Key Takeaways:
- A “life note” is a short, personal-looking small insert in a visually folded direct mail package designed to “lift” response by creating curiosity, credibility, and emotional connection.
- In an age of skepticism and digital overload, the personal tone of a lift note cuts through the noise boosting trust and response by 25% or more.
- A lift note is authentic, reinforcing your big idea, and include a “reason why” to act now.
Direct mail is experiencing a renaissance.
While digital ad costs soar and results decline, marketers are returning to the medium that delivers trackable, accountable ROI usually outperforming email, display, and social combined.
But some of the most powerful secrets that helps make direct mail unbeatable has been forgotten by many marketers.
One of them is the “lift note.” It’s a deceptively simple folded insert that can dramatically lift response, even in today’s world of skepticism.
What Exactly Is a Lift Note?
A lift note is a short, personal message — usually written from the letter signer — included as a separate folded note within your mailing.
It looks personal. It feels confidential.
And it often starts with something like:
“I wanted to add a quick personal note…”
Its purpose? To “lift” response by building emotional engagement, trust, and curiosity.
And as its name implies, it’s the perfect way to lift your response in an age of skepticism.
Unfortunately, many so-called direct mail experts and ad agencies ignore it or misuse it.
That’s a mistake. Because a well-crafted lift note helps you differentiate your message, preempt objections, and position your offer as more credible and personal than your competitors.
Here are 4 proven lift note tactics that could boost your direct mail response by 25%.
- Make It Look Personal
The key to lift note success: make your lift note look and sound like a genuine personal note from a real person.
Use short sentences. Conversational tone. Handwritten fonts. A friendly sign-off.
When it feels authentic… as if the writer sat down and jotted a note just for the reader… it cuts through skepticism and draws the reader back into the package.
Example:
“I just wanted to personally thank you for reading this. You’re going to be glad you did.”
2. Reinforce the Big Idea
Your lift note should echo and amplify the emotional heart of your main sales letter.
If your sales letter promises transformation, the lift note should capture that excitement in fewer words with an emotional punch.
Example:
“I couldn’t keep this to myself. What you’re about to see could change the way you think about retirement forever.”
Repetition done right multiplies persuasion.
3. Add Social Proof or a Guarantee
The lift note is the ideal place to include a testimonial, guarantee, or proof point.
This builds instant credibility without bogging down the main letter.
Example:
“One client wrote me after trying our system: ‘We saw results in 30 days, incredible.’”
It’s simple, believable, and powerful.
4. Create a Separate ‘Reason Why’
A lift note can also give your reader an extra reason to respond now.
It might be exclusivity (“You’ve been specially selected”), urgency (“Bonuses end this week”), or a personal appeal (“I’d hate for you to miss out”).
A separate, personal “reason why” often delivers the final nudge that turns interest into response.
Skeptics sometimes ask: “If the main letter is strong, why bother with a lift note?”
Here’s why: the lift note breaks the monotony, resets the reader’s attention, and adds credibility at the most critical decision point.
It feels like a whisper between friends, not another sales message.
And that difference can mean a 25%+ lift in response.
The lift note remains one of the most profitable, under-used tools in direct mail.
If you haven’t tested a lift note lately — or if you’ve never tried one — now is the time.
Action:
If you’re ready to create or test a new postal direct mail package, CDMG can help.
For over 30 years, we’ve perfected direct mail — now integrating AI-enhanced targeting, data modeling, and creative innovation to deliver the highest ROI possible.
Most of our 124 marketing awards are for direct mail – usually direct mail with a multichannel campaign.
We’ll show you how to make your next mailing outperform anything you’ve done before.
Call Michael at 615-933-4647 or email him at [email protected] to start your next high-response campaign.
Learn more at CDMGinc.com.
FAQs:
Q: How long should a lift note be?
A: One 8 ½ page or less folded with a headline and copy when opened.. Short, emotional, and conversational.
Q: Should the same person sign both the letter and the lift note?
A: No. It builds credibility and reinforces the personal tone if it’s a different person.
Q: How often should I test lift notes?
A: Always. The ROI lift can be dramatic — and testing is the only way to prove it.
About Craig Huey:
Craig Huey is president of Creative Direct Marketing Group (CDMG), one of America’s leading direct response advertising agencies.
For over 40 years, Craig has helped companies generate millions in leads and sales through accountable, data-driven marketing strategies that combine classic direct response with the latest AI innovations.
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