But I couldn't figure it out why. Every time you look around there's another new site! So what's wrong with my deal? It's not as if I don't get customers, I do. But not on scale I believe that package merits.

So what do I do? Test (and if you didn't know answer to that, shame on you!).

======================================== Sidebar: Are you testing your ads, copy, mailshots? How do you know which work and which don't? How do you know which offer best rate of return? Code all your adverts and then you'll be able to see if you're wasting or investing your money. ========================================

I looked at what I've been offering, and put myself in mind of prospect. Great they might say, but it doesn't have this, or that, or how will I be able to do...?

Doing that I came up with a few possible answers. Web design was a big one, copywriting another, fear of not making it work another.

I ended up with a list of 12 'problems' which could hold a prospect off from signing up.

The next step was working out which ones I could do something about. That left me with three problems that I could solve for my prospects - and main thing - make it easier for them to do business with me.

======================================== Sidebar: Make a complete list of all your skills. Don't undervalue any. It 's easy to 'ignore' something that you do everyday that someone else might find difficult or threatening. Examine that skill list and see which could be of benefit to who. Either you'll come up with an idea for a brand new product/service, or you'll discover 'an added value extra' that you could add to an existing product/service. You could also look at potential of re-packaging several products together and make something ''new". ========================================

So which one of these three potential prospect-problem solvers to choose? In this case answer was quite simple. The quickest and cheapest to test. Why make life harder for yourself.

They showed a few clips of people checking their mail with much trepidation. One woman walked up to her front door and found mail lying on her doorstep. Instead of picking up mail and walking inside to see what she received, she used her foot to shuffle through mail and she kicked away any mail that she thought was least bit suspicious.

Being in marketing business, I couldn’t help but think that she was kicking away some valuable direct mail pieces. I felt sorry for small business owners and marketing managers that put their time and energy into creating a mailing, only to have it kicked away to decompose outside.

I also thought about all business people that saw that news story and made up their minds that they wouldn’t be using direct mail for a while.

Please don’t make that same decision! Although you should use caution in this time of national crisis, you should under no circumstances pull back in your marketing efforts.

Next week every mailbox in United States is going to receive a direct mail postcard from U.S. Postal Service. It has a message from Postmaster General and information on what to look for if you suspect a letter or package may contain a harmful biological agent.

Click here to preview message they are sending. http://www.usps.com/news/2001/press/pr01_1019postcard.htm

In view of this public service announcement, I believe there is also a need for a list of Do’s and Don’ts for direct mail advertising.

Lets start with Don’ts:

----------------- • Don’t send unsolicited mail in an envelope. Only use an envelope if you already have a relationship with recipient.

• Don’t send any mail without a legitimate return address.

Use a complete return address including company name.

• Don’t use any fonts that look hand written.