1. Mail to a different listYour list is the most important part of your direct mail
campaign. Who you mail to is more important than what you mail.
So if you are persuaded that your offer is attractive, your
creative is compelling and your timing is spot on, mail to a
different group of people and see what happens
2. Change your offerThe offer is the most important part of your direct mail package
after your list. So if your response rates are lacklustre,
change your offer (my thanks to fellow direct mail copywriter
Bob Hacker for this counsel).
3. Improve your creativeMaybe your response rates are depressed because your package is
depressing. Why not mail something else, something radically
different? Instead of a letter, mail a postcard. Instead of a
self-mailer, mail a dimensional mailer. Even hire a brand new
direct mail copywriter, someone who will add a fresh set of eyes
to your challenge. Just make sure that your new creative is
different enough from your existing package that you’ll know
that it made the difference when your response rates change.
4. Mail at a different timeTiming is vital in direct mail. So check yours. Are you mailing
to the right people at the right time of the year and the right
time of the week? Check and make sure. test your hunches by
mailing during a different time slot and see what happens.
5. Offer better payment optionsOffering payment by credit card boosts response. Offering a
credit or “bill-me” plan will improve results by 50% or more
(says Richard Benson).
6. Offer a premiumInstead of a cash discount, offer a premium (such as an Apple
iPod).
7. Give something awayFree is still a powerful word in direct mail.
8. Offer a guaranteeRemove the hesitation that some prospects have by offering a
no-questions-asked money-back guarantee.
9. Improve your credibility on paperRead your package cover to cover, including the cover, and ask
yourself (or better yet, ask someone else), why a stranger
should trust you. Then overcome that distrust with testimonials,
your credentials, third-party endorsements, accreditations and
other facts that build trust.
10. Make ordering easierIs your order form too busy? Have you frustrated prospective
customers by giving too few ways to order (only mail, for
example, instead of mail and fax and phone). A change here can
make a dramatic difference.
11. Ask for the order soonerRead through your sales message and see how long you are in
getting to the point. Experiment with putting your offer and
call to action further up in the message.
12. Add to your packageThe temptation when response rates are lower than expected is to
reduce the size of the package. Instead, add something to the
mailer, such as a brochure, buckslip or liftnote (if you don’t
know what these things are, visit the Direct Mail Glossary at
www.sharpecopy.com/glossary.html ). You are more likely to boost
response by adding to your package than you are by making it
cheaper.
© 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).
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