1. Do’s & Don’ts of Successful
Direct Mail Copywriting
(& other related tips)

2. CALL: 913.341.1211
EMAIL: Pat@PatFriesen.com
VISIT: PatFriesen.com/articles

3. Direct mail is NOT dead …
but those who know how to
write for it are
quickly disappearing.

4. Appropriate

5. 40-40-20 Rule for Success or Failure

6. Understand what motivates
your audience to take action.

7. Ed Mayer’s Checklist of
Human Motivators
• Make money • Satisfy appetite
• Save money • Protect reputation
• Save time • Purchase wisely
• Avoid effort • Have beautiful possessions
• Be comfortable • Attract the opposite sex
• Be healthy • Be individual
• Be popular • Enjoy life
• Be in style • Be clean
• Avoid criticism • Be appreciated
• Conserve possessions • Protect family
• Avoid pain • Emulate others you admire
• Satisfy curiosity • Take advantage of opportunities
• Avoid trouble

8. Ed Mayer’s Checklist of
Human Motivators
• Make money • Satisfy appetite
• Save money • Protect reputation
• Save time • Purchase wisely
• Avoid effort • Have beautiful possessions
• Be comfortable • Attract the opposite sex
• Be healthy • Be individual
• Be popular • Enjoy life
• Be in style • Be clean
• Avoid criticism • Be appreciated
• Conserve possessions • Protect family
• Avoid pain • Emulate others you admire
• Satisfy curiosity • Take advantage of opportunities
• Avoid trouble

9. When an attorney, compliance
person, or approving manager
says, “You can’t say that,”
your response should be …

10. “So, what CAN I say?”

11. The power of using the right
direct mail format
to reach your audience with
your message & offer

12. Solo
Self-mailer
Catalog
Multi-mailer
Postcard
Gram/Overnight
Over-sized/odd-sized
Tubes
The Unusual

13. Focus on BENEFITS, not
features. Your reader wants to
know,
“What’s in it for me?”
(WIIFM?)

14. Be Specific
• Save money
• Save hundreds of dollars
• Save an average of $478.22 annually
• Save money to put your child through college

15. The 3:33 Rule

16. Write for scanners vs. readers

17. Hot Spots

18. Keep
words,
sentences &
paragraphs
short

20. Start headlines, sentences,
bullets & calls-to-action
with active verbs

21. Discover
Learn
Visit
Read
Save
Mail
Call
Protect
Buy

22. FREE is one of the two
most powerful words in the
English language.

23. Free quote
Free look
Free guide
Free cost comparison
Free _________

24. The other is …

25. YOU

26. Google the “WeWe Calculator”
It’s FREE. And it measures
the customer-focus of your
copy and content.

27. Tell people how to respond.
Don’t assume they know WHAT
you want them to do & HOW &
WHY to do it.

28. Never end the first page of
a multi-page letter
with end punctuation.

29. Repetition works.
Find multiple ways to
say the same thing
and say it more than once…

30. rates are affordable
just $10.77/month
less than 36¢/day
less than a first-class stamp

31. Use QR codes & shortened URLs
to connect direct mail readers
with digital content

33. Having trouble writing
your letter opener?
Look for it buried in
about the 3rd paragraph

34. Use testimonials to diffuse
buying objections

36. Don’t write in a vacuum.
The sooner you team up with
your direct mail designer,
the better the end result.

37. Make mailing components
work together to encourage
engagement & response…
starting with the outer envelope

38. Look for creative ways to
transform intangibles into
something more tangible.

40. Use charts, graphs & images to
support key copy points

42. P. S.

43. Test. Test. TEST!

44. Thank YOU
for your attention, your interest,
and your questions!
Pat@PatFriesen.com
913.341.1211