Marketing Matters
Direct Mail...50 facts you need to know
By Murray Raphel

In this second part of our series on direct mail marketing, we offer a quick look at 50 things you should know about direct marketing.

1. Dollar for dollar, nothing returns as much to your business as direct mail.

2. For every 1,000 names in your database, you need one update per day.

3. Half of your database names are inaccurate in three years unless updated.

4. Your customer list will return two to 10 times a rented list.

5. Keep the person's TITLE (for addressing) and JOB (for selecting).

Make sure you don't get burned by sending the wrong offer

6. Only keep information that's important and that you'll maintain.

7. Sending the same offer to the same list a second time will yield half the first-time response.

8. Renting a list for unlimited use for a year is only double one-time use cost.

9. Rent lists from publications where you advertise. And, run ads and mailers at the same time!

10. Mail postcards first class. The post office will send back corrected addresses to clean your list at NO cost.

11. Knowing anything about your customer is as important as knowing everything about your product.

12. Average delivery of third-class mail: 10 days.

13. Dimensional mailings work. Recipients remember it six months later.

14. Mail ALL the names in your database at LEAST four times a year.

15. You'll receive 90 percent of your responses within two weeks.

16. It takes from 10 to 14 weeks to plan and send a direct mail campaign.

17. Mail product within 48 hours of an order.

18. Seminar mailings need up to six weeks for response.

19. Check with the post office before you send your mailing.

20. Send copies of mailers to post offices of key zip codes and tell them to "be on the lookout for..." especially if you mail bulk rate and your piece is time sensitive.

21. To increase results, be sure to personalize the response form.

22. Hand write a "free" item on the response form.

23. First read in a letter? The headline.

24. Second read in a letter? The P.S.

25. Offer "yes" and "no" options--25 percent who say "no" the first time will say "yes" the second time.

26. Include a line: "Write names of people here who would like to hear from us."

27. Involve the reader, ask: Is the name/address correct?

28. The more ways to buy or respond, the more responses.

29. So...offer fax, FedEx, and e-mail for quick response.

30. Order form summarizes the offer.

31. Write the order form first. Then, write the offer.

32. Use surveys that can be completed in one minute.

33. Letters with an envelope and business reply card beat self mailers.

34. Use the word "you."

35. A separate reply form pulls better than one that has to be detached.

36. Use only white, ivory, ecru, or light gray paper for the message. Use colored stock for the reply card.

37. Use labels on the response card that show through the window envelope (and have tracking codes).

38. The reply card should be addressed to a person.

39. Customers buy confidence, so include your number of years in business. And include an easy-to-read guarantee.

40. Watch the size of your mailers to control postage.

41. The more you tell, the more you sell. Put as much in the envelope as you can without increasing postage.

42. Compare costs. Sending 1,000 letters first class costs only about $150 more than sending them third class.

43. Success is NOT "cost per unit mailed." Success is cost per lead or sale.

44. Present customers create more than half of your future business.

45. Multiple mailings are more cost-effective than single.

46. Consider "piggy backing" with other non-competitive businesses. It cuts printing and postage costs.

47. Personal copy hits more than personalized copy.

48. The most powerful word is "free."

49. Fear of loss is more powerful than promise of gain.

50. If you have more than a couple of thousand names, start by mailing to just a third of your list.

Raphel Marketing helps businesses achieve better marketing techniques. Contact them at info@raphel.com