Half the battle

The other day, I got a letter in the mail that kinda-sorta looked personal. The reason it kinda-sorta looked personal was because, rather than using a printed return address on the enveloped, they used a sticker with a real person’s name on it.

Now, because I don’t know this particular Colleen T, I really knew it wasn’t a personal letter, and that it was no doubt someone looking for $$$.

In fact, Colleen T was looking for a donation. Sorry, Colleen T, I like your cause, but not this year. Still, that simple touch of putting a sticker with the name of a real person on it got me to open up the envelope which, frankly, if it had only had the noble cause’s name as the return address, I wouldn’t have. Would I have opened it if it had had both Colleen T’s name and that of the noble cause’s? Maybe, maybe not - although I would certainly have been more apt to open it if I thought there was a real person sending it - and not some fake “Betty Crocker” type.

Same goes for e-mails. I am much more apt to at least open it if there’s a real name on it. But not if it’s just someone’s first name. (Carl? Who’s Carl? I don’t know any Carls.) And not if it’s Mr. or Ms. Big’s name, either. (Do I really think that Joe Biden is sending me a personal e-mail?)

So, if the first rule of any marketing communication is getting someone to open it, personalizing that communication may just count for something.

Another way to get me to open the envelope or the e-mail is to have a good message on the envelope, or subject line in the e-mail - but that’s a conversation for another day.

Of course, getting someone to open it up is just half the battle. The other half is equal parts of getting them to read it and getting them to act on it. Also a conversation - or two - for another day.

Anyway, personal got me to open the letter from Colleen T.

It’s worth thinking about what might do the trick for your prospects.

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