10 Big Bad Ugly Mistakes in Direct Mail

By Susanna K. Hutcheson

I’ve made a ton of mistakes in my long career as a copywriter and direct mail consultant. I still do. But don’t tell anyone! You may not be a copywriter. In fact, I’ll bet you’re not. But you may need to write your own sales letters sometime,unless you can afford to hire me to do them for you! So I’ve prepared a list to help you avoid the mistakes I’ve made.

1. Not knowing your target market – or your audience.

All writing should target a specific group. You should know this group as well as the back of your hand. Know their hot buttons. What will make them say “yes” to your offer? What will turn them off? What motivates them? What concerns them? Who exactly are they? What age are they? What sex are they? Then write to that person. Write in language that person will understand. Use terms he or she will use.

2. Mailing to the wrong list.

This probably is the most common – and most fatal – error made in mailings. Spend as much time on researching your list as you do on the creative aspects of writing and layout, and on the research about your products, pricing, and offer. Unless the people on your mailing list have a desire or need for your product (or service), they’re going to be tough to convince, and probably impossible to sell. You might have a great service or product,but if you’re selling books, for example, you want people who read. A list of non-readers won’t get you any results. So don’t skimp on your list. Target it as tightly as possible. You may pay more for the ideal list. But the returns will more than pay you back.

3. Not having a clear goal in your writing.

Make sure you know where you’re going with each piece you write. Then stay focused. I write down my objective clearly and then paste it on the monitor of my computer. I refer to it often. I don’t want to lose sight of where I plan to go with the piece I’m writing. Whether it’s a letter or brochure, speech or radio spot. Stay on target.

4. Price before offer.

“Only $19.95!” No matter what you’re selling, a price has no meaning until readers know what they’re getting. Make sure you tell them about your product or service first. Build value in whatever you’re selling. Don’t bring up price first – no matter how great the price.

5. Price before benefits.

“Just $29.95!” may sound like a great price to you for a nice watch. But if you present it first – before showing exactly what the benefits are, it really won’t matter how great the watch is. Most of your readers will go right past your ad, or toss your letter out before they even see your product or offer. You need to tell readers what makes your price so great – in benefits they’ll understand.

6. Wrong price point.

There are thousands of theories on how to price your product or service correctly. Everyone thinks he or she knows how to price a product or service. But you should let the market set the price. You do this by testing each price point you feel will work, and seeing which one brings in not only the most orders but the most overall profit. In my copywriting business, I’ve tried several price ranges for various services. Through trial and error I’ve discovered what my own personal market will bear and, at the same time, how I can make a reasonable profit and keep my bills paid. Lots of books out there have complicated methods of figuring out how to price. But the best is simply what your own market will bear. Of course, if you distribute for a company with set prices, there is nothing you can do about it. But chances are they tested the prices before they set them. So you’re in the clear.

7. Inadequate testing.

There’s no reason to lose big money in direct mail. Everything is testable and you should test small mailings until one is clearly a winner. Test every single piece you mail out. Make changes slowly and only one at a time. Otherwise, you won’t know what change caused the rise or decline in your return rate. If you do not test, you will not succeed. You should have two or more letters to test against each other. Test everything. It’s a crucial step and I find that many people I talk with fail to do this.

8. Wrong objective to your marketing piece.

If you need to generate leads, don’t try to sell! Big mistake! What is your objective? To sell a product or service with the mailing or to get people to contact you for more information? You need to know that and write with that in mind.

9. Wrong headline.

The headline is perhaps the single most important element of your ad or sales letter – in fact, in most any marketing material. Solely on the basis of this one line, your reader decides whether to read on. I often write 100 heads before deciding on one! You’ll have to do the same, too. We professionals make it look easy. It’s not!

10.  Not telling your readers exactly what you want them to do.

I get letters all the time that clients or prospective clients have written. They ask me why their letters don’t pull. Usually, these letters don’t even tell readers what action is expected of them! You can’t sell that way! Tell your readers several times exactly what you want them to do. Be specific. Let readers know exactly what action you want them to take – tell them, and tell them again. Do you want them to call you? To send in a card? To fax you? Don’t just leave it dangling like one client did when he wrote, “If you’re interested, I’d love to hear from you.” Duh!

So there you have them. The BIG 10! The mistakes most often made by people who do business by mail. If you can avoid them, you can make a lot of money with direct mail.

Good marketing!

© Copyright 2001 by Susanna K. Hutcheson and Powerwriting.com LLC.

Susanna K. Hutcheson is a professional advertising and direct mail copywriter. She was the first copywriter to use the Internet as a place to market this type of service. Susanna has clients all over the world. She writes everything from Web site content to direct mail and radio spots. Visit her Web site at http://www.powerwriting.com. Her email address is powerwriter@powerwriting.com. Telephone: (316) 684-0457.