Listen you want to send out a piece of mail that you want new Business from, right.

You do everything you need to do, write it, prepare the envelope, the lot. All you need to do now is get a list, easy. No not really.

I have seen some great efforts with mail outs, real big campaigns. A Client told me they had sent out 20,000 mail outs and not had one ring them. Why?

Simple the list was wrong. So what do you do and how do you do it.

Right first of all you need to know exactly what you are selling. Daft question? No I don't think so. Ever had a bit of mail through the door, read it and never had a clue as to what they are actually selling?

Ever had a bit of mail through the door and it has been trying to sell you something you really do not want? I have and I have seen it sent by Clients. Ask them why they send it and the answers is usually the same, "this is our mailing list"

Ok back to the start... "who should you mail to?"

Lets illustrate...

You buy or rent a list first of all. Now that's the easy bit. Is the list relevant to your product? For example are the streets you have on the list full of retired people. If so there is no point sending them the brochure on Baby goods.

Are they full of young families with young kids? No point selling them your new brochure for arthritis sufferers. See the point the list is crucial to the success of any mail out.

Instead of just buying lists go to the places your targets go to. If they go to say a local fitness club ask the owner if they have a list you can rent or advertise in. That way you are getting your mail right in front of your target.

What do you think the increased chances of response would be? Good of course. Lets be honest if you sent dietary supplements to a list that used a Fitness gym the return would be higher than if you just sent it to a blind list.

I have sent mail to list that have been blind lists. Not by my choice but that is what the client has wanted. They then want to know why the return was so low or even NIL.

I have done copy for lists that have been very targeted and have had returns or response as high as 47% in one case.

Who do you mail to? Your TARGET OF COURSE. I know, its not rocket science but most mail outs are NOT target specific and that's like throwing money down the pan.