. And be certain that procedures are in place to credit telephone and online respondents to the mailing’s results.

Including these essential steps in your direct mail campaign doesn’t guarantee success, but these steps will greatly increase your probability of achieving a successful mailing.

You can download the complete list of “21 Steps to Direct Mail Success” as one document in my Direct Mail Resource Center.

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.

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.

This is Part 2 of the findings of an extensive series of eye-camera tests conducted by Professor Siegfried Vogele of the Institute for Direct Marketing in Munich, West Germany. The tests traced eye movements as thousands of men and women opened and read all types of direct mailings and, at the same time, studied emotional reactions by observing body and hand movements.

Once your reader opens the envelope, they take no longer that 11 seconds to decide whether to read your letter or trash it

During this 11-second preview, Professor Vogele found that the reader’s eyes fix only on pictures and headlines — never on the body copy.

The Professor’s findings demonstrated that illustrations play a greater role in determining how the recipient reads your direct mail than any other graphic device.

Before any word of text is even noted, the reader’s eyes will be pulled to photographs and/or drawings. And by understanding the affects of graphics on eye flow, we can boost response rates by directing our reader’s attention to our most powerful sales copy.

How to use illustrations

• Large pictures will get attention before smaller pictures.
• Color pictures will be noted before black-and-white pictures.
• Warm colors attract attention before middle tones or cooler colors.
• A sequence of pictures will be noted before individual pictures.
• Action illustrations will be seen before still pictures.
• Pictures with people will be looked at before pictures of products.
• Children will attract attention before adults.
• Portraits will gain attention before full pictures of people.
• Eyes will be the first thing focused upon.
• Most often, a larger group of people will gain attention before a smaller group.
• Outline illustrations will generally be noted before square halftones.

Focusing the reader’s attention

• A reader will typically follow the direction in which eyes in the illustration are focused.

• When an object within an illustration “points,” the eyes will generally flow in that direction. For example, in an illustration of a model wearing a man-style tie, the eyes of readers follow the tie right down to its pointed end.

• Place captions as close to pictures as possible. Captions should always be below or to the right of an illustration, not above or to the left.

Expand what the reader sees

On two-page spreads, the inside of a folded brochure, for example –put your strongest picture as far to the left as possible.

Why? In most cases, eye flow begins at the upper right of a two-page spread and continues in a sideways “U” like this – . Typically, however, the eyes stop just to the left of the gutter between the two pages and then exit at the lower right.

To expand the reader’s scan of the entire page:

• Put a “commanding” illustration at the far left. It will draw the reader’s eye and expand the viewing area allowing the reader to see more of the left-hand page.

• You can get similar results by placing color pictures to the left with 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.

• If you have pictures with and without people, put the people pictures to the left and they will encourage the eyes to go in that direction.

But be careful not to place an eye-grabbing illustration at the lower right. It will draw the eyes immediately to the exit position of the page and reduce the amount of attention given to your entire presentation.

Shapes

Vogele’s eye-camera studies also show how shapes affect readership.

• 80 percent of readers will go to a vertical shape before a horizontal shape.
• Even more eye compelling is a diagonal shape.
• Readers generally note circled areas before square-cornered ones.
• Closed shapes are observed before partially open shapes. People typically read copy within a border before “open” text.
• “Bursts” get immediate attention, but they can often be distracting by re-attracting the eyes and drawing the reader’s attention from the copy that you want them to read.

Without graphic elements to draw the eye, reading generally follows the classic pattern of left to right, top to bottom. But when we add eye-compelling graphic elements to the page – and understand how to use them to draw the reader’s attention to our most powerful sales message – the result is often a welcomed boost to our response rates.