Direct Mail for Beginners

(1)

Direct Mail

for Beginners

Understand…

(2)

Even though they’ve

given before...

Even though they’re

Jewish...

Thousands of messages.

Three piles.

1. Can’t ignore.

2. Can safely ignore.

(3)

Beginning

of mail

End of mail

Elapsed time:

1-3 seconds

Appeals, thanks, & newsletters work together.

You ask. You thank. You report.

(4)

The purpose?

To get inside my

home.

How does a good

guest act?

(5)

Actually...

You ask (and flatter).

You thank (and flatter).

You report (and flatter).

You cannot flatter too much.

Giving increased

75% over

(6)

“Even when people perceive

that flattery is insincere, that

flattery can still leave a

lasting and positive

impression of the flatterer.”

12

Source: Neuromarketing blog

(7)

Okay, first question...

What kind of letter

am I going to write today?

Two distinct types of letter...

1. Acquisition

(no gift yet)

(8)

1. Acquisition

(reader is a stranger)

2. Renewal

(an acquaintance)

Acquisition response rate

½

of 1%

(9)

Renewal response rate

40-70%

Acquisition letter ?s...

1. Who are you (your promise)?

2. What do you want?

3. Why should I trust you?

4. Why do you matter?

5. How do you relate to me?

6. What’s the rush?

(10)

Renewal letter ?s...

1. What did you do with my prior gift?

2. Are you grateful?

3. What do you want now?

4. Do you have proof?

5. Again: Who are you?

6. What’s the rush?

• The person’s name

• The pronouns “you” and “I”

• An audience attribute: “As a parent,

you know....”

• Geography: “As a resident of...”

• Hand-written touches

(11)

Reality check:

Most people throw

away most of their

non-personal

(12)

Is direct mail dead?

Deadly boring,

anyway.

What it sometimes takes to triple

response, from 5% to 16%

(13)

(14)

(15)

‘The Ruby mailing felt

really risky. It’s good to

feel that way a few times a

year.’

-- Kimberley MacKenzie, Ontario Nature

This sample is one of scores

available free for your study on

(16)

What it takes to raise $45,000 in

gifts in just 3 weeks ... from an

untried pool of a few thousand.

What PROBLEM are …

your donors

(17)

(18)

XYZ Organization 123 Sweeping Street Your town, CT 01234 Ms. Jane Smith 567 Main Street Your town, CT 01234 XYZ Organization 123 Sweeping Street Your town, CT 01234 Ms. Jane Smith 567 Main Street Your town, CT 01234 XYZ Organization 123 Sweeping Street Your town, CT 01234 Ms. Jane Smith 567 Main Street Your town, CT 01234 XYZ Organization 123 Sweeping Street Your town, CT 01234 Ms. Jane Smith 567 Main Street Your town, CT 01234 XYZ Organization 123 Sweeping Street Your town, CT 01234 Ms. Jane Smith 567 Main Street Your town, CT 01234 XYZ Organization 123 Sweeping Street Your town, CT 01234 Ms. Jane Smith 567 Main Street Your town, CT 01234 XYZ Organization 123 Sweeping Street Your town, CT 01234 Ms. Jane Smith 567 Main Street Your town, CT 01234 XYZ Organization 123 Sweeping Street Your town, CT 01234 Ms. Jane Smith 567 Main Street Your town, CT 01234 XYZ Organization 123 Sweeping Street Your town, CT 01234 Ms. Jane Smith 567 Main Street Your town, CT 01234 XYZ Organization 123 Sweeping Street Your town, CT 01234 Ms. Jane Smith 567 Main Street Your town, CT 01234 XYZ Organization 123 Sweeping Street Your town, CT 01234 Ms. Jane Smith 567 Main Street Your town, CT 01234 XYZ Organization 123 Sweeping Street Your town, CT 01234 Ms. Jane Smith 567 Main Street Your town, CT 01234 XYZ Organization 123 Sweeping Street Your town, CT 01234 Ms. Jane Smith 567 Main Street Your town, CT 01234 XYZ Organization 123 Sweeping Street Your town, CT 01234 Ms. Jane Smith 567 Main Street Your town, CT 01234 XYZ Organization 123 Sweeping Street Your town, CT 01234 Ms. Jane Smith 567 Main Street Your town, CT 01234 XYZ Organization 123 Sweeping Street Your town, CT 01234 Ms. Jane Smith 567 Main Street Your town, CT 01234 XYZ Organization 123 Sweeping Street Your town, CT 01234 Ms. Jane Smith 567 Main Street Your town, CT 01234 XYZ Organization 123 Sweeping Street Your town, CT 01234 Ms. Jane Smith 567 Main Street Your town, CT 01234 XYZ Organization 123 Sweeping Street Your town, CT 01234 Ms. Jane Smith 567 Main Street Your town, CT 01234 XYZ Organization 123 Sweeping Street Your town, CT 01234 Ms. Jane Smith 567 Main Street Your town, CT 01234 XYZ Organization 123 Sweeping Street Your town, CT 01234 Ms. Jane Smith 567 Main Street Your town, CT 01234

(19)

Personalization

Emotional trigger

Not coy: Asks up front

Clear rationale: i.e., why do we need your help?

“...survives...”? Emotional trigger: “Loss aversion”

Connects 2 dots: gifts & existence

(20)

Why the underlines?

The underlines get read 1st

(21)

The underlines get read 1st

(22)

• You’re not writing just a letter.

• You’re writing a package

(envelope, letter, reply device).

• Ideally, it integrates with your

website and emails.

We live in a multichannel world...

17% of

online gifts

were prompted

by direct mail (2008).

An

email reminder

can add 5% to

your campaign.

Source: Mark Phillips, Bluefrog

(23)

vision enemy

hero served

Source: Stephen Pidgeon and Tangible

vision enemy

hero served

Source: Stephen Pidgeon and Tangible

Arts for all, in

the inner-city

Not enough

philanthropy to stay

open

“You, our wonderful

donor”

(24)

Why did this letter

exceed?

The offer.

It was a great offer.

(25)

Dr. Adrian Sargeant:

Why donors stay loyal

They’re aware of

consequences

Believing “Someone might be

hurt if I don’t give.”

Your

offer

is

what the donor buys.

Literally.

(26)

The Golden Rule of marketing

The right offer

in front of the right person

at the right time...

(27)

1. The quality of your list

2. The quality of your offer

3. Clarity/simplicity

4. Repetition

Direct mail secret to success...

Know your SMIT.

(28)

Oh, and by the way...

Inertia

is the real enemy.

Tell people

exactly

what

you want them to do.

(29)

(30)

(Direct mail industry trade secret!)

Seven emotional triggers cause

people to respond to direct mail:

-- Anger

-- Exclusivity

-- Fear

-- Flattery

-- Greed

-- Guilt

-- Salvation

“The essential difference between

emotion and reason is that emotion

leads to action, while reason leads to

conclusions.”

-- neurologist, Donald B. Calne

(31)

Guilt trigger

From the office of the President Our Town Hospice 123 West Pleasant Street

Our Town, FL 12345

A few folks would like to thank you ...

see inside

.

Greed, flattery triggers

Exclusivity trigger

(32)

Curiosity builder

Exclusivity

trigger

Flattery trigger

Mal Warwick’s 5 positive triggers

• Hope

• Love

• Compassion

• Duty

(33)

• Hope

• Love

• Compassion

• Duty

• Faith

“Because

I should.”

“Social information”

is a powerful friend

(34)

67

“Why in the world would I

give you my hard-earned

money?”

Why?

(35)

69

“What’s in it for me?”

Having a “natural

constituency” answers some of

that question....

(36)

University =

Graduates

Hospital =

“Grateful” patients

Hospice =

Families of deceased

Arts museum =

“I’m an arts lover”

HS foundation =

Parents, alums

Library =

Patrons

Local causes =

The community

Children =

Adults

Faith-based =

They share your values

Natural constituencies

One kind of letter:

The “values tasting”

(37)

Direct mail secret to success...

(38)

A. Lee Edgar, M.D.

If you believe in

Hospice as much as I

do, open immediately....

A. Lee Edgar, M.D.

76

If you believe in

Hospice as much as I

do, open immediately....

Authority

figure

Mental nod

What should I

do next?

(39)

The following letter was written

by a volunteer with zero

experience. It raised $55,926 for

a small-town library.

(40)

Your “case for support”

3 big questions

1 _{Why us?}

Why is our mission so uniquely

wonderful, surprising, great?

(41)

Why us?

(42)

2 _{Why now?}

What’s the big hurry? What

changed? Why is it crucial now?

Why now?

(43)

Why now?

3 _{Why would a}

(44)

Why donor cares? “I’m needed.”

Why donor cares? “It’s mine.”

(45)

What’s the all-time

best hook?

(46)

(47)

(48)

Sore throat? My tonsils had filled with cancer.

But thanks in part to donors like you,

Sharp cancer care had the cure.

Dear Tom,

My name's Diane York.

I'm a mother, a wife, a career fashion designer ... and, thanks to the

magnificent

care I received at Sharp, I am also now a cancer survivor.

If you are, or have been, a donor to Sharp, I want to take this special

opportunity to thank you personally for your contribution to my recovery.

ETC....

Donor love

Direct mail secret to success...

(49)

Dear Jane Doe,

Welcome ... I hope.

I’m writing today to request the pleasure of your

acquaintance.

There’s a place reserved for you on The Rhode Island

Foundation’s mailing list ... but

only

if you agree and check,

“Yes, I’m interested” on the enclosed reply card.

You’ll be in good company, that I can promise.

[etc.]

(50)

(51)

101 Source: Dan Ariely, Duke U., 2010

www.aherncomm.com

How you tell your stories....

There are more than 4,000 homeless and

food-insecure people in our city. Most of them are

women and children. On the coldest nights, all the

shelters fill up, leaving many with no place to go

and no food to eat.

(52)

How America’s best tells his....

The wind howls, hurling sleet into the little girl's

face. She pulls her tattered sweater close around

her thin shoulders. "Mommy," she whimpers, "Do

we get dinner tonight?” Her mother looks down

and draws her close. "I don't think so, honey," she

says, quickly brushing away a tear from her

cheek. "Not tonight."

Author: Jeff Brooks

4% 11% 17% 22% 46%

<35

35-44

45-54

55-64

65+

Donors by age

(percentage)

(53)

Last year, I responded

to 5 direct mail

appeals for help.

Jane | Age 88 | Widowed

One international, one

national, one personal,

and

two local

...

Thought for today....

(54)

“The outer/carrier envelope:

the purpose is to get it ripped

open with as much anticipation as

possible. Nothing else.”

-- Jerry Huntsinger

Sue the bastards.

(55)

“The letter:

the purpose is to get

the reader involved long enough

and interested enough to make a

positive decision. Nothing else.”

-- Jerry Huntsinger

Logo

[ Optional important message ]

Dear Ms. Smith, If you’re like me, the sight of kids running around on stage in silly costumes makes you giggle with delight. Sincerely, Ms. Sincerity Champion, ED PS: ytuytggygkigkygkygigikgy

1st

2nd

4th

3rd

5th

(56)

Step #2: “Do I care?”

Logo

[ Optional important message ]

Dear Ms. Smith, If you’re like me, the sight of kids running around on stage in silly costumes makes you giggle with delight. Sincerely, Ms. Sincerity Champion, ED PS: ytuytggygkigkygkygigikgy