Yesterday I found myself working on two separate projects - one was a mailshot going to owner managers in garage workshops, and the other to teachers.   With a juxtaposition like that it is fairly obvious that these two groups of people are different - but it is amazing how often writers of direct mail forget just how much each sales letter and brochure needs to be changed in order to be attractive to the right audience.

Sometimes when I am asked to write to people whose work and lifestyle is largely unknown to me, I will spend a week or more reading the daily newspaper/s that I am told these people read - that certainly helps.  But also one needs to get a feel for their lifestyle, their approach to the world, and then write to them in relationship to this.

It is also worth looking at the other mail that these people get, in order to see how others have solved the problem.   However that can not only give you insights, it can also cause you problems - or at least I should say it can cause me problems.   Let me give an example.

I was recently asked to look at advertising aimed at people who would buy into a business opportunity system.  I must admit I didn't understand it fully but it appeared to have something to do with spread betting.

Anyway, the copy went on for page after page - and my first reaction was that it was far too long.  And yet, the more I looked at it, the more it struck me that the whole piece said nothing.  It was fully of disconnected paragraphs which promised great riches but never quite got round to telling you what it was all about.

And in the end I concluded that the target audience was, perhaps, people who tended to have disconnected thought patterns - in that people who could work out a logical sequential business plan were not likely to buy into an opportunity seeker promotion - a so a clear logical argument was not going to work with them.

I was not asked to work on the opportunity seeker promotion (not least because I wanted to change it radically to try to ensure that the ASA didn't have 200 reasons to find against it), so I am not sure if my supposition was right.  But it illustrates my point - try to get inside the head of the person to whom you are writing.

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.