- fool the gatekeepers
This is one of the
premises behind outer envelopes
designed to fool or at least influence the
postal carriers, such as good, fake
“Express Delivery” envelope faces or
official-looking or personal-looking
faces.
the gatekeepers
In most situations, I
advocate using first-class mail if you can
possibly adjust the economics of your
business to allow for it.
Envelopes
actually addressed by hand often
outperform all others in controlled split-
tests.
A plain white envelope with no
business name, only an address with no
name or a person’s name as the return
address; no teaser copy; individual or
ink-jet addressing; and a live stamp —
all this makes your mailing look like a
letter, not advertising or junk mail
Intimidating Imprints
“Audited Delivery … Verified
Delivery … The Information You
Requested Is Enclosed … Important
Documents Enclosed ….” Imprints or
affixed gold seals with this kind of
wording seem to work well.
2 OUT of 3
consumers say
they prefer
print catalogs
to online catalogs.
I have had
and have a number of clients who mail
extensively to chiropractors, dentists,
cosmetic surgeons, and medical doctors,
and, over the years, I’ve tried every kind
of envelope look you can imagine. By
far, the mailings that pull best are sent in
“plain Jane” envelopes without a
company name on them, but, instead, a
doctor’s name and return address. Staff
do not screen these envelopes. The
doctor opens them. The response to
these mailings versus the same letters
sent in different, more “honest”
envelopes is sometimes as much as 300
percent higher!— and note the personalization. Each
recipient’s name appears on the license
plate of the car!
PHOTO ENCLOSED: DO NOT
BEND
YOUR TICKETS ENCLOSED:
PLEASE OPEN IMMEDIATELY
REFUND ENCLOSEDOr: Rebate Enclosed.
