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THE GREATEST DIRECT MAIL SALES LETTERS OF ALL TIME
SECTION I
CREATING DIRECT MAIL LETTERS
THE DIRECT MAIL LETTER
Of all the formats used in direct mail, none has more power to generate action than the letter A
basic rule followed by direct mail advertisers is that any package containing a letter will generally
pull greater response than a package without a letter. Extensive testing has proved this to be
true in most cases.
Perhaps the most important advantage of using letters to communicate through the mail is that
everyone knows how to read a letter. A letter is instantly understood as a message from one person
to another And since direct mail is the personal medium of advertising, a person-to-person
form of communication is highly desirable.
Other formats almost automatically wave a flag that says "this is a promotional message." And
that flag has a tendency to put the reader on guard. But the "personal look" of a letter somehow
reduces this guard. There's a friendly quality to a letter that is difficult to duplicate in other formats.
Most everyone has grown up with a desire to receive more letters. They remember those
days at summer camp, at college, in the service, or other times when they were separated from
close friends and loved ones. The arrival of a letter from home was an event to be celebrated.
A letter is easy to read. No question of where to start, where to go next, or where it will end. This
is not to say that direct mail letters automatically get attention and readership. However, the odds
of achieving those ends are greatly enhanced with letters — especially well written letters that
have a genuine person-to-person feel.
THE DIRECT MAIL PACKAGE
The best way to visualize the role of each of the elements in a direct mail package is to compare
the mailing with a salesperson making a sales call.
THE ENVELOPE
This is the clothing the salesperson wears. Since it is the first thing a prospect sees, a judgment
will likely be made before a word is spoken. Is this someone I can trust? Should I be on my guard
against being pushed into doing something I don't want to do? Am I going to have to listen to a
high-pressure pitch? Does this look like "someone" who is worthy of my time?
Very little selling is done by the envelope itself, but it can condition the audience to be in the right
mood to receive your message. Too often, advertisers worry about getting their envelopes opened
because they've often heard people claim, "I throw all of my junk mail away unopened." But
research studies have clearly shown few mailings actually go into the wastebasket before the
envelope is opened. As a general rule, nobody throws away an envelope until two questions are
answered:
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