News
 30
Easy Ways to Boost Your Direct Mail Response
By Dean Rieck
Whether you’re creating a new direct mail campaign
or updating an old one, you have an infinite variety
of choices for improving response. Based on decades
of testing, here are 30 of the easiest and most
effective.
1. Make an irresistible offer.
2. Give away something free to boost response.
3. Prefer a free gift over a discount.
4. Increase the perceived value of your offer.
5. Reduce the perceived risk in accepting your
offer.
6. Offer attractive payment options.
7. Use a time limit to increase urgency.
8. Test a two-step offer for high-priced goods.
9. Test a yes/no offer to clarify the buying
decision.
10. Test a yes/maybe offer to lower perceived
commitment.
11. Dramatize your offer with stamps or stickers.
12. Make your offer tangible with a check or coupon.
13. Create your envelope to get noticed and get
opened.
14. Use teaser copy to tease, not tell.
15. Consider using a plain envelope.
16. Try an official-looking envelope.
17. Use a low-key envelope for business prospects.
18. Use your sales letter to sell and your brochure
to tell.
19. Make your letter look like a letter.
20. Grab attention in your letter with a short first
sentence.
21. Express one central idea in your letter.
22. Write your letter in a friendly, personal tone.
23. Call for action early and often in your letter
text.
24. Have a high-authority person sign your letter.
25. Personalize your letter if possible.
26. Use a P.S. to cite a benefit, deadline, or extra
detail.
27. Use your brochure to add credibility.
28. Use brochure tables, charts, diagrams, and
visuals to support your claims.
29. Design your brochure for easy reading.
30. Use clear benefit heads and subheads in your
brochure.
---- Dean Rieck is president of Direct Creative (www.directcreative.com),
a full-service creative firm. E-mail:
DeanRieck@DirectCreative.com.
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