Direct Mail is a whole different ball game from writing other kinds of copy. For one thing, it is the most directly measurable form of advertising. There are no theories to hide behind, and no justifications for not producing results. The response percentage of each mailer can (and is) measured down to the second decimal place.

Your problem is compounded by the fact that there is nothing to anchor the reader's attention to the mailer except the direct mailer itself. No TV shows, no magazine articles, not even pictures of beautiful women (not usually anyway). The little mailer that reaches your audience has to perform the triple-task of catching their attention, getting them to read through, and taking action - no mean feat for a humble piece of paper.

But don't give up the thought of writing DM yet. There are those who have mastered the art to the level of a science. First among them is probably Gary Bencivenga. He's now semi-retired and does limited work for a select clientele, but clients regularly paid him 50,000 US Dollars for a single DM campaign in his heyday.

How did he justify such a huge sum for writing a few hundred words? Obviously, because his clients made far more money from his copywriting skills than what he charged them for his services. How did he produce such stellar results? Read on to find out, because this article is loosely based on his thoughts and revelations on copywriting.

Lesson 1 - STRATEGIZING
Do you know exactly what you want to achieve through your copy? Can you describe it in 7 words or less? If not, go back to the drawing board and be brutal with yourself, for deep research is the launch-pad of copywriting breakthroughs.

Ask yourself what you're really selling. Are you selling a European holiday or are you selling 'memorable times with the family'. Are you selling a light bulb or are you selling illumination? Nail that one first, then turn your attention to WHO you are selling to.

Lesson 2 - THE LIST
If you get your list (the mailing list) wrong, all your copywriting efforts are worth zilch, zero, nada. Spend at least as much time and attention fine-tuning your list as you do with your copy. If your copy is the rocket booster of your DM campaign, the list is unquestionably the guidance chip.

Get your list right and watch your response rate soar. Target those who have a clear need for your product and it'll be as easy as selling ice-cubes in the middle of the desert. Pay keen attention to every detail - gender, age group, language, education, profession, known preferences, geographical location, where the data was collected - analyze every bit of information you can get your hands on.

Intercept your prospects where they're looking for someone like you. If you're running a promotion on fine clothing, send your mailer to Muslims a week before Eid, just when they're shopping for the upcoming celebrations. Christians are most likely to redeem offers just before Christmas, and Hindus just before Diwali.

Use your common sense, it's not rocket science. But it is a science.

Lesson 3 - THE HEADLINE
Do you know what the two most powerful words in copywriting are? Could they be NEW and FREE? Or is it HALF PRICE? Whatever power these words might once have had, repeated abuse by everyone from stock peddlers to retailers has reduced them to marketing drivel. Any mailer with these words on it just begs to be thrown away. Ask yourself, when was the last time you read through one of those?

Bencivenga says the two most powerful words in advertising today are "Yeah, Sure". With these two words, your audience can send your mailer, along with your copy, to the waste basket.

Lose 20 pounds in 10 days - "Yeah, Sure", Chuck it into the bin

Make a million dollars without working - "Yeah, Sure", Chuck it into the bin

Wear this perfume and seduce women - "Yeah, Sure". Chuck it into the bin

Without belief, nobody buys. Make the claim in your headline believable, and the only way to do that is to provide the proof right there in the headline, because consumers are not idiots who take everything you tell them at face value. In fact, people are constantly sceptical of marketers. They see right through the gimmicks and patronizing claims of advertisers.

Don't just say SALE . If you're clearing stocks, say 'CLEARANCE SALE: WAREHOUSE CLOSING'. Don't say "My toothpaste is the best in the world". Instead, say "My toothpaste cleans stains better because it has 5% clove oil". You get the idea. Make your claim specific, and make it believable.

Another great tactic is to use the "If... Then" structure in your headline to bypass the "Yeah, sure" response. Demand a reasonably easy requirement, followed by a strong promise. Back it up with proof in your body copy.

"If you can commit 1 hour a day, we can show you how to build a successful MLM business" works far better than "Make a million dollars through MLM".

Fiercely resist all temptation to be clever, cute or amusing, all of which put the spotlight on your creativity and away from the product. You don't want the reader to say "Wow, what a great ad!" You want your reader to say "Wow, what a great product!"

We've spent quite a bit of time on the headline, and that's for a reason. It's because the headline is the single most important line in your copy. If you can't get your reader to WANT to read further after glimpsing the headline, the rest of your copy doesn't matter. And if you can, half your job is already done. Which is why you must get your headline bang on target. Spend as much time as you have to, but get your headline right.

Lesson 4 - THE BODY COPY
If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack." - Winston Churchill

The only kind of successful copywriting is REASON WHY copywriting.

Yelling is not selling. If there is one thing you learn out of this article, learn to never make your claim bigger than your proof. Whatever benefits you assert, surround them with logical proof beginning right in the headline as far as possible. This is the single most potent thing you can do to generate a sky-high response time after time.

In doing so however, you must ensure not to isolate your reasons from each other. If you just list several reasons that bear no relation to each other, it might give the impression that you've put down multiple justifications in the hope that one of them will bait your reader. Which is why it is vital that you plan your copy well and base it around ONE central idea. And that is the reason you must get your strategy right in the planning stage.

Lesson 5 - TO SELL, OR NOT TO SELL
The purpose of copy is to sell, but any apparent effort to sell creates corresponding resistance from the reader. You will most likely draw the "oh no, not another sales pitch" response even before your audience has looked at your headline. It's your job to that the mailer turns this response around on its head.

The simplest, most effective way of doing this is to provide something of value to your audience free of cost and without obligations. Are you writing to parents of newborn babies? Offer them a free guide to "Baby care in the first 3 months". If you're writing to real-estate investors, promise them a "Free 21 page report on Real Estate trends in the Middle East ."

If you're selling a product, free samples work brilliantly. They immediately introduce your product to the audience, and research has shown over and over that people are far more likely to re-use a product they have used than to try something completely new.

You might have to do some research to come up with a valuable offer, or you might have to convince your client to spend money on samples but if executed correctly, it's well worth the effort and the money.

Lesson 6 - TRACKING THE RESULTS
Track obsessively.

Track everything. Track which category of readers generated the highest response. Track the number of enquiries that came in, the variation in sales, the effect on average transaction value, where the sales are coming from, what is the redemption rate for free samples, everything.

The cumbersome business of tracking all these variables has been reduced to a click of a mouse, thanks to modern computer systems. All you need is some straightforward data-entry, and the computer will effortlessly tell you any statistic or combination of statistics you want.

Exploit this technology to the fullest and learn all you can. Look for patterns that tell you what worked in your copy and what did not. If you got a lot of enquiries but not too many sales, your mailer is getting people's attention, but is not compelling enough to close the sale. If you're getting enquiries from the wrong demographic or people, it's time to go back to the drawing board.

Make changes, tweak your copy where you think it necessary and track it again the next time you send out the mailer.

Lesson 7 - THE PRODUCT  
"The magic is in the product, not in the copywriter's pen." - Bill Bernbach

Pick the right products to write for. Pick products you believe in. For one thing, your reputation as a DM copywriter depends on the response you are able to generate with your copy. If, figuratively speaking, you are trying to sell ice cubes to Eskimos, your copy is never going to generate a respectable response. Besides, you are likely to produce far more compelling copy if you actually believe what you are writing.

If you're just starting out, this can be tough to do. You might not have the luxury of refusing a project because you don't think the product is any good. But weigh your choices carefully. Writing great copy for one winning product is all it takes to generate a stellar response and seal your reputation as a solid DM copywriter. Writing for too many mediocre products will eventually catch up with you.

PARTING THOUGHTS
Are you sure you are looking through the eyes of your consumers? Are you absolutely sure you're addressing their real needs and wants? Are you sure you are addressing their brains AND their hearts? Keep asking yourself these questions as you write your DM copy. Keep checking and course correcting as often as required, and you should be able to produce some compelling copy.

Now that you know how it's done, all that remains is to do it. Look out for opportunities all the time. If you think direct marketing is what you want to do, you might want to apply to one of scores of specialist companies in the business. If you're more inclined to crack it on your own, you could approach potential clients and tell them how you can increase their sales.

Either way, don't expect to have McDonald's or Microsoft as your first clients. Go after smaller businesses - businesses that are traditionally ignored by the larger agencies. They are far more likely to be receptive to your pitch, and any marketing advice you can give them.

Why not test your copywriting skills by putting together a DM campaign for yourself. Shortlist businesses in your city that might be interested in your services, write your mailer and dispatch it in batches to your list. If you're good, you will manage to get clients, and you'll also build confidence along the way.

The important thing is to keep at it, for good copywriting, like other arts, comes only with practice.