Twenty Ways to Increase Sales With Direct Mail Letters

1. Use letter-head paper to adapt

You can adapt company letterhead to suit your needs if you use it for direct mail. It should be easy to read the company name and benefit. The email address should be prominent if you want people email you. The phone number should be prominent if you want people to call. You can use the footer to draw attention to trade associations or quality control marks to increase sales. Keep legal information as brief as possible.

2. Postal responses

Are you looking for potential customers who will reply via post? Include a pre-paid envelope.

3. Long letters

Do not be afraid to write lengthy letters (over one page). Without enough information, no one will purchase something. Continue selling until you run out of sales points. You should make every word relevant.

4. Be friendly

If possible, address your letter to someone you know. It shows that you care about them. It is also a good idea to address your letter by the person’s job or interests, e.g. ‘Dear Dog Owner’. The most offensive salutation is “Dear Sir/Madam”.

Please sign off in a friendly manner. Sign the letter yourself, instead of having a secretary sign it on your behalf. Include your Christian name along with a friendly title. Your company is concerned about customers, and the title ‘Customer Services Manager’ indicates that.

5. Use powerful headlines

Write a headline at the top of your letter that highlights the main benefits of the product. This gives potential customers a reason to continue reading. It should be clear and concise – don’t confuse words with communication.

6. Amazing openings

 

7. Subheadings

Subheadings make letters digestible. Each subheading should promote the product.

8. Ask for what you desire

Don’t forget the basics. Tell your readers if you want them to purchase your soaps. Ask them to subscribe if you want them to. Make it easy. Do not wait to ask – get it done immediately.

9. Talk about benefits

Learn the differences between benefits and features. Instead of saying “The X65 lawnmower is equipped with sixty rotating blades”, say “The X65 lawnmower creates a healthy lawn in a matter of weeks”. Choose the most important benefit to you and place it first. The rest of the benefits will follow.

10. Personalize it

As if you were sitting next to the reader, address them. It should be about them, not you. Try changing the word ‘we’ to ‘you’ every time you write it.

11. Emphasise important points

Use bold or underline to emphasize important words, but not too much or it will be lost. To emphasize key paragraphs, indent.

12. Check that the letter flows.

The reader should be guided gently from one point of view to the next. It is important to link sentences (‘what’s more…’,?but…), and to arrange ideas in a logical order.

13. Inspire the reader to take action

The letter should end with a “call to action”. You’ve now (hopefully!) convinced the reader to act. Now you’ve (hopefully!) convinced the reader to take action. Do not make it difficult by giving too many options that require decisions. You can also offer an incentive: “Reply before 20 August to receive a complimentary watch”

14. Reassurance

Be sure to let the reader know they have nothing to lose. You might say, for example, that you won’t accept payment until the product is shipped or that they won’t be charged for 60 calendar days.

15. Use a PS

Do you look straight at the PS when you get a letter? So do your reader’s. To seal the deal, there should be a new benefit that is ‘just remembered’.

16. It’s a package

A letter doesn’t need to be sent by itself. You are more likely to get a response rate that is higher if you send a creative package. A sample of your product, or promotional item could be included. This will serve as a constant reminder about your company. A drink coaster, pen, or other promotional item.

17. Add a reply device

Potential customers will find it easy to send pre-paid postcards that include tick boxes. It is a great idea to print their name, address and phone number for them. Assure them that no salesman will call and that they have no obligation to purchase.

18. Include an endorsement

As market research statistics show, customer reviews can be as valuable as the comments of satisfied customers. ‘85%’ is an example of this statistic. Be truthful. Never lie. This will make your customers cheat you and your reputation worse.

19. Engage the reader

Ask rhetorical questions like: “What would you do if…” Ask potential customers questions and answer them with the following: “How much will it be?” Give an example of a company that has benefited from your product. James & Son purchased our product and saw a halving of their production costs within a week.

20. Be open to suggestions

List all possible reasons that your customer may not want to purchase. Decide what you will do to address these objections in your letter. An easy payment plan could solve problems like “I can’t afford it right now”. A comparison chart is useful if you believe people will be interested in comparing deals with other providers.