| businesses use direct mail as a method of | | | | benefits that are not believable. Do not make |
| acquiring new customers. Your mailing piece must | | | | promises you can not keep. The idea is not to |
| be well written to achieve the type of response | | | | make people skeptical, but to make them see the |
| that will make the effort worthwhile, especially | | | | tangible benefits that you offer are valid. To this |
| financially, since postage and printing costs make it | | | | end, be specific. General terms usually provoke |
| an expensive method of advertising . But it | | | | disbelief, while actual specifics are shown to have |
| works! Well-written direct mail can bring in | | | | more honest-sounding appeal. 4. Understand the |
| hundreds and thousands of new customers . Your | | | | product or service yourself. Would you buy it? If |
| writing efforts are not merely a cost in | | | | so, why? If you understand why you would buy |
| constructing a direct mail letter in fact, you can | | | | it, you can set about convincing people using |
| help a company earn substantially more as a | | | | those same thoughts. 5. Use third party |
| result of a successful direct mail campaign. | | | | affirmations, if available. If it is only your copy, it |
| Effective direct mail creates an image in a clients | | | | will not leave as good an impression as the |
| mind. That vision is primarily one in which the | | | | insertion of a few outside quotes from others, |
| persons life will be enhanced by the purchase of | | | | testifying to the effectiveness of the product or |
| the product or service being advertised. This is | | | | service. 6. Simplicity sells! Short sentences. Short |
| your goal. to help the potential customer see how | | | | paragraphs. Easy words. You are not out to win |
| much better things will be because of what you | | | | the Pulitzer Prize. You only want individuals to |
| are advertising in the letter. Here are 9 ways to | | | | respond to your letter. They will if they |
| make a direct mail letter effective. 1. The opening | | | | understand the benefits of doing so. Keep it |
| of the letter should be treated with the same | | | | simple! 7. Be explicit with your instructions. The |
| reverence as a headline. You have to grab the | | | | letter must not only detail the great benefits, but |
| readers attention quickly and make them want to | | | | tell the person exactly what they must do to |
| keep on reading. It may be the outside of the | | | | obtain them. Be specific and make it easy to |
| direct mail envelope that starts the process. If its | | | | respond, including a postage-paid card or a |
| good enough, the person tears open the envelope | | | | toll-free number are usually great methods. 8. |
| and begins reading. Then the headline andfirst | | | | Freebies earn responses. Giving something away |
| paragraph of the letter must create the same | | | | usually helps the response dramatically. 9. |
| effect. to keep the person reading. 2. There must | | | | Convince the reader that the product or service |
| be reasons to keep reading, usually in the form of | | | | being advertised is backed up by a strong |
| some benefits. Because the person opened the | | | | company that guarantees the results and benefits |
| envelope, there is a free offer. Then, when | | | | detailed in the letter. Readers must be convinced |
| reading the first paragraph, more benefits jump | | | | of the authenticity and the ability to back up the |
| out; the value of the service or product, perhaps. | | | | strong comments within the letter. By following |
| Put in a good benefit with each paragraph and | | | | these 9 simple steps, you can create a profitable |
| keep the paragraphs short! 3. Do not offer | | | | direct mail campaign. |