There are four simple steps in creating response from your direct mail advertisement. If you follow these steps you will increase your profits.

1. 50% of your response comes from who you mail to. An outrageous example would be a hardwood floor installer mailing his direct mail piece to apartment dwellers. I see restaurants, home improvement, and service companies complain or stop their marketing because they are mailing to residences that do not have the income or more importantly the disposable income to buy their products and or services. If you are not mailing to the right people they will not buy from you.
2. 20% of your response comes from your offer. Another outrageous example is a pizza restaurant offering a free pizza vs. another pizzeria offering a dollar off a supreme pizza; or a painter offering free pressure washing with a purchase of an outside paint job vs. another painter who is offering a hundred dollar discount. Consumers want something FREE or something of VALUE for less. Every company is in the business to generate and keep customers. If they can do this profits will follow. Think about your industry and what you can offer to get that new customer. If you have to give something away for free or at a considerable discount do it. The client will buy from you and if you deliver a good product or service they will continue to buy from you and tell their friends to buy from you.
3. 20% of your response comes from words and pictures. So many times I see a company with good products and or services that have good offers but horrible pictures and text. When mailing to consumers you do not have the ability to speak to them or to overcome their objections. You must use words and text to communicate what you are selling and why the consumer should buy from you instead of your competition. Give the consumer a reason to buy and they will if your pricing is competitive. Give them benefits and use pictures to show them your product. If you are selling a service that will help protect their family show pictures of families. If you are selling food that looks and tastes good show them your food. If you can clearly tell them why to buy they will.
4. 10% of your response comes from the overall look of the advertisement. Once you have taken the time and followed the steps above make the overall advertisement look good. Choose colors that pop, make the text easy to read and not all bunched together. Remember, you only have a few seconds to grab the consumer’s attention or the piece is going right in the trash can.

Download a good audiobook for free! LibriVox.com offers free audio recordings of hundreds of books in the public domain—all recorded by volunteers. Download as many as you like, or instead read your own favorite book for others to enjoy!

Alpharetta Recreation and Parks Department is sponsoring a very special event. Children ages 4 through 12 are invited to bring grandparents for a fun day of fishing on Saturday, September 16th from 8:00 am to 11:30am at the Brookside Office Park lake located on Old Milton Parkway just past North Point Parkway.

Prizes will be awarded for the longest fish and most fish caught. Please bring fishing gear and bait. This is event is free.

For further information please call 678-297-6140

• The Presidential Succession Law of 1947 deals with what would happen if both the president and the vice-president were simultaneously disabled. Under the law, the Speaker of the House would succeed to the Presidency.
• Two presidents have died in the White House: William Henry Harrison died there in 1841, and Zachary Taylor died there in 1850.
• Woodrow Wilson is the only president buried in Washington, D.C. He is buried at the Washington Cathedral.
• The one president who was not a U.S. citizen when he died was the 10th President, John Tyler. A native of Virginia, he died in that state on Jan. 18, 1862 as a citizen of the Southern Confederacy.