6. Some Golden Rules for DM Copywriters

• Make it really easy for customers to get in touch and make sure they see the telephone number, email address or whatever by displaying them in bigger type and in a prominent position within the layout.
• When given the choice, respondents will usually prefer to use the telephone – but some, such as older consumers, prefer coupons.
• If you ask questions, frame them so they can be answered with a ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘don’t know’ response, so respondents merely have to tick a box.
• Any device which makes it easier and faster to complete a form or coupon will also increase the response.
• Always put coupons on the outside edge of a letter, preferably with perforations, so they can be detached easily.
• Never ask too many questions because it is easy to put people off before they even start.
• Always ask the most important questions first, just in case the recipient runs out of steam halfway through the coupon or questionnaire.
• Customers can be extremely lazy or inattentive, so make it really easy for them to understand what you are offering and how they can take advantage of it.
• Clients can sometimes miss a trick or two, as well. When you take a brief, make sure you understand exactly how they expect to deliver the mailer, handle responses, deal with problems and so on. For example, do they want to include a response coupon within the copy? And, if so, where?
• Has the client remembered to tell you about any small print that needs to be included? Is there any information that is legally required? Has the client fulfilled their obligations under the Data Protection Act by giving customers the opportunity to opt out of being contacted by the company, or other companies, in the future? Offers and competitions usually have conditions that you will need to include in your word count. Mailers for certain types of professional services, such as financial investments, need to carry a legend relating to their eligibility to offer advice, and so on.
• If you can, talk to the fulfilment company that will be on the receiving end of any replies. A large part of the value of DM comes from ‘data capture’ – gathering information from respondents – and the way you word questions can make a big difference to how easy and costly this is.