Search
Recommended Products
Related Links

 

 

Visit our other Information site at
Find It All Here

Or, have a look at
PIXEL ADs of the WORLD

Visit our other Information site at
Find It All Here

Or, have a look at
PIXEL ADs of the WORLD

Informative Articles

For Direct Mail Lead Generation Success, Clone Your Best Customers.
I don't relish being proven wrong. But a while back I sat down to discover who my best clients were. I wanted to increase my revenues. I figured that the best way to do that was to discover who my best clients were and to then go after more firms...
Google Adwords vs. Direct Mail
We recently ran a test to see whether Google Adwords could outpower traditional direct mail advertising. Here is how we did it. We created a new Adwords campaign choosing a few of our favorite targeted keywords, mainly keywords such as “small...
How to get prospects to open your direct mail envelopes.
In direct mail, you have a formidable enemy—the wastepaper basket. Your prospects take one look at your mailing envelope and decide if they will open it or fling it into the trash can (or recycling box). One way to persuade them to open your...
Increase Direct Mail Response Rates With Double Window Envelopes.
Here's something to test. Take your existing business-to-business direct mail package and make just one change: put two windows on the mailing envelope instead of one. Mail it and see what happens. According to direct mail...
Manufacturers Shift Marketing Budget Away from Direct Mail in 2006
In early Q3, TR Cutler, Inc. conducted the largest North American manufacturer survey about anticipated marketing budgets in 2006. Statistically significant findings indicated that nearly two-thirds (64%) of the manufacturers surveyed anticipate a...
 

Google
 
Andy's Information Pages Web



Direct Mail Response Rates Low? Eliminate these Mistakes

Are your direct mail response rates lower than you expect? Check your sales letter or direct mail package against this checklist to uncover the reasons for your poor response.

LIST

You are mailing to people who are never likely to buy

You are not mailing to others in the same business who influence the buying decision

Your list is out of date

Your names and addresses are not formatted correctly for proper delivery

Your list has job titles only, not names


FORMAT

You are using the wrong format for your audience (self-mailers to professionals, for example)

Your letter and brochure are not complete sales pitches in themselves

Your liftnote or buckslip confuses your offer or main selling promise


ENVELOPE

Your envelope gives too much away, so your prospects throw it away unopened

Your mailing envelope looks like junk mail

Your package is addressed to “Occupant” and not to a person by name


MESSAGE

Your letter lacks a strong, customer-focussed headline

The opening line in your letter is not compelling

You spell your prospective customer’s name incorrectly

Your letter lacks specifics about product size, weight, color and other vital details

You discuss product features but not customer benefits

You talk too much about your company and not enough about your reader

You do not create enough desire

Your letter lacks urgency

You do not

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com



offer a guarantee


OFFER

You are offering the same thing that your competitors are offering

Your offer is not specific

Your offer is not exclusive

Your offer is not relevant

Your offer is not valuable

Your offer is not unique

Your offer is not useful


CALL TO ACTION

You do not ask for the order

You ask for the order, but too late in your letter

You conclude by saying, “If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me”

You give too many ways to respond—or not enough


REPLY DEVICE

Your reply device is too cluttered

You do not tell prospects what to do to buy your product or service

Your reply device is not postage-paid


TIMING

You are mailing at the wrong time of the year

Your letter is arriving on the wrong day of the week

You are mailing too often, so prospects ignore you

You are not mailing often enough, so prospects do not remember you


© 2005 Sharpe Copy Inc. You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the "About the author" message).

About the Author

About the author

Alan Sharpe is a business-to-business direct mail copywriter who helps businesses attract new clients using direct mail marketing. Sign up for free weekly tips like this at www.sharpecopy.com.