Sharpe & Direct. The Direct Response and Email Marketing Newsletter

The easiest way to increase your direct mail response rates is to make your packages more personal. Given the choice between reading a flyer and reading a hand-written note from a friend, most people will read the personal note first. Here are some ways to make your direct mail packages more personal. (more…)

You can lose a direct mail sale quicker than you think.

So your primary goal at the start of your sales letter is to demonstrate relevance. You must prove, and quickly, that what you have to say is relevant to your reader. That’s why I recommend you write your copy as though it’s appearing on page one of a Google search results page. (more…)

Call me a dunce, but I can’t write a single line of copy until I write my opening paragraph. (more…)

One enemy you face in every sales letter is pride-resistance. God isn’t the only one who resists the proud. No one likes to listen to (or read) a braggart. (more…)

The first sentence in your sales letter needs to arrest your prospect’s attention. You can do that with a question (see Part 1), with an anecdote (see Part 2) or with a zinger. (more…)

One way to get your readers’ attention and to draw them into your letters is to start with an interesting anecdote or story. People like to read about people. (more…)

One effective way to start your letter is to ask a provocative question. By provocative, I mean challenging. Your aim is not to enrage your readers, but to provoke them to think. (more…)

The first time I was shelled by enemy artillery, I learned a vital lesson that applies to the success of your sales letters and fundraising letters. (more…)