Search
Recommended Products
Related Links


 
 

 

 

Informative Articles

5 Direct Mail Tips to get the Envelope Opened
If the truth were told literally millions of dollars a years is being thrown down the drain on direct mail campaigns that fall flat on their face all because the envelope containing the offer is not getting opened. Think of it - you can work...

Direct Mail
Direct Mail The web is a most versatile and often misused medium for direct marketing. In this email, I will share tips and techniques to make the web a major advertising tool for your sales and marketing efforts. Do you have a website? A Web...

Direct Mail, Direct Sales
A person can do business in a small to mid-sized town for years and never realize exactly what the business two blocks down is and what they could provide to that person when needed. Big cities are even worse; a business can get lost in the...

Direct Mail Envelope Tips For Successful B2B Lead Generation
In business-to-business direct mail lead generation, more prospects see your mailing envelope than will ever see what is inside. That's because prospects spend only a few seconds examining your envelope before deciding whether to peruse it or pitch...

Direct Mail Insights - Getting the Envelope Opened
If the truth were told, literally millions of dollars a years is being thrown down the drain on direct mail campaigns that fall flat on their face, all because the envelope containing the offer never gets opened. Think of it - you can work with...

Direct Marketing Strategies for Holiday Email Promotions
Tis the season to leverage customer interest data for successful email marketing. All of the information gathered throughout the year from customer purchases, customer feedback surveys, and other behavior offers direct marketers necessary...

Improve Your B2B Direct Mail Response Rates With Premiums.
Premiums are an effective way to increase your direct mail response rates. Whether you are selling a product or service directly through the mail, or whether you are using a sales letter to generate leads, premiums can help you boost...

Rising Postal Rates? Don’t Cut Down the Direct Mail
The United States Post Office in the past had some trouble with its finances and their solution was to raise the postal rates. Whether or not you agree with this approach to trying to stay in business, like the weather and government in general,...

Seven reasons to use direct mail for sales lead generation.
1. Personal Unlike an advertisement in a trade publication, which can be read by anyone, your sales letter arrives at your prospect’s place of business as a piece of personal communication from your mind to his. Also, unlike any other medium, direct...

Thirteen Point Checklist For Direct Mail
Thirteen Point Checklist For Direct Mail by: Larry Brophy http://findmorebuyers.com This checklist will help you make certain your Direct Mail has every chance of outstanding success: 1. Look at your Direct Mail as your recipient will look at it....

 
 
 
Increase Direct Mail Response Rates With Double Window Envelopes.

Here's something to test.



Take your existing business-to-business direct mail package and make just one change: put two windows on the mailing envelope instead of one. Mail it and see what happens.



According to direct mail author, publisher and speaker René Gnam, "two windows usually get more attention and response than a single window." In tests that René conducted for his clients, two (or more) windows on the carrier envelope increased response rates. The increased sales also paid for the added cost of producing the special envelopes.



Some direct marketers use one window to show the recipient's name and address, and the other window to reveal something tantalizing. This is a classic use for extra windows to tease prospects into opening your envelope. The secret is to show something of value or immediacy through the window so that prospects are compelled to open the envelope rather than lay it aside or pitch it.



What to show through the extra window:



- gift certificate

- discount coupon

- photo of your back-end premium

- deadline for taking action

- invitation to a special event

- title of a white paper or report

- CD-ROM or DVD

- front-end premium

-

 


special offer

- prospect's name on a certificate

- teaser copy ("Reserved for [prospect name] . . .")

- a swatch of material

- name of the mutual acquaintance who referred you

- something else (use your great imagination!)



Why limit yourself to just two windows?

You could use more than two windows, of course. René Gnam once used four windows and saw an increase in response. Use as many as you can think of. Just make sure they don't break your production budget!



You are also not limited to putting windows on just the front of the carrier envelope. Why not put one on the back as well, with something intriguing peering through? Check with your post office or mail shop to be sure that the envelope will still be machine-readable and qualify for postage discounts (assuming you are mailing large quantities).

About the author:

----

About the author

Alan Sharpe is a business-to-business direct mail copywriter and lead generation specialist who helps business owners and marketing managers generate leads, close sales and retain customers using business-to-business direct mail marketing. Learn more about his creative direct mail writing services and sign up for free weekly tips like this at www.sharpecopy.com.