6 Strange things that make people buy…

Get them to respond to your direct mail…

#1

One is to always have a way for your prospects to contact you immediately. Through the mail, the phone, or the internet. This is perfect to compliment your offer and allow them to instantly respond. Without it, most will never be motivated to do your call to action.

Always include a response mechanism.

·         Business reply card, reply envelope, order form, Web site URL, or toll-free number.

·         Self-addressed business reply envelopes.

·         Order forms and reply cards with tear-off stubs or receipts

*Order forms printed in color, or designed as an elaborate certificate, or printed with a lot of information get more responses


#2

You need an offer for your prospects to accept. An offer they can’t refuse.

And the best way is to bribe them. Give them something they would want or be interested in for free. Repeat it a few times so it sounds better each time and has more chances to work.

Offers

·         Offer a premium: a gift to prospects who respond to the mailing.

·         Offer a free brochure, booklet, catalog, demonstration, survey, estimate, consultation, or trial offer.

·         Allow for a negative response.

o   Example: “Not interested right now. But try us again in ________.”

·         Repeat the offer on the reply card.

·         Use action words in the first sentence of the reply card and restate the offer in the body copy.


#3

Lump Mail is a great way to get an in for any prospect, potential client, or customer because they want to know what is inside. They want to know what the lump is and love to respond if it is a free gift.

Lump Mail

·         Use physical objects in the mailing.

·         3-D pop-ups, and other gimmicks. 


#4

Make the offer scarce. Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity they can’t miss. This ensures they will at least think twice about it. And at most buy 3x as much for the value. Creating a possibility of a lifetime customer.

Create Scarcity

·         Urge her to act now . . . by putting a time limit on the offer.

o   General – in 10 days, but hurry—supplies are limited, the time to buy is before tragedy strikes. Not after.

o   Specific – Actual date 10 days from now


#5

The envelope can matter more than anything else. Because even if you have the best copywriting in the world, with the most perfect mafia offer, and everything else. It is worthless if they never open the envelope.  


The Envelope

·         Outer envelope

o   Resemble an invoice, telegram, or other “official-looking” document.

o   Use a plain outer envelope with no copy, not even a return address.

o   Envelopes addressed with labels are effective

o   Use titles if no names, print a description of the person

o   Use A preprinted postage permit or postage-metered envelope

o   A separate letter and brochure does better than a combination letter/brochure

#6

The last thing to remember when writing your sales copy for direct mail is to include these tired and true techniques to get the most responses. The more you use the better as each works on different types.

The Letter

·         Use a P.S. in the letter to restate the offer or reemphasize a sales point

·         Guarantee the offer. When you sell by mail, make a money-back guarantee good for 15, 30, 60, or even 90 days.

·         When you are generating leads, tell the prospect that he’s under no obligation and that no salesperson will call (unless he wants one to).

·         Letters with a lot of “bells and whistles increase response from low and middle-class

·         Form letter with a headline works as well as their name and address typed in by hand.

·         Avoid intimidating, legal-type wording

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