Direct mail is experiencing a renaissance.

But some of the secrets to boosting response have been lost.

For example, many direct mail envelope mailings today are missing a critical element that increases leads and sales.

That is the “lift note”.

And as its name implies, it’s a perfect way to “lift” your response even in an age of stagflation.

Many so-called direct mail “experts” or ad agencies don’t use it anymore but should because a direct mail envelope package needs that extra oomph to convince skeptical prospects and drive them to call, text, mail order, inquire… or go to a landing page.

For our clients, if we mail envelopes, we always create a lift note. It is essential for a winning package.

A “lift note” is typically printed on a small piece of folded paper with a specific short sales copy. It’s usually 7×10.

To be effective, it should quickly and succinctly highlight an issue that is different from the sales letter.

Tests have shown that a lift note in your direct mail envelope package could increase your response an impressive 15% to 25%… or even more!

Here are 4 tactics to use to maximize the effectiveness of a lift note:

#1: Counter an objection

Put yourself in your prospect’s shoes and imagine what the main objection could be to your offer. Then, design a lift note that counters that objection.

For example, many people believe owning more than one Visa or MasterCard may hurt their credit. One credit card offer contained a lift note that explained that it’s perfectly okay to own two Mastercards or two Visas… and more

The package with the lift note beat the package without a lift note by 17%.

#2: Address a different theme than your sales letter

Good sales letters only have one theme. If you have an additional major sales point to make, a lift note can help you.

For instance, to continue using the credit card example, say that the thrust of your letter is the card’s low interest rate. In your lift note, you could mention that your low-rate card also has the most generous rewards program available in the market.

#3: Let someone else do the talking

A lift note is a great place for a testimonial, too.

If your product or service has a fantastic testimonial, a lift note can effectively make it pop!

For our client, Fellowship for the Performing Arts (FPA) and its C.S. Lewis play, we did this for the “outside” of the folded lift note…

And for the inside…

#4: Have someone different from the main letter sign it

This is a powerful way to present an independent endorsement and builds the power of the rest of the direct mail package.

For FPA, the “inside” of the lift note was from a respected, well-known author familiar to the prospective audience…

If your envelope campaign needs a little something extra, a lift note may be the secret to boosting response rates.

For more little-known direct marketing tactics, watch this brief video.

Need help creating a powerful lift note for your direct mail campaigns?

We’re here to help. Email Michael at [email protected] or give him a call at 615-933-4647.