Halbertism #25

Tuesday, June 8, 2004

Here are 20 secrets you must use to make your direct mail more profitable!

1.     Deliver your mail to the Post Office yourself.

2.     Use live stamps.

3.     Use direct impression addressing (no labels).

4.     Remove your company name from your corner card. For those of you not familiar with the term "corner card", that's your return address in the upper left corner of your carrier envelope.

5.     Stop using "teaser" copy on your carrier envelopes.

6.     Print "RUSH" in red on your envelopes.

7.     Use wider margins and subheads...and... make certain points in bold type throughout your letter.

8.     Throw away or hide your brochure.

9.     Change your 10 or 30 or 60-day guarantee to a full 1-year guarantee.

10.   Put a photo of the letter writer on the letterhead.

11.   Print your order coupon on yellow stock paper.

12.   Use those "fake" FedEx and Express Mail envelopes.

13.   Put your phone number in the body copy of all your letters.

14.   Stop using an 800 service.

15.   Mail First-Class.

16.   Keep a daily log of nixies. (Nixies are the returned bad addresses.)

17.   Rent more expensive lists.

18.   Always test First-Class.

19.   "Double team" everything.

20.   Use multiple Post Offices.