20 ways to increase sales with direct mail letters
Website design By BotEap.com1. Tailor Letterhead
Website design By BotEap.comIf you’re using company letterhead for direct mail, tailor it to your requirements. The name of the company and the sale benefit must be highlighted. If you want people to email you, the email address should stand out. If you want them to call, make the phone number prominent. Use the footer as a place to upsell by drawing attention to a trade association or quality control mark. Keep the legal information as small as possible.
Website design By BotEap.com2. Postal responses
Website design By BotEap.comDo you want potential customers to reply to you by email? Include a prepaid envelope.
Website design By BotEap.com3. Long letters
Website design By BotEap.comDon’t be afraid to write long letters (more than one page). No one will buy something without enough information to make a decision. Keep selling until you run out of outlets. Every word should be relevant, without rambling.
Website design By BotEap.com4. Be friendly
Website design By BotEap.comAddress your letter to someone you know if possible because it shows you care who they are. Second best is to address them for their work or interest, for example. ‘Dear dog owner’. The worst greeting is ‘Dear Sir/Madam’.
Website design By BotEap.comSign up friendly. Instead of having a secretary sign the letter on her behalf, sign it yourself. Include your first name and a friendly title. ‘Customer Services Manager’ says your company cares about its customers.
Website design By BotEap.com5. Powerful headlines
Website design By BotEap.comAt the top of the letter, write a headline that communicates the main benefit of the product. It gives the potential customer a reason to keep reading. Keep it clear and simple – think communication, not clever wordplay.
Website design By BotEap.com6. Powerful openings
Website design By BotEap.comGrab your reader’s attention. Study magazine and newspaper articles. How do they do that? It works? Use your research. Here’s a list of letter openers to get you started: http://www.procopytips.com/sales-letter-openers
Website design By BotEap.com7. Subtitles
Website design By BotEap.comSubtitles make the lyrics digestible. Each subheading must sell the product.
Website design By BotEap.com8. Ask for what you want
Website design By BotEap.comDon’t beat around the bush. If you want your reader to buy your soap operas, tell them. If you want them to subscribe, ask them to sign up (and make it very easy). Ask right away, don’t leave it until the middle of the letter.
Website design By BotEap.com9. Talk about benefits
Website design By BotEap.comLearn the difference between features and benefits. Instead of saying ‘the X65 mower has a cylinder of sixty rotating blades’, say ‘the X65 mower develops a healthy lawn in a matter of weeks’. Decide what is the most important benefit and put it first. All other benefits follow.
Website design By BotEap.com10. Make it personal
Website design By BotEap.comAddress the reader as if you were sitting next to him. Do it for them and not for you. Every time you type ‘we’ try to change it to ‘you’.
Website design By BotEap.com11. Emphasize important points
Website design By BotEap.comEmphasize important words using bold or underline, but don’t overdo it or you’ll lose power. Indentation to emphasize key paragraphs.
Website design By BotEap.com12. Make sure the lyrics flow
Website design By BotEap.comGuide the reader gently from one point to another. The sentences must be linked (‘what’s more…’, ‘but…’) and the ideas must be arranged in a logical order.
Website design By BotEap.com13. Prompt the reader to act
Website design By BotEap.comYour letter should end with a ‘call to action’. Now (hopefully!) you’ve convinced the reader to make it easier for them to act. Don’t complicate it by providing many alternatives that involve decisions. Give an incentive too: ‘respond before August 20 and you’ll receive a free watch’.
Website design By BotEap.com14. Provide reinsurance
Website design By BotEap.comMake sure the reader knows they can’t lose. For example, say that you won’t accept payment until the product has been shipped or that you won’t be charged for 60 days.
Website design By BotEap.com15. Use a PS
Website design By BotEap.comWhen you receive a letter, do your eyes go directly to the PS? The same goes for your reader’s. There should be a new ‘just remembered’ perk here to seal the sale.
Website design By BotEap.com16. Make it a package
Website design By BotEap.comYou don’t have to send a letter by itself. A creative pack is likely to generate a higher response rate. You can include a sample of your product or a promotional item that will be a constant reminder of your company, for example. a coaster for drinks or a pen.
Website design By BotEap.com17. Includes a response device
Website design By BotEap.comPrepaid postcards with checkboxes make life easier for potential customers. If you can print your name and address for them, so much the better. Assure people that a salesperson will not call and that they are under no obligation to buy.
Website design By BotEap.com18. Includes a backrest
Website design By BotEap.comFeedback from satisfied customers is very helpful, as are market research statistics: “85% of our customers have used us for more than 2 years.” Always be truthful. Never be tempted to lie; doing so misleads your customers and undermines your reputation.
Website design By BotEap.com19. Engage the reader
Website design By BotEap.comAsk rhetorical questions: ‘What would you do if…? Write down questions potential customers might ask and answer them: ‘How much will it cost?’ Please provide an example of a company or individual who reaped the benefits of your product: ‘When James & Son bought our product, they halved their production costs in one week.’
Website design By BotEap.com20. Overcome objections
Website design By BotEap.comMake a list of all the possible reasons why your customer might not have to buy. Decide how you would respond to these objections and put them in your letter. For example: ‘I can’t afford it now’ could be solved with an easy payment plan. If you think people will want to compare offers with other providers, provide a comparison chart.