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Alan Rosenspan runs a direct marketing services company in the US and has won many awards for direct marketing creativity and results. Among several published titles, Alan has published a popular and highly recommended booklet titled '101 Ways to Improve Your Response'. The booklet features tried and tested tips to ensure DM success.
Across his list of 101 tips, the repeating theme in this booklet appears to be 'one-to-one communication'. Alan explains that "a letter should be a one-to-one communication from one individual to another" and the best method to enable this level of communication is to incorporate personalisation. Among Alan's 101 list, I've pulled the following personalisation tips:
#19 Make the letter look like a letter
A letter is not a design project. Too many letters look like flyers or even brochures. It should look like a personal one-to-one communication.#23 Write the letter in the first person
Our control package for winning customers back to AT&T began as follows: "Dear Name, I love a challenge. As the President of AT&T Consumer Long Distance Services, I face them every day. And that's why I'm writing to you." It won back over 1.2 mission customers without an offer.#25 Version your letter to your list
The most successful seminar package I've ever done had four different versions of the letter. One to past attendees, one to no-shows, one to people who had enquired about our products, and one to general prospects. The message was slightly different to each. The letter is also the easiest and least expensive element to version.#38 Add a yellow sticky note
It improved response for some of my clients by over 10%. You can even personalise and place them on any part of the package. One technique is to put a yellow sticky note on a page that seems to be ripped out of a magazine. I received one for a diet workshop that said this: "Alan, try this. It really works!" It was "signed" J.#69 Personalise the reply card
If you can only personalise one element of the package, make sure it's this one. The easier you make it to respond, the more likely people will.#78 Personalise the offer
Advertising Age used a cartoon on their outer envelope with this caption: "We need someone with vision... creativity... and great marketing instincts. We need Alan Rosenspan!" I thought this was the single best direct mail package I had ever seen—until I realised not everyone had my name on their cartoon. Inside, they offered me a full-size copy of this personalised cartoon with my subscription. People love seeing their names in print, on coffee mugs, almost anything.
If you haven't read Alan's 101 tips, then I'd really recommend you do. It's helpful and inspiring. You can order a free copy of the booklet from his Web site.
Posted on Sunday, 20 April 2008 at 8:29 PM | TrackBack: http://www.veedeepee.com/cgi-bin/mt-tb.cgi/122