One of the best resource tools we all have is our own mailbox. Daily it brings ideas - both good and bad - that can help you develop your own direct mail program.

Watch to see what you like and want to keep, and what you react to negatively and want to throw away. What makes you want to set some aside for later? What motivates you to open others now? More importantly, what motivates you to action now? Your choices often boil down to how well specific, individual details are handled.

What attracts you about the envelope? Is it size, shape, or color?

How does the way it is addressed affect your response? Are you offended if your name is misspelled or if your title is wrong? Does the type of label used make a difference?

Does a stamp impress you more than an indicia or metering?

If no return address or company identification is
evident, does not knowing who sent you the mailer affect or diminish your likelihood of opening it? Do you react positively to the style and tone of the piece?

The list of questions can go on and on, and there is no right answer to any of them. Your own responses to the mail you receive, however, can offer some clues to your own mail-piece design.

If you put your mail side by side with what is coming across your desk, and it matches up, you are probably doing something right. So, keep checking your mailbox daily. It might just yield the clue to developing a more successful direct mail program of your own.

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