Copywriting Secret: Get Your Letter Opened

Your sales letter can't sell if nobody reads it.

And before anyone can read it, they have to open the envelope.

That means your first goal when sending direct mail is this: Get it opened.

Just think about all the sales letters you toss unopened into the trash each day, and you'll see what I mean.

Staples does it right (at left), with a "tube letter" that's impossible to ignore. Just to be extra obvious, the label says, "Surprise! FREE gifts inside."

You can't NOT open this.

And there are gifts: a free pen and sticky notes, along with 3 coupons. The sales letter is almost incidental, telling me where to use the coupons.

I'll bet this letter accomplishes its mission: to acquire new customers at break-even or at a small loss, so the new store can sell to them several times a year over their buying lifetimes.

Now. Two burning questions ...

1) How much should you spend on "buying" new customers with a marketing piece like this?

That depends on how much your customers buy from you for as long as they buy from you. Once you know this lifetime customer value (LCV), you can decide how much to spend on acquiring customers.

To find your LCV, add up the average annual purchases of the average customer and multiply them by the number of years customers stay with you. Obviously, the higher your LCV, the more you can out-spend your competitors to get new customers.

2) How remarkable was your last sales letter or promotional email?

My guess is, not as remarkable as this "tube letter" and goodies.

So: Search your mailbox this week for just one idea you can borrow to improve your mailings next week.

Bio: Kevin Donlin can help you grow your business and enjoy the breakthrough results your hard work deserves. If you're interested in boosting your revenues and profits, please click here.