But your business may be better than one that starts with “A.” So why don’t you tell me that? Move your company name to bottom, beside your phone number, and greet me with a bold headline telling me just what’s so great about you. Invest in a few lines of copy (get rid of photo of your store if you have to – I don’t really care about it, anyway) that prove you can deliver on some great promises.

Did you know that making those changes can increase your response by 600%? Yes, really. That beats having an “A” name any day!

But unlike direct mail, you don’t ask for a response. Instead, tell recipient that you’ll be calling in about a week to talk about how you can help them. Then follow up with that phone call.

Now, instead of a mass mailing, you have a personal contact and beginnings of a relationship. This kind of letter will have double or even triple response rate of a typical mass mailing. Sure, it’s more time consuming, but that fact is what makes it work so well.

So what are you waiting for? Get personal!