And sometimes those mailings cost a lot. Besides the piece itself, there's stuffing, sealing, stamping, and sending. Postage rates are high, and response can be low. Many times to reduce costs, we use the same letter for everyone. It would at least get your attention for a few more seconds.
Responses do go up dramatically if the direct-mail piece has the reader's name at the beginning.
People like it when you know their names. In those cases, there are a couple of things you might try when it's time for your next mailing. For starters, consider sending out a few letters a day that are personalized, rather than generic, to see if using your customer's or prospect's name in the letter increases the pulling power and is worth the extra time and cost. You could also consider using the same technique a friend of mine in the publishing business uses to grab readers' attention. Or it could be 20 percent, or any other figure.