1. Hinge your copy on one or more of these key emotional drives:
Fear | Guilt | Flattery |
Exclusivity | Greed | Anger |
Salvation |
If it does not push at least one of these hot buttons, Hatch advises, start over.
2. Use these powerful words:
You | Guarantee | Money |
Love | Results | Proven |
Free | Save | Easy |
New | Health | Discovery |
Safety |
Insert them into your copy wherever you can, Hatch says.
3. Delete self-absorbed words like “We,” “Us,” and “Ours,” which do not appeal to your reader’s self-interest. Your reader wants to know what is in your offer for him.
4. Make your pitch as emotional as possible. Cartesian logic sells few widgets.
5. Sell benefits, not features. A 1/4" drill is a feature. The ability to make 1/4" holes is a benefit.
6. Your presentation is NOT cute, clever, or entertaining.
7. Make a clear offer—the strongest one possible—and do not give your reader many choices. “You cannot sell two things at once,” as Dick Benson never tired of observing.
8. Include your company name and address on every unit of your mailing.
9. Guarantee satisfaction—and quote happy customers (or donors).
10. Include an easy-to-use response device coded by source.
11. Be ready to fulfill your offer immediately—with fool-proof instructions.
12. If your promotion succeeds, be ready to mail it again right away.
13. Allocate 20% of your marketing budget to testing.
See also:
Direct Mail Home Page
Marketing Home Page
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