Improve your direct marketing campaigns.

1. Use a plain envelope

Studies have shown that plain envelopes generate the best response rates. Don’t be tempted to tease your offer on the envelope. Save your power packed copy for the letter.

2. Always include a letter

It may sound obvious, but more studies have shown that response rates dramatically improve when a direct mail pack contains a letter. Packs without letters are impersonal and lack a focal point.

3. Write to a contact, not a company

Find out who you need to write to and personalise the letter. Think about what would happen if you didn’t. Your letter will be read by the wrong person, or worse still, not read at all.

4. Keep ‘we-ing’ to a minimum

To maintain a reader’s interest you need to talk about their favourite subject – themselves, and their business. Wherever possible avoid the following: ‘I, we, our product’ and use ‘you, your’, and their company name.

5. What will it do for me?

Talk about benefits rather than features i.e. not what the product will do, but what it will do for them. Use key phrases like:

• ‘Product A does X, which means that…’
• ‘You will find product B makes your life easier because’
  

6. Says who?

Back up your claims by including quotes from other satisfied customers. Encourage your sales team to ask for commendation letters to make sure you’ve always got a fresh supply of endorsements.

7. Tell them what to do now!

At the end of your fabulously compelling letter, make it clear what you want to the reader to do next. Do you want them to register online, return a form or call your sales line? Tell them what you want them to do, and tell them again!

8. Track your responses

Use a promotional (prom) code or reference number unique to each different direct mail piece and make sure your sales team ask for it every time. By tracking these numbers on a spreadsheet you’ll be able to see which letters worked best and calculate you return on investment.

9. Follow up with a phone call

A letter gives you a fantastic introduction, and some customers will respond without further coercion. Others, however, will need a little more attention. Work out when your direct mail piece is due to hit the doormat and start following up straight away. Your response rates will be drastically improved by this extra effort.