With the volume of emails sent these days it has actually become quite novel to receive a piece of direct mail, especially if it is personalised.

If you would like to introduce or improve this tactic in your overall marketing strategy, here are some tips to improve the results you will get.
Before sending your mailing piece, try to ensure it does most or all of the following 21 “shoulds” or “musts”:

  1. It must have a compelling headline.
  2. It should evoke an immediate response, action, visit, call, or purchasing decision.
  3. It should overcome sales objections.
  4. It must focus on benefits, not features.
  5. It should answer all major questions.
  6. It should promise performance or results.
  7. It should back up the promise with a risk-free warranty or money-back guarantee.
  8. It should be keyed in such a way that you can analyse the value, profitability, and performance.
  9. It must have your contact information.
  10. It should acknowledge the person as being valuable.
  11. It should be personally written, and written as if one person only was reading it.
  12. It should begin with the results the person should expect.
  13. It should explain to the person your reason why he or she should get those results.
  14. It should give the person some background.
  15. It should give the person some detail.
  16. It should prove any claims you make in a way the person can embrace.
  17. It must tell the person what he or she should expect in terms of improvement or results.
  18. It should remind the person why he or she should choose to at least to learn more.
  19. It should show the person how he or she can try it out without risk.
  20. It should assure the person that if he or she is not comfortable taking action now, as a courtesy you will follow-up on the telephone just to make sure that they understand, to answer any questions, and to give them a chance to take advantage without fear, risk or obligation.
  21. Various alternatives of letters should be tested in small mailings before the best letter is mass mailed. If a limited test of 200 letters makes you money, then a mailing of 2,000 should make you 10 times as much. But test first.

Don’t discount direct mail as it just might be the right time to return to this or develop this as part of your strategy to bring in more prospect.