A handwritten note lends significance to any personal or professional correspondence. If you are on a first-name basis with your customers

Studies in the U.S. and Europe highlight the factors—some of them surprising—that cause people to open the direct-mailing envelopes

Your outer mailing envelope can’t say too little, and it can’t say too much, either, writes New York direct-marketing expert David R. Yale.

Whenever sales slacken and profits head south, most companies start to beat the bushes in search of new customers.

The most successful way to mail envelopes have no label or window, is typed or computer-addressed, and has a personalized look.

Even consumers who say that they detest mail advertising will open and study direct mailings that promise interesting benefits

Marketing consultant Robert W. Bly offers four pointers on increasing the power of outer envelope pull.

Nationally respected marketing consultant Robert W. Bly offers pointers on creating high response envelopes:

Changing your outer envelope, without touching any other part of your mailing, can punch up response by 100% or more

Renowned copywriter Bill Jayme, once said that the outer envelope of a direct mailing is where the sales prospect decides to stop

he late, great Bill Jayme defined the direct-mail envelope as “your headline.” Other mailing practitioners shy away from such candor

Move free-gift stickers to your reply envelope. Advantages: A more personal-appearing sales letter (hence more effective)

There are two basic envelope styles, writes Ernest W. Nicastro of the Positive Response company, that aim to impel a mail recipient to open