Before I start, this is not an attempt to sell you Denny Hatch. He doesn’t need the money and he probably hasn’t got the time.
I’m sure of the first because we are having lunch and he’s taking a taxi. This means he must be rich, because nowadays London taxis are the most expensive in the world.
I’m not sure of the second, but I suspect he is far too busy for his own good
Anyhow, one of my partners tells me that besides Million Dollar Mailings, Denny’s book Method Marketing is excellent.
And just as a footnote, Denny sent me a message about yesterday’s entry, which reads:
Nobody knows how to write a letter any more. Nobody dares be emotional and let emotions hang out.
Maybe it’s not politically correct to be emotional.
But non-emotional letters do not work. The rational, analytical approach is what goes into the circular or flier.
So if people write rational, analytical letters and the letters do not work, the logical extension of that thinking is that all letters do not work.
An old direct mail rule: A mailing with a letter will always outpull a mailing without a letter.
Certainly a premise worth testing in e-commerce.
Betcha the old rule works.
I can tell anyone who’s interested that he’s right as usual. For our clients we always try emotional approaches, whatever the medium – and since we have a success rate of well over 95%, (we have about one flop a year actually) they must work.
Enough boasting – but it’s true
Many write rational, because emotional is difficult.
Different business lines and nations too are different emotional. What works for the one might not work or damage the relationship with another.
Rational is almost everywhere the same. It’s easy.
He’s right about non-emotional letters, but I still find myself fighting an uphill battle with some clients (especially Business to Business) about using emotion in freaking headlines, much less in the letters themselves.
Stodgy and dull might be easy, but it doesn’t pull. Why don’t people pay more attention to what’s worked in the past, and adapt those models to new media?
Why is it that they think they have to re-create the wheel?
The emails (and direct mail) I get that seem to be personal, one-on-one communication with an intriguing subject line that actually MEANS something to me are the ones I choose to read…subjecting prospects to anything less is a complete waste of my time, and my client’s money.
Well said.
Even in Australia, where the crowds are noticeably less enthuastic, more cynical and slightly more reserved than the typical American buyer, a little emotion goes a long way.
@ a.parcher: “..dull might be easy, but it doesn’t pull.”
That is absolutely right. They write dull and hope that it will pull. And if it does not pull, they have at least an excuse: we tried, but ..
But that is not the worst case. Some time ago, a marketer at a client of mine told me: Our response rate (very low!) is okay. We do not have the hands to handle more poeple responding.