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13. Have unknown, unusual, or foreign words been eliminated?
14. Has the word "you" been substituted for the word "I" in every place possible?
15. Are most sentences limited to 10 words or less, and have simple sentences been used in
preference to compound or complex sentences?
16. Are most paragraphs limited to three or fewer sentences?
17. Have personalizing inserts been used in a natural, easy manner?
18. Is each paragraph clearly devoted to its structural purpose — problem, proof, action, and
summary?
19. Has the proper suggested gift been evaluated over and over again?
MAXWELL ROSS' SELF-EVIDENT TRUTHS
In copywriting courses taught by Maxwell Ross and in a monograph for the Direct Marketing
Association, "How To Write Successful Direct Mail Letter Copy," he suggests some key things you
need to know before you start to write:
Self-Evident Truths
To write good copy, you must understand human nature thoroughly. You will need to make a continuing
study of people because people change just as times change. Consider these self-evident
truths:
1. People are slow to accept the new and untried until it has become firmly established.
2. People are reluctant to break established habits.
3. People dread to make decisions.
4. People need to be disciplined when it comes to reading copy.
5. People prefer to ride with a winner
MAILING LISTS
Rose Harper, president of The Kleid Company, asked several of the nation's top direct mail copywriters
about the importance of knowing the list to which a mailing will go. Here are some of
their comments:
Chris Stagg.
■ Writing in a vacuum cries for air No professional in the direct response business
can create a winning package when he doesn't know everything there is to know
about the human he's writing to. When a writer creates in a marketing vacuum, he
creates a loser
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