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In essence ‘what you know must drive what you say’ and the more you know about the recipient, the more relevant you can make the communication. Relevance will always increase response rates.
If we agree that the letter is the most important part of any direct mail package, you must write a brilliant, compelling sales letter and your response rates should escalate dramatically. Make a few thoughtless mistakes and you are in deep trouble.
Maybe that’s why so many of the questions I get from readers of The List Report are about what to say and how to say it. Ivan Levison, a USA based copywriter, (http://www.levison.com) wrote a thoughtful Q & A piece recently where he wrote some great tips about ‘sales letters’ that you will find useful the next time you are assessing your DM copy… read on…
Should I use a headline above the salutation?
A headline (boxed or not) can grab the readers attention and pull them into your pitch with a terrific result. You can fill up to one third of the first page with your headline/sub-headline intro. If a letter is personalised or more formal, consider dropping the headline.
Is it worth dating the letter?
If you’re going first class, date the letter. If you’re going out bulk rate, you don’t have to. The last thing you want is for your letter to arrive way past the date you’ve put at the top of your letter.
Should I try to make the letter look as though it was typed on a typewriter or should I give the letter a more professional typeset look?
Years ago I would have said go for the typewriter look. Now, that’s not necessary. Make sure you use a serif font like Times New Roman or Verdana. Readability, not “style”, is what counts! If you have the budget and the time, try a hand written letter for even greater cut through and response.
Does it make sense to personalise the letter?
The more you know about the recipient the better the response rate, so personalise with relevance, not just because you can. Some of the best campaigns that I have seen have no personalisation but the offer and the product speaks directly to the target. Where you have to make a “pitch” or a “sale” then you just have to personalise.
Should the tone of my letter be conversational or more formal?
It all depends, but generally a friendly, human, conversational tone does work best. One of the biggest problems that beginner copywriters have is that they get uptight and start sounding pompous. Their works lacks personality and energy. Great copy-writing has to reflect the expectations of the audience.
How should I start the letter?
Jump right in with enthusiasm and for goodness sakes, get to the point quickly. You should always talk about the offer on the first page and start hammering away at benefits.
What graphic tricks can I use to increase response rates?
A letter should be inviting and easy to read. Use short paragraphs and don’t be afraid to indent or use bullets. Underlining should be done sparingly. A second colour can add punch, but don’t splash it everywhere. A little goes a long way!
What’s the right way to end the letter?
Go out in a blaze of glory. Feel free to invoke the deities or promise eternal life. But please don’t leave them with a flat “to order, call 1-800-123-1234 or fax us your order card.” That’s flat and lifeless.
Should I use a P.S.?
Absolutely! It gets high readership and is a good place to repeat the offer, punch up the guarantee, and urge immediate action. I never met a postscript I didn’t like.
What’s the easiest way to get a high impact letter written?
You know you are going to hate reading this but, employ a caring and intelligent copywriter. A recent example with a new campaign for a new client reinforced the value of having a professional writer merge an enormous amount of information into punchy, compelling, copy that delivered an excellent result. If you want the best out of your letters then use people that know what they are doing.
Thought provoking?… will it change your copy-writing processes?...if you have some further thoughts on this subject then let me know.
Posted on 10th July 2006