My friend, Bob Bly, wrote me this question, and it got me to thinking.
Well, Bob’s not really a close friend in that I go over his house and get sloppy drunk, and fall asleep on his couch; or that he’d bring a van over and he would help me move, although I never asked. He’s a friend in that I like dropping his name because he’s written so many books, and his books on marketing are better than mine…
I’ve even bought some of his books, paraphrased them and… ok, just kidding. But we have talked on the phone a couple of times. OK, once. Anybody that writes so many books, and is a such a great guy to boot, I’m glad to be able to reference him as someone I know personally and drop his name… in the first paragraph. First sentence. Any questions?
So anyhow, Bob emailed me this question: “What works best in direct mail? Is it a brochure or a letter or what?” It got me to thinking. So here was my answer to him, plus a few other thoughts once I sobered up.
Hi Bob,
Hey thanks for thinking of me.
When clients ask me what is the most effective piece we can send I always think “hummm… a thin envelope stuffed with money would be great! Or… a great brochure would be effective, or a tricky fold out mailer. Then I think what would I send if I could only send one piece. The answer is always the same: a letter. Letters are the most effective you can be in direct mail. Of course, this is in most instances. There are exceptions.
An exception would be if you are trying to impress a group with how well you do, or how much money you have. No, I’m serious. If you can’t drive over there in your new Jag, and take them out to a 5 star restaurant with the owner coming over to you, addressing you by name and mentioning your regular table is waiting… then you can mail them a 6 color + spot varnish self mailer with gold relief stamping, embossing, a holographic foil stamping and an affixed personal blown-in post-it note that says you spent enough on this mailer to feed Botswana (the entire country) for a week, even though the natives were really, really hungry.
If you need to impress an upscale audience, then this full blown out fancy fold-out direct mailer is better. For the absolute maximum performance, I’d additionally include a letter with all this stuff – so are we back at square one?
Here’s an example: you’re selling a guilt-edged set of books to the ultra rich. Imagine seeing the edges – in a gold foil strike – on the photo in your mailer. Tough to do in a letter. So here – a self-mailer works just fine. Ask Franklin Mint. And while you’re on the phone with them, ask them for the phone number of someone who will buy the set of NASCAR dinner plates I bought from them several years ago – and where is the hugh price markup they said it would be worth in a few years. This is the last time I’ll believe, “Yes, and we make them in limited quantity – so they’re sure to go up in price.” I guess their “limited quantity” was limited to every single person who wanted them. What are you laughing at? Yea, like you don’t have a set.
OK, sometimes I don‘t use a letter – in special circumstances.
Because of the impersonal nature of direct mailers and post cards, I find it easier to ask for a referral. In a letter it seems like you are whining about getting a referral. When you print on a post card, “And by the way, thank you so much for all the referrals we get – we appreciate them all. Please do keep telling your friends and colleagues about our…” it is a low stress way to get referrals. So at times exclusivity of writing to s single person like you do in a letter (even if is sent to a million people) is a more limiting factor.
Post Cards
Post cards are great for short information-needed type messages (your subscription is expiring, happy birthday, don’t walk your dog on my lawn or I’ll leave my kids at your house for a week… you know stuff like that.) Post cards are easier to handle and cheaper to print than most anything else – so sometimes this vehicle is preferred over a letter. Readership of post cards is always high. Brief – but high… so this makes them great for lots of campaigns: reminders, private sales, with special calls to action, and top of mind awareness campaigns when you mail them every 6 weeks to clients.
Letters
Letters are better at longer, consultative selling propositions. If you have to explain a product – what it does, how it works, or you need to expound on the benefits and really sell a product then a letter can have more of a story line. It’s a blend of benefits, facts and fiction to show the product in the best light. A brochure can help show the product photo and add credibility, but it’s the letter that sells the benefits and gets the reader to call. You remember the adage: the brochure tells, the letter sells. List the features in the brochure, and the benefits in the letter and don’t forget to ask the reader to call, several times.
Letters absolutely shine in funraising, er, fundraising. Usually in fundraising the more personal the pitch, the better the response. The more of a personal plea, the more a letter needs to be in the package. Post cards won’t work here.
When you are talking one to one, that’s where letters are the best. I write letters for some of my clients that are just talking one to one – to 100,000 people. It’s an art for to make each person receiving the letter feel he’s the only one, or one of just a few people reading it.
Letters are the best. Letters are the best at convincing people because you can put lots of reasons to call in the copy. Convincing readers to call you, that’s really what you’d like your mailing piece to do, isn’t it? Yea.
Whatever your copy platform, selling it in a letter is probably more better. What? You didn’t know I spoke Spanish, did you? So, when asked by my old friend, Bob Bly, remember Bob, what is the most effective you can be in direct mail, I only have one thing to say: Bob I’m not busy at all next week let’s do lunch. Or gimme a call and I’ll come over for dinner. Yea, yea… or hey you can come over here. Really Bob, do you think you can mention me in one of your books… Bob? Bob?
Jeff Dobkin is a fun speaker and a darn effective direct mail copywriter. He has written 5 books, 4 on direct marketing and one on humor. Contact him at 610-642-1000.