Writing a Mailshot

4. The Letter

4.1 Make the letter as long as it needs to be to say what you need to say.

• It is a marketing maxim that long copy outpulls short, as long as it is relevant.Research and response levels both show that even the busiest people will read on, if they get a whiff of a worthwhile benefit.

4.2 Use the formats that are successful for other people's direct mail.

• Formatting devices - italics, bold, underlining, indenting and subheadings - can break up slabs of text. But beware of making your letter look messy.
• The letter should look like a letter, rather than a piece of print.
• Letters should be signed, preferably by hand - this can double responses.

4.3 Finish on a call to action.

• The letter itself, the leaflet and the order form should each end with an exhortation to act: 'To do this, do this now.'

4.4 The PS is vital.

• Restate your main point and call to action. Your PS will often be your most-read sentence.

4.5 When you have finished, proof read everything you have written.

• Spelling mistakes and glaring errors of grammar will distract from your message.