ake it easy to buy.

The "send in the card" system works with many service-oriented products - such as insurance, real estate, in-home health care, and even landscaping.

It also works with huge items like buildings, medical equipment, and perhaps even computers. But it's just fool-hardy to use it with a physical product that someone can buy when they walk into a store.

Now… anyone care to ponder the reason why they tried this method? The only valid reason I can think for not including the price in a

Today I got a promotion in the mail that was a total waste. Not only did someone spend dollars and/or time writing a 4 page sales letter, glossy 4-color brochure, and reply device - they spent more money having it all printed, getting a mailing list, and paying postage to get their message to my home.

They shouldn't have bothered. Not contacting me would have gotten the same results at zero cost.

Now, I know that I am not a typical buyer, but I also know that one of the first rules in direct marketing of any kind is to make it easy for your prospect to buy. If he sets your promotion aside to "come back to later" it probably won't happen.

That's why we copywriters work hard to create enough excitement to get that prospect to whip out a credit card or a checkbook - or to pick up the telephone or jump in the car to rush to our place of business.

This promotion was for a garden composter. Since I love gardening, they did have the right list. The letter didn't excite me. It was just - lukewarm. But… since I have seen this kind of composter in use and do want one, I went in search of the price and the order form.

Sorry - not there. Instead of an order device, I found a reply device inviting me to mail back the postcard to get more information. No price, no opportunity to buy - just an invitation to learn more. When? In two weeks? In three weeks perhaps?

Since Spring is nearly here, and since I think I'm on every gardeners' mailing list ever created, I'm sure I'll get another offer before long, and be able to purchase my composter with ease.

Meanwhile, this company just wasted a lot of money - because I'm sure I'm not alone in my reaction.

The message for you as a marketer: Make it easy.

No one is going to beat down your door and beg to be allowed to buy your products. And no one who wants something today is going to mail you a card and ask for more information. Not when they could drive to a store and buy the same thing after examining it in person.

f you want to sell merchandise by mail, you absolutely must make it easy to buy.

The "send in the card" system works with many service-oriented products - such as insurance, real estate, in-home health care, and even landscaping.

It also works with huge items like buildings, medical equipment, and perhaps even computers. But it's just fool-hardy to use it with a physical product that someone can buy when they walk into a store.

Now… anyone care to ponder the reason why they tried this method? The only valid reason I can think for not including the price in a

kind is to make it easy for your prospect to buy. If he sets your promotion aside to "come back to later" it probably won't happen.

That's why we copywriters work hard to create enough excitement to get that prospect to whip out a credit card or a checkbook - or to pick up the telephone or jump in the car to rush to our place of business.

This promotion was for a garden composter. Since I love gardening, they did have the right list. The letter didn't excite me. It was just - lukewarm. But… since I have seen this kind of composter in use and do want one, I went in search of the price and the order form.

Sorry - not there. Instead of an order device, I found a reply device inviting me to mail back the postcard to get more information. No price, no opportunity to buy - just an invitation to learn more. When? In two weeks? In three weeks perhaps?

Since Spring is nearly here, and since I think I'm on every gardeners' mailing list ever created, I'm sure I'll get another offer before long, and be able to purchase my composter with ease.

Meanwhile, this company just wasted a lot of money - because I'm sure I'm not alone in my reaction.

The message for you as a marketer: Make it easy.

No one is going to beat down your door and beg to be allowed to buy your products. And no one who wants something today is going to mail you a card and ask for more information. Not when they could drive to a store and buy the same thing after examining it in person.

f you want to sell merchandise by mail, you absolutely must make it easy to buy.

The "send in the card" system works with many service-oriented products - such as insurance, real estate, in-home health care, and even landscaping.

It also works with huge items like buildings, medical equipment, and perhaps even computers. But it's just fool-hardy to use it with a physical product that someone can buy when they walk into a store.

Now… anyone care to ponder the reason why they tried this method? The only valid reason I can think for not including the price in a

this kind of composter in use and do want one, I went in search of the price and the order form.

Sorry - not there. Instead of an order device, I found a reply device inviting me to mail back the postcard to get more information. No price, no opportunity to buy - just an invitation to learn more. When? In two weeks? In three weeks perhaps?

Since Spring is nearly here, and since I think I'm on every gardeners' mailing list ever created, I'm sure I'll get another offer before long, and be able to purchase my composter with ease.

Meanwhile, this company just wasted a lot of money - because I'm sure I'm not alone in my reaction.

The message for you as a marketer: Make it easy.

No one is going to beat down your door and beg to be allowed to buy your products. And no one who wants something today is going to mail you a card and ask for more information. Not when they could drive to a store and buy the same thing after examining it in person.

f you want to sell merchandise by mail, you absolutely must make it easy to buy.

The "send in the card" system works with many service-oriented products - such as insurance, real estate, in-home health care, and even landscaping.

It also works with huge items like buildings, medical equipment, and perhaps even computers. But it's just fool-hardy to use it with a physical product that someone can buy when they walk into a store.

Now… anyone care to ponder the reason why they tried this method? The only valid reason I can think for not including the price in a

composter with ease.

Meanwhile, this company just wasted a lot of money - because I'm sure I'm not alone in my reaction.

The message for you as a marketer: Make it easy.

No one is going to beat down your door and beg to be allowed to buy your products. And no one who wants something today is going to mail you a card and ask for more information. Not when they could drive to a store and buy the same thing after examining it in person.

f you want to sell merchandise by mail, you absolutely must make it easy to buy.

The "send in the card" system works with many service-oriented products - such as insurance, real estate, in-home health care, and even landscaping.

It also works with huge items like buildings, medical equipment, and perhaps even computers. But it's just fool-hardy to use it with a physical product that someone can buy when they walk into a store.

Now… anyone care to ponder the reason why they tried this method? The only valid reason I can think for not including the price in a

ake it easy to buy.

The "send in the card" system works with many service-oriented products - such as insurance, real estate, in-home health care, and even landscaping.

It also works with huge items like buildings, medical equipment, and perhaps even computers. But it's just fool-hardy to use it with a physical product that someone can buy when they walk into a store.

Now… anyone care to ponder the reason why they tried this method? The only valid reason I can think for not including the price in a direct mail piece such as this is: It costs too much.

Even so, a well-written sales letter could have justified the price and created that buying urge. Without even trying, I can think of 2 or 3 ways to justify buying a composter - even if it is expensive.

The second reason might be that this letter writer didn't want to bother with finishing the job. He or she didn't want to justify the price or be responsible for the results. It was easier to just say "Write and find out the rest."

Those postcards could easily be sitting in envelopes right now - with checks attached - on their way back to the company that sells composters. Instead, most of them are in that famous round file - never to resurface.