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 the zeal of ten thousand men and 
develop an offer that is so brilliant, so good that all your 
family, friends (and even the family dog) are calling it 'the 
best thing since sliced bread' and hailing YOU as the 'copywriter 
of the millennium.

But...

Unless your prospects get to read your direct mail offer, you are 
dead in the water.

And your marketing efforts will be as effective as a screen door 
on a submarine.

Professional copywriters know this and that is why we use the 
following simple techniques to make sure people open the 
envelopes we send them.

1. Hand Address The Envelope. My friend Drew Whitman calls this 
'The Granny Factor' You see, when Granny send you a letter, odds 
are that she doesn't use a computer-generated label. No. She hand 
addresses the envelope.

I strongly suggest that you use a 'Reflex' Blu' pen and always 
use a real stamp. Make your letter look like it came from a real 
person.

NOTE: You can easily find an older person or a young teen who 
will gladly write on the envelopes for a few bucks an hour.

2. The 'Private and Confidential' Method. Just visit your local 
stationery store and get one of those stamps with 'Private and 
Confidential' on it. Use Red Ink. Stamp that in the top left hand 
side of the envelope. It works like a dream.

3. Lumpy Mail. Pop something in your mail to make it lumpy. 
People can't resist opening the envelope to find out what it is.

4. Send it in a Box. Why? Because boxes almost always get opened. 
I have seen better results using this method than just about any 
other. Yes it is a bit more expensive, but nowhere near as costly 
as having your mail thrown in the trash.

5. The Johnson Box. Use 'Teaser Copy' to 'Open a Loop' in your 
prospects minds. "Inside - - 5 Shocking Truths About..." or "Is 
This a Picture of You...?"


There are many more ways to 'Get the Envelope Opened' but these 
five should give you something to start with.

Remember - Direct Mail is all about getting the right message to 
the right people whilst a selling story is told and a buying 
decision encouraged.

But you can't do any of these if you don't get people to open 
your letter to begin with... 

Chris Bloor aka The 'Walking Idea Machine' is a
sought-after copywriter from Australia. To get his
'ZERO Theory' newsletter and learn more direct
mail tips, send a blank email to: 
mailto:zero-theory@aweber.com 
And Visit... http://www.CircleOfLifeMarketing.com