DOs

• Carefully select your target audience and make sure you’ve got the right mail list to reach that audience.
• Make sure your message answers the question, “what’s in it for me?”
• Always stress benefits, not features
• Make the content of your mailing meaty
• If your product or service is complex, don’t hesitate to use long copy to inform and tell the story
• Always make a strong call-to-action offer to the reader; “send for our informative brochure today” or “see our whitepaper at our Web site” qualify as offers.
• In letters, always include a P.S.
• Use the magic words of direct mail: “No Obligation”, “Free”, “Introducing”, “Announcing”, “New”, “See Inside”, “Money-Saving”, “Convenient”, “Limited Time Only”
• Offer proof of successful use of your product/service; unattributed or attributed testimonials are valuable, so are mini-case histories.  These techniques are critical if you are introducing a new product or service.
• Use problem-solution message approach; “pose the pain, then your remedy”
• Consider using a teaser line on envelopes and self-mailers
• Employ regular postcards when you want customer to respond by calling your office;  use Jumbo Postcards when if you have a double objective---name recognition and direct response.
• Get your fulfillment offer back to repliers ASAP!  It is your an opportunity to demonstrate how much you care and your service capability.
• Make sure your mailing makes it convenient for readers to respond;  include your office, telephone, fax, Web site, and E-mail addresses.
• Use the K.I.S.S. Principle...short, simple sentences; graphics that support and enhance your message;  action verb.
• Add your URL to all letters, brochures, self-mailers and response vehicles.
• Make sure that all brochure mailings include a personalized letter and three business cards.
• Encourage recipients of your mailings to pass them along to friends and relatives.
• Mail to the same target prospect list a minimum of four times a year; preferably six times;  you can mail the same mailer as well!
• Time your mailings to take advantage of seasonal appeal, i.e., homeowner insurance mailings in the Spring and Fall buying seasons.
• Hand-address limited quantity mailings.
• Use commemorative stamps.
• Do “upgrade”,” round out” and “thanks for the business” mailings to A and B customers; you can get good reply rates and new sales, impress the customer who sees your contact as a service call; increase referral activity.
• Keep score on all activity and all results.  Direct mail is a measurable marketing activity; what gets measured, gets treasured by staff members.
• Develop direct mail metrics based on your scorecard; you’ll be able to predict investment and income results for future mail activities.
• Test new mail ideas against “control” mailings as you strive to improve your results.
• Know ahead of time what your sales closing/income objectives are for your direct mail campaigns;  do a Year 1 through Year 5 direct cost/income analysis; how many closes do you need to reach breakeven?

DON'Ts

• Don’t trigger a mailing until you are totally satisfied that you have a clean list of the right target prospects.
• Don’t do a large mass mailing if you have a micro-size budget; usually a single mass mailing will not bring a flood of business to your door.
• Don’t expect a 10% reply rate from every mailing; 1-1.5 % is par for a business prospect mailing; 2% would be terrific for a personal prospect mailing.  Mailings to customers will do better, of course.
• Don’t try to sell everything but the kitchen sink in a single mailer. Your mailing will suffer from dilution of purpose; instead, target your message to a specific need of the reader.
• Don’t use “gimmick mailers” such as mailers that look like government check enclosures.
• Don’t use insurance jargon and technical words in your mailer.
• Don’t keep using the word “we”; keep using the word “you”.
• Don’t use brag words or unnecessary words like “very” and “really”.
• Don’t misspell the recipient’s name; it’s a cardinal sin in the personal services business!
• Don’t send letters with “Dear Policyholder” greetings.
• Don’t forget to thank the reader for his/her business when you’re sending out customer service or “upgrade” or “round out” mailings.
• Don’t forget to use “fatal alternatives” on a post-paid Business Reply Card (BRC) if you use one in a mailing, i.e., give the reader choices for responding.
• Don’t be unintentionally misleading when presenting your message.
• Don’t let a prospect inquiry grow “cold”; prompt, friendly follow-up is a critical success factor for regular mail and E-mail inquiries.

Contact us if you would like to explore an idea further or discuss a direct mail project that you have in mind.