Offer a free gift
Giving a free gift increases response. If your objective is to get leads for your sales force, your sales can deliver the gift when they visit the prospect.

Emphasize your free offer
Highlight free premiums prominently. Include the premium’s specific value if it can be perceived as a benefit.

Make it easy to respond.
Be sure that your offer is easy to understand and respond to. "Simply check the YES box and drop the postage-free reply card in the mail. Or call our TOLL-FREE number." The use of credit cards can also increase response.

Back up your claims.
Whenever possible, include proof of your claims. Refer to research studies or use testimonials of satisfied customers with their photographs.

Color gets response.
The use of full color and "bleeds" (graphics or color background printed all the way to the very edge of the page) can increase response.

No risk, no obligation.
Eliminate the risk with a free trial or guarantee, and emphasize that there’s absolutely no obligation to buy.

Give a time limit.
Make the offer limited for a quicker and bigger response. Include a specific deadline, if it’s genuine.

Avoid big technical word.
Write your copy in plain, simple English. No buzz-words or technical jargon. Busy people respond best to straight talk.

Keep it simple.
Make your offer simple, clear and easy to understand at a glance. Avoid the temptation to group several different offers in one promotional piece. This usually weakens the impact of your primary offer and cuts response.

Use copy and design pros.
Hire the best, most experienced professional copywriters and designers you can afford. A prudent investment at the creative stage of your direct mail package will pay off in higher response. In-house staff often lack the experience and the time to produce a strong mailing package.

Where to find creative pros.
The best way to find good copy and design people is to ask for a recommendation form someone who has created an effective brochure. Other possible sources are the Direct Marketing Associations and Direct Marketing Clubs in your area. Or you can call Hugo Dunhill Mailing Lists, 1-800-223-6454 (in New York State, 212-682-8030).

Consult your printer early.
Before you spend money on typography and mechanicals, show the brochure design to your printer. If necessary, modify the design to avoid expensive complications at the printing stage.

Get paper samples.
Ask your printer to provide several choices of paper samples. Fold each sample into a "dummy" brochure to see how it suits your purpose in terms of effectiveness and cost.

Be at the printing.
If possible, go to the printer when your brochure is being printed. There are many ways a brochure’s quality can be enhanced right on press. Make it your business to learn the printing process; this is usually the most expensive part of a brochure’s production.

Determine content first, then design.
Before you decide how many pages your brochure will have, determine what information it will contain. The design should grow logically out of the subject matter.

Study your competition.
Make a collection of the direct response solicitations you get in the mail. Get your competitor’s promotional packages. Learn from what others do well and not so well.

Talk to your mailing list pro early.
Start working with your mailing list professional in the beginning stages of your mailing. Your brochure should speak to all the people most likely to buy your product or service, so determine your lists as soon as possible. Then share that information with your copy and design people.

How will the brochure be used?
Think through all of the possible uses for your brochure before it is designed. Will your sales force use it on sales calls? Will it be a handout at trade shows? Will it be used as a self-mailer? Will you include it in a different mailing package later on? Should you leave room somewhere for a sales rep’s imprint? Should some be folded differently than others? Decide on these things early on, because the later in the process you change the brochure design, the more difficult and expensive it is.

Finalize copy before you set type.
Try to make all your writing changes before you set type. Changing copy after it’s been typeset can get very expensive. Go over your typewritten draft again and again and again until you’re sure it’s right.

For self-mailers, check postal rules.
If you plan to use your brochure as a self-mailer, check with your post office to make sure it satisfies all postal regulations.

Mailing label back-to-back with reply form.
For self-mailers, back up the reply form with the mailing label (with its all-important key code) to make sure you get the label back. This tells you which of the mailing lists you used pulled the response.

Don’t proofread your own work.
Unless you’re an ace proofreader, have someone else proofread the copy you’ve been working with. It’s surprisingly easy to overlook the same error over and over again.

• Ask of Each Mailing List Recommendation:

• Is the buyer of my product or service reachable through this list?

• Is it important to select geographically?

• Should i title address?

• What title will best reach the prospect?

• Is the prospect's sex a factor?

• It is important to select companies by industry?

• Do I want to reach the prospect at home or business?

• When was the list last updated?

• Is company size a factor?

• Is the prospect's age a factor?

• Is the income level of the prospect a factor?

• Giving a free gift increases response.

• Be at the printer when your brochure is being run to check the quality.

• Highlight the free gift prominently.

• Let the design of your direct mail package follow your subject matter.

• Make your offer easy to respond to.

• Evaluate your competitors promotional material.

• Prove your claim with details to add credibility.

• Make sure your mailing speaks to all of your potential customers.

• Using graphics or a color background can increase response.

• Thinks through all the possible uses of your mailing before it is designed.

• Eliminate risk by offering a free trial or guarantee.

• Make all your writing changes before typesetting.

• Always make the most powerful offer you can for thegreatest response.

• For self-mailers, check with your Post Office on postal rates and design before preparing artwork.

• Write your copy in plain, simple English. No buzz words.

• For self-mailers, back up the reply form with the key-coded mailing label.

• Make your offer easy to understand -at a glance.

• Have someone else proofread your copy and look over your artwork.

• Invest in a direct mail copywriter and a graphic designer for higher response.

• More benefits make for greater response.

• For good copy and design people ask someone who has mailed successfully.

• Put benefits on the reply card, in the P.S. and on the outer envelope.

• Get input from your printer on your direct mail package.

• Benefits are the reasons to buy, promise many.

• Ask your printer about your paper options.

• Use an incomplete P.S. in your letter. Make your letter look like a personal, typewritten letter from you.

• Include a "lift note" as an additional reminder of the benefits.

• Ask for the order right away.

• End a page of a letter in the middle of a sentence to encourage turning of the page.

• Your offer should be the most prominent copy in your piece.

• Tell the whole story in the letter and on the brochure. Make all your points on one side of your brochure.

• Keep your paragraphs short. Break up long copy with graphic devices.

• Start your letter selling immediately. Don't give a history or use humor.

• Eliminate the risk with a free trial period and assured nationwide service.

• Keep the sales pitch positive and benefits driven.

• Use typefaces that are easy to read, inviting, accessible and exciting.

• To get orders, use long copy and include every benefit.

• Encourage immediate action. Give an order deadline for a Free gift.

• To get leads, use short copy to tease the reader to respond.

• Include the price. The reader can compare benefits with your price.

• Include postage paid or a return envelope in your mailing.

• Your product should encourage repeat business - the heart of successful direct mail.

• Have a toll-free 800 or 888 number.

• Delivery of your product must be easy and economical.

• Take credit card orders.

• Offer a special discounted price.

• Make your order form simple and easy.

• Increase response with a deadline.

• Tell your reader what to do.

• Introduce an add on product as a free gift with the purchase of a current product.

• Use testimonials using a name, title and affiliation attached to the quote.

• Guarantee the customer's satisfaction.

• Use capital letters, bold facing, underlining, handwritten notes, a second color and paragraph indents.

• Offer your customers to pay by installment.

• Tell your reader to respond in the beginning, middle and end of your letter.

• Your offer must induce the reader to respond now.

• Offer free information, freedemonstrations and free samples.

• Continue to develop new offers to test against your current offer.

• Response options should be open to phone, fax, e-mail and mail.

• Your offer must be simple and easy to understand.

• Before preparing a reply card or envelope, check with the Post Office.

• Be careful not to confuse a feature with a benefit. Emphasize benefits.

• Highlight your phone number and give the reader a reason to call.

• The appearance of your letter should attract attention.

• Set up a telephone answering procedure to deal with the incoming calls.

• Break your letter down to smaller "bite- size" segments.

• Get the readers involved by tearing out a coupon or answering several questions.

• Put an photo of your product on top of your letter to increase response.

• Use handwritten notes to summarize key benefits of your offer.

• Make alluring promises in the beginning of your letter to entice the reader to continue.

• Make "FREE" stand out.

• Use the middle of your letter to prove how the benefits are true.

• Show a picture of your product or brochure.

• Use the last part of your letter to assure the reader of the no-risk guarantee.

• Use key words that will stimulate your target audience.

• Link benefits with key features.

• Maintain a list of customers and inquiries as an in-house list. This is the best list you will ever use.

• Restate your offer near the end of your letter.

• Store all your customer and inquiry data on computer.

• Use captions under photos to sell.

• Order your mailing list early.

• The P.S. is one of the most frequently read parts of a letter.

• Merge-purge all of your mailing lists.

• Your envelope should sell as well as get the reader to open it.

• Discuss list selection with your mailing list professional.

• If you have a strong offer, begin your benefits on the outer.

• Repeat your offer and benefits on your reply card.

• Expand your supplier network by asking your suppliers to recommend other suppliers.

• Make your reply card look like a certificate.

• Get estimates from mailing list professionals.

• Mail several pieces to yourself to determine the timing.

• Get realistic timetables from your suppliers.

• Test different copy.

• Keep in touch with your suppliers throughout your entire mailing.

• When hiring copy writers, designers, printers and lettershops, see samples of their previous work.

• Have back-up suppliers.

• After your mailing, evaluate your mailing. Can it be improved?

Increase response with benefits.
The more benefits in your letter, the better the response. Most of your copy should include benefits, from the very start. State the key benefits and what you're selling in the introductory headline or first few paragraphs of your letter. Whenever you mention a feature of the product, link it to a benefit ("Automatic Memory" is a feature; "Saves Time and Improves Accuracy" is a benefit).

Include benefits everywhere.
The response card is often the first place that people look. Restate the key benefits there. Use the P.S. Use the outer envelope.

Pile on the benefits.
Promise many benefits; the more benefits, the more persuasive is your copy as a decision-making instrument for the reader. Divide your benefits into major benefits (develop extensively with two or three sentences, or more) and secondary benefits (a brief headline and one sentence that can be quickly scanned).

Quantify benefits.
The reader must weigh the cost of your product or service against the benefits he will reap. Help him decide with numbers. "Typing in one-fifth the time." "Correct up to 300 characters with the touch of a key."

Reinforce the letter with a brochure.
Present your benefits in a different way, but tell the entire story a second time. The most interested readers will get to both. Don't hesitate to also include a separate "lift note," a personal reminder-type note that states the key benefits yet another time and in another way.

Neatness doesn't count.
End a page of copy in the middle of a word or sentence to encourage turning the page. Fold a brochure through the middle of some important point or graphic element. Avoid making it appear too neat to open.

Don't split the message.
Tell the whole story in your letter, and also tell it entirely in the brochure. Try to make all your main points on each side of the brochure. Always make it easy for the reader to learn the benefits of your offer at a glance without having to refer to another mailing component or a reverse side.

Delete needless copy.
Don't "set the stage" for your sell copy. Don't give a history of the product of your company (unless a clear benefit is involved). Don't use humor; it distracts from the purchasing decision. . Stick to benefits; don't lead with an attention-getting but irrelevant story about football.

Keep it positive.
Either ignore objections to your product, or somehow phrase your response tot he objection as a benefit. If your product solves a problem, make sure the problem seems "solvable," not a bluntly horrible situation that puts the reader off. For example, change the "bad news" of the $1280 total price for the typewriter into the "good news" of the low monthly cost of only $38.64.

Tell the reader what to do.
Read how our product benefits you 10 ways. Compare all the valuable features you get with or low, low price. Call or write or send in your order.

Make it easy to order.
Use a toll-free number. Use credit cards. Keep your order form simple and easy to fill out. Use a postage-paid reply card return envelope.

Use testimonials whenever possible.
Be sure to include the person's name and affiliation. This is where you can say outright how wonderful your product is.

Use attention-getting graphic devices.
Keep the reader alert and stimulated to read further. Use capital letters, a second color, indented paragraphs, handwritten notes, underlining and bold face type.

Ask for action from the start.
Don't build up to it. Request the specific action you want at the beginning, rephrase it from time to time, be very direct at the end, and repeat it in the P.S.

Use a P.S.
This is often the first thing that people read, and they read on if it interests them. So make it intriguing but incomplete.

Keep it personal.
Your letter should look like a personal typewritten letter from you to the reader, one to one. Use handwritten notes in the margins to emphasize key points. If blue is your second color, make the signature blue. Otherwise, make it black.

Ask for the order right away.
If the reader goes no further than the beginning of the letter, he still knows exactly what to do. For example, urge in the headline of the letter, "FREE 30-day trial with no obligation."

Offer a free gift.
This nearly always increases response, and is usually worth the expense. One free gift is better than none; two are better than one; etc.

Summarize your offer.
Make your offer concisely in the letter's beginning and ending, in the major headline of your brochure and as the most prominent copy of your response device.

Keep paragraphs short.
No more than 6 or 7 lines. Break up long copy with graphic devices (indented paragraphs, etc.), Always make it appear that what is being read is effortless.

Eliminate the risk.
Whenever possible, offer a guarantee, a free trial period, assured quality nationwide service for the product.

Be sure it's easy to read.
Use typefaces that are proven easy to read. Avoid using too many different typefaces. Make it look inviting, accessible and exciting.

Ask for immediate action.
Act now, while you're thinking about it. Order before October 31, and you'll get a free gift. Offer expires October 31. (Only use a deadline if it is genuine.) Supplies are limited. We cannot guarantee that the price will remain this low in the future.

Include the price.
Readers want to compare the benefits of the product with its price. Usually, mentioning even a high price will get a better response than mentioning no price. If the product's low price is a benefit, emphasize it from the start. If it's a high price, talk about the benefits first, and mention the price at the end, using small, non-headline type.