I agree with this statement: "Each and every element in a direct mail package, space ad, on your WWW site - anywhere - is equally important."

Yet, often the response device of a direct marketing campaign appears to have resulted from left over thinking.

Since the bottom line is response - here are 13 Platinum "To Do's" To Get More Response from your next DM effort. From your direct mail BRCard, application form, faxback sheet, coupon in mail or a newspaper or magazine, off your web site. No matter the media, no matter the device - 13 things "to do".

Always, the basics: spend more time up front making certain your message is aimed at the right audience.

That's what DIRFT says ... Do It Right the First Time.

To be as successful as you can be, sending your message to the right audience is NOT an option - it is mandatory. For even a poorly constructed collection of words, with a horrid design and a weak offer has a chance of working when the right people see it, receive it.

The opposite is true when your news hits the wrong target. A great piece of copy, superbly designed, beautifully produced and directed to the wrong people is absolutely guaranteed to fail. It's not even debatable.

Start with the back-end first. Think "how am I going to get my audience to reply?" That process alone will get you to focus on the right audience.

And be clear about it, too!

If you want me to come to your store or your exhibit space, tell me. If you want me to phone your toll-free number to register for a survey, to answer a survey, to learn about your special offer, tell me.

If you need me to complete the faxback sheet and send it to you before the next step, tell me why and tell me to do it. If you need me to complete the app and return it before I earn your premium, tell me.

If you need me to fill out the coupon and mail it in, tell me. If you need money - tell me. If I can pay by check, credit card, money order, or if you'll accept a purchase order, tell me.

That is, tell your audience exactly what you need them to do. If your message is unclear you will receive fewer responses. And some you do receive will be unqualified to do business with you.

Tell me what to do and I'm likely to do it.

The easier it is for your audience to do business with you the more likely they are to do business with you.

The opposite is true, too. If you are difficult, fewer of your prospects will work through your maze.

Yes, sometimes you want some upfront qualifying. You really do not want tons of responses. Maybe your product is new. Maybe it is a new marketplace for you. Maybe you have new people. Maybe, maybe, maybe. And you really want only a qualified few.

Fine ... when this is the case, make it easy ONLY for those you wish to reach. More difficult for others. Require the many to do something you will not require the few to do. Maybe your sort is by size, location, volume - anything. Some get qualified "out". Others very much "IN"!

Remember, the fewer steps your audience must take the more likely you are to receive a response to your offer.

Part of making it easy is offering multiple ways to reach you. In business-to-business today it is mandatory to have at least 4 options:

• phone, which can be a toll-free number, but does not have to be,
• fax, today most often with a pre-printed and personalized form,
• mail, yes, slower, and frequently less threatening and easier for your market,
• E-mail, no longer an option - your B-2-B market expects you to be able to handle an E response.

And for some, 2 more ways . . .

• WWW, a web site, and
• walk-in, yes, front-door traffic.

For some consumer products and services the same collection applies. And for others, more! Take, for instance, the financial marketplace. How many ways can you bank? Let's count:

... walk-in ... ATM ... drive-through ... night drop ... phone

... fax ... E-mail ... Web site ... "snail-mail" ...

and at a competitors location or ATM.

Are there others to this list of 10? I'd not be surprised

Make it easy for your prospects to become customers. Give them many ways to do business with you.

Your offer is a prime reason many of your prospects will become your customers.

An offer allows those "undecided" to consider you. It gives them a reason (vs. excuse) to say: "Okay, let's look at what these guys can do for us."

An offer also gives those who do know you a solid reason to stick with you. And not fly to the competition.

Offers are over and above your collection of benefits. Frequently it is NOT the reason someone buys. It IS the reason they STOP ... pause ... think ... and consider you. It is an "extra". It is over and above your benefit package.

Offers can be almost anything. More for less. Less for less. An "extra" when you make a commitment. They can be tied to a visit or other action by the prospect. A premium for taking a demo.

An offer is mandatory in direct marketing ... if you are to enjoy maximum success. Always make an offer.

More than ever, limited time offers make sense.

Why? Because people feel they are busier than ever before. "Change" has always been a tough sell - more so today. Because there is less time to consider something new, different, unusual.

Combine this thinking with the fact there are more choices than ever before - many times the prospect will say: "I'm happy where I am."

Yet, putting a drop dead date on an offer frequently will move that hesitant person to action. If there is only a short time to take advantage of a special opportunity - often you will enjoy more response. People will do something vs. doing nothing. Rather than wait until they feel good, are more comfortable ... whatever "excuse" they were thinking ... they move.

Try a Limited Time Offer. It may increase your response, too.

We live in a color and graphic world. I've a couple of granddaughters who do not know black and white ever existed.

This "fact" is neither good nor bad. It IS a fact. And we in direct marketing need to be alert that copy works better when the graphics are good.

Another fact is people buy benefits - not features. So, show the "benefits" of your product. Even if you have a service, "demonstrate" with illustrations the benefits to the buyer. What they will get when they do business with you.

Yet, a warning: great graphics that do not support the message are not great graphics. You still need to look like who you are. Like your product and service. If you're selling a Rolls Royce - look rich. If your product is The Salvation Army - look poor.

Even the least of us is fascinated with things that move, open, close, pop-up, wiggle, sing, light-up, turn-on, ring, chime, fit together, come apart, tear, stick, peel, smell, taste.

We like "things" that DO something.

One of the best ways to get attention is to have an action response device. Where your prospect gets "involved". Where they must do something to get to the next step.

As simple as moving your logo sticker to a "Yes" box on the reply card. Or putting together a puzzle that tells a story. Or peeling back an emblem, and then scratching it for an aroma. Tearing along the perforated dotted line - keeping one part, mailing the other part. Even the action of putting a card in box gets your prospect involved.

As you develop your offer for your audience, think your creative and your media - think "how can I get the max amount of action?!"

English is the largest language in the world. 625,000+ words, give or take a few thousand.

Spanish is next - 475,000. In comparison French has less than 100,000 words.

Yet, even with "just 100,000", we have tremendous choice of language.

Back to English: the 500 most common words have 13,000 meanings!

What this says is you have many options on what words to use. And ... you do NOT need to use them all!

Even though you may be learned in the topic, that does not mean you need to throw your PhD around. When your audience has a PhD, that does not mean they know anything about your product, your service.

The best writing for marketing and sales is the language you use in everyday conversation. The face-to-face communication you have. As easy as reading the newspaper, listening to the late night television news.

Final point: write so junior high school 13-14 year kids can read the words. And pretty much get the message. If you're over the head of the kids on your block, you will be beyond understanding of most of your marketplace.

Write to be understood. Marketing is communication - communicate for understanding.

Having a guarantee is not an option. Your market expects it.

Over time products have "automatically" been guaranteed. Retailers were leaders. People like Sears made promises to their customers that they could always return a product. For any reason.

Mail-order giants like L.L. Bean have always offered wonderful guarantees. The best in the business is from Land's End:

No matter your product or service, no matter the industry you are in, today customers expect you to offer a guarantee. So, do it!

And make a big deal out of your guarantee. Put it in writing, inside a gingerbread stock certificate looking border. Make certain it is everywhere. On your literature. With your product shipments. In plain view at your store. On your WWW site. And everything you print.

Separately, yet equally important, your customer expects you to satisfy their needs. This has nothing to do with your product or service ... this has everything to do with customer loyalty.

"Your product works. It does everything you say. It was delivered on time. Service has been excellent. Yet, I am unhappy - I made a buying decision I'd like to change. I want to give you the product back ... I want you to give me my money back."

What do you do when you hear this? Sure, it depends. Yet, you know what the customer expects. And you need to be prepared to not only offer a guarantee - you need to offer a Customer Satisfaction Guarantee.

Some marketers take pages and pages and pages to share their story. And give the prospect a tiny, tiny space to complete the response card, faxback, application.

Do what it takes to make 100% certain your response card or form has plenty of space for reading ... and writing. This is a good time to think "white space".

If necessary, use a larger sheet of paper. Yes, jumbo costs more. What costs even more is NOT receiving a reply simply because your response card was jammed, crammed, stuffed and unreadable.

Use 11 or 12 point type - even larger. Make your reply device a minimum of 2 colors. Use graphics to make it interesting. AND give your reader room to write.

Once your message is in the hands and eyes of the consumer, you are at their mercy.

You don't know if they'll read it now, keep it to read later, route it to someone else, or toss it. We all know what happens to many missiles we send to our prospects and customers:

... they do get looked at

... they do get opened

... they get looked at - again

... they get set aside for "reading" later.

Which is exactly why you must be certain your full message and full identification is on your application, faxback, response card, coupon - everything in your direct mail. Plus, complete in print and through-out your web site.

This means your offer and anything you know is important about it. e.g., it is a Limited Time Offer.

This also means your full logo, name, address, phone, fax, E-mail, WWW site need to be prominent. Easy to find, easy to read, easy to use.

Make it easy for your prospect to become your customer. Let them find you.

AFTO equals Ask For The Order. Really, a sales axiom.

Which is as applicable in marketing. It simply means communicate with your audience you do want to do business with them. We've learned people like to do business with people who want to do business with them. So, tell them so.

And do it several times. Rarely is once enough. The word "Yes", used several times on your printed response card or faxback, on your WWW site, allows your reader options. They have a number of ways to tell you "Yes".

Reach out to your audience and ask for their business. And do it again and again. AFTO works for sales reps ... it works in marketing, too.

Well, that's it. 13 Platinum "To Do's" To Get More Response

Use them all and enjoy a higher level of response, sales and profits.