I remember going to a seminar on direct mail copywriting in which the tutor said, as a lead statement, "all direct mail with a cover letter gets better response rates".

This is not true.

Direct mal covering letters can indeed quadruple your response rates.  I have written a letter that multiplied sales by a factor of 10 for my client.   But it is not just the letter that does it - it is what you say.

Here are the simple rules.  

First you have to think of your audience as the fundamental laws of direct mail dictate.

Second you have to attract attention and then hold.  Remember the lesson of the 70% theory - most direct mail fails at the start.  You have to say something that really does grab attention.   It could be offering something Free, or it might be asking a really interesting question, or offering a big benefit or something very funny or clever - there is more on this below.

The headline 

"Do you believe in love at first sight" 

grabs attention far more than 

"Our lowest prices ever!"

The five approaches that really do seem to work are:

1. Price
2. Benefits
3. A really interesting question
4. Emotional and lifestyle issues
5. Being funny

Each of them is covered in some detail - but here is a summary of a couple of points..

The most used is price - how many headlines have you seen that say something like "No one beats us on price".  Three years ago we saw firms advertising 50% off.  Last year it had got to 70% off.  This year I have seen 80% off.  By the time you read this firms will be offering to pay you just to buy their stuff.   My advice is to lay off price unless you really do have no choice - and I have not yet seen anyone who has no choice (although I talk to many firms who think they have no choice).

Benefit selling still works - but see the article on benefits to ensure you get to the ultimate benefit rather than a half-way house.

I personally love the really interesting question - they seem to work for me, along with being funny.  But being funny is difficult - I am not trying to say I am particularly clever at this, it is just that I have been doing it for years.  Here's one of my favourites that combines both approaches.  It was used in a mailing to deputy head teachers in schools, where one of the big issues is the amount of preparation time that teachers have to put in each week.

If you told your colleagues you could cut their preparation time in half would they

        a) think you had been at the G&T again

        b) turn away because they have heard your pep talks before

        c) go down on their knees and beg you to do it.

Emotional and lifestyle issues (like the love at first sight headline above) can work very well indeed.  Traditionally they have been the preserve of B2C mailings, but there is no reason why they should be.  You can use emotion to sell anything.

See the various articles on how to write letters - such as the articles on Headlines, and on the PS, and on the various approaches.  If you would like Tony Attwood to write for you, call 01536 399 000.  If you would like Tony to review one of your leaflets and tell you how he would have written it, send it to creative@hamilton-house.com 

Free analysis of your mailshot

This article is written by Tony Attwood, Chairman of Hamilton House Mailings Ltd.  If you would like to discuss the writing or design of your mailing campaign, or indeed a single mailshot, with Tony, without cost or obligation, just call 01536 399 000, or email Creative@hamilton-house.com   You can also send Tony a copy of your latest advert and he will call you back with his thoughts on how your response rate could be raised - again without cost or obligation.