Idea #1:	Start testing envelope packages again. The sales letter works, and it will help an envelope package pull two times better than a self-mailer should. – Richard Rosen
Idea #2:	Should you use your URL in your direct mail efforts? If your Web site is not a marketing site, you’re killing your leads and/or sales. You should only drive prospects and customers to your site if you’ve got content that sells like a direct mail package. – Craig Huey
Idea #3:	Spend time on your e-mail subject line. No capital letter, no dollar signs, no exclamation points, and don’t use the word "free." Any of these items in your subject line will get stopped by anti-spam filters. – Amy Africa
Idea #4:	Stories sell in direct mail copy. Start engaging the recipient on the outer envelope, continue the story into the letter and follow through on the order form. – Russell Kern
Idea #5:	Use fear to motivate your target audience to pay attention to your mailings. For example, tell prospects about the 15 ways they can get fired, and then promise a white paper that tells them 15 ways they can prevent termination. – Bob Hacker
Idea #6:	Understand where you are in the selling process when you create a direct mail campaign for business professionals. Don’t start with getting the sale; instead, go for initiating doubt that the prospect isn’t doing his job the way he should. – Richard Rosen
Idea #7:	The letter is critical to your campaign’s success, so it needs to have emotion. Develop an entire package around an editorial premium that covers the hottest topic in the target audience’s industry – go for a "must-have" reaction. – Craig Huey
Idea #8:	The signature file of an e-mail should contain the name, title, company name, contact information, and a tagline that explains what your company is about; don’t forget to also tell prospects what you want them to do. – Amy Africa
Idea #9:	There are seven types of headlines: historical, problem and solution, testimonial, product claim, outrageous statement, compelling question, and upfront guarantee. Match the message to the type of audience. – Russell Kern
Idea #10:	If you sell a boring product, you might have better success selling it without mentioning features, your company name, or even the product. Try selling just the problem and its solution. People only care about their problems and solutions to them. – Bob Hacker
Idea #11:	Some marketers are seeing good response to Web videos on a micro site within their main Web site. Once there, people view a short direct response television spot, and it gets them excited to register and learn more. – Richard Rosen
Idea #12:	One new way to use the magalog format, depending on its size, is to insert it into an industry magazine or distribute copies at a trade show. – Craig Huey
Idea #13:	To get your e-mail opened, make sure your "from" line contains a real live person’s name or another name your customers will immediately identify. – Amy Africa
Idea #14:	Test the strength of your offer with the following questions: Is it unique? Does it relate to the audience? Does it have high perceived value? Does the headline or description offer a simple benefit? Is it compelling enough to stop your audience? – Russell Kern

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