Last month, we talked about some strategies to avoid in direct mail. Here are some more not-to-dos.
1. Make the recipient's name and address look like a mass mailing. There are few things that topple interest quicker than telling the prospect they are not important enough to warrant a personalized address. One good way to address your piece is to put the envelope in a laser printer and crank it out. Better yet, pay a high school kid to hand address the envelope. Obviously, it needs to be readable to get delivered. But there are so few letters hand addressed that it gets the reader's attention.
2. Not ask the reader to respond. One of the best ways to get the prospect to respond is to include a self-addressed, postage-paid mailer. The easier you make it for them to respond, the more responses you'll get.
Some companies offer a free pen or a getaway weekend for two. Some savvy marketers include a dollar bill in a solicitation. If you want to get a quick response, give something away the reader can use. One of the best examples I have seen yet is one enterprising producer who put a lottery ticket in the envelope with the statement, "If you don't win, you need to come to this seminar!"
3. The mailing is written to the wrong person in the wrong way. Often a mailing is written from the writer's point of view. This is the biggest copy mistake you can make. For every "I" there should be five "you's."
