Think direct mail is an outdated sales tactic? Think again. While prospect’s email inboxes are becoming increasingly crowded, their physical mailboxes get emptier. Now’s the time for Sales and Marketing to work together to create direct mail prospects can’t help but respond to.
From boxed balloons to 3D puzzles, there’s no shortage of creative ways to format your mailers — but the most important aspect of your letter is what you say and how you say it.
Below, I’ll share tips on writing eye-catching copy, hitting on the most important value
propositions, and completing the mailer with attention-grabbing visuals.
How to Write a Sales Letter
1. Pick your primary message.
… and make it impactful. Select one pain point, feature, or benefit, and lead with that message. Bold it, underline it, let it stand alone on one side of your mailer — but make sure it’s clear, concise, and packs a value punch. Here are some examples:
Benefit: If you’re selling corporate cleaning services, your benefit-centred primary message might be, “So clean, you’ll never send a ‘Tidy your workspace’ email again.”
Pain Point: If you’re selling HR recruiting software, a pain point-centred primary message might be, “Are you spending too much time hiring?”
Feature: And if you’re a car salesperson trying to attract customers to your dealership, your feature-centred message might be, “The only five-year warranty in London.”
To check if your message will confuse your average prospect, ask someone outside your business to read your primary message without context. If they easily grasp what you do or what you’re trying to communicate, you’re in the clear.
It’s tempting to use broad taglines like, “We help you get back to work,” “The five-star service you deserve,” or “The car-buying experience you want.” Don’t do it. Keep your message focused on specific, easy-to-understand value propositions.
2. Educate.
If you’re sending the mailer to prospects who aren’t familiar with who you are or what you do, capitalise on the moment to educate them. Keep this explanation brief and bulleted, and limit each talking point to one sentence. For example, an educational section about our HR recruiting business might read:
Step 1: Create a RecruitingWiz account
Step 2: Enter your job listing
Step 3: Review pre-qualified applicants in your inbox
You’ve explained how to navigate your online portal and highlighted ease-of-use and benefits of your service (i.e., pre-qualified candidates delivered right to your inbox).
This part of the mailer can also be used to differentiate your product/service. For example, our corporate cleaning company might say:
3. Limit yourself to one CTA.
Don’t ask for more than one thing. If you do, you risk overwhelming your audience by making them choose which (if any) of your calls-to-action they want to pursue. This mailer should do the thinking for them by leading them easily to a next step.
Instead of our car dealership having two CTAs asking prospects to “Visit our dealership today at [insert address]” and “Visit us online at [insert website]” consider which action will be the most measurable for you and actionable for your prospect. In this case, asking the reader to visit the website is the most realistic next step.
4. Have one offer.
To take that next step, however, your audience needs incentive — usually a promo code or free gift. For example, our cleaning service might offer a free fridge cleaning if the prospect books before the end of the month.
Increase fear of missing out by putting a deadline on the offer. If a prospect must use your promo code by the end of the month, they’ll be more likely to act immediately.
Think your customer might have trouble redeeming the offer? Include instructions and a visual aid on your mailer. If you’re offering a promo code at checkout, provide text and images illustrating the process of going to your website, navigating to the checkout page, and entering the code at the appropriate point.
5. Don’t crowd the message.
We’ve all received mailers containing a 30-year history of the company, every possible feature they offer, 18 coupons, and headshots of their 40-person team. Don’t be this company.
Keep things simple and purposeful. Once your prospect picks up the mailer, you only have a few seconds to convince them not to drop it in the recycling bin. Make it easy for them to understand your offer in three-to-five seconds, and do this by adhering to the tips above.
6. Include a testimonial.
Social proof is always a good idea. If you haven’t already, ask well-known, long time, and/or happy clients if you can include a quote from them in your mailer.
Keep quotes between two and three sentences long, and edit when necessary. Always ensure you choose a quote that actually says something. Sentiments like, “Corporate Cleaners is great! Would highly recommend … ” isn’t as valuable as, “Corporate Cleaners has completely changed our office environment. They’re a cost-effective way to keep employees focused on the work that matters while elevating the first impression clients have of our office.”
Lastly, ensure your testimonial isn’t totally out of the blue. If the rest of your flyer talks about your car dealerships knowledge, unparalleled five-year warranty, and huge selection of new and used SUVs, your prospect might be confused by a testimony from “Liz” who found the motorcycle of her dreams at your dealership.
7. Add attention-grabbing stats.
Has your local business bureau rated you #1 for customer service? Have you cleaned more than 500 businesses this year? Have you decreased customer hiring time by 50%? Include those numbers in your mailer. Numbers break up text and attract the reader’s eye. Plus, it’s another way to prove your value.
8. Lead with strong visuals.
Ask your in-house designer or go-to freelancer to help with design. Don’t have the budget to bring in outside help? Remember to keep visuals fresh, modern, and personalised. The images on your mailer will be the first thing your prospects notice and the biggest way to save you from the trash.
If you’re using photographs, take and use your own. Custom photography will set your business apart and avoid glazing eyes with cheesy stock photos.
If everything old is new again, direct mail just got ten years younger! Take an exciting approach to this tried-and-true outreach tactic, and see what it does for your business.
Struggling to develop your own messaging? Maybe we can help.
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