The Best-Pulling Direct Mail Package
The classic package for business mail is a letter, enclosure and a loose response form. Why? The letter serves to introduce the subject, cite the benefits generally and ask for the action. The enclosure supports the letter and gives a little more detail, further enticing the reader. The loose reply card makes it easy to respond.

What's the second-best pulling package? A letter and a loose response form. The letter is the most important element in the package...any package. And this hasn't changed even though the electronic age has made it so much easier and less expensive to generate "prettier" packages. Why? It's simply because a letter is a familiar document to all business people. They feel comfortable reading letters because they know how to read them. The second reason is because it is a personal communication, and personalization always helps response.

Skeptical? Test the theory, as did a client selling recognition jewelry and accessories to human resource directors. They matched a four-color self-mailer against a package with a cover letter and the self-mailer as an enclosure. Response for the letter-based mailing was twice that of the self-mailer for only 15 percent higher investment per package.