One of the reasons direct mail works is the personal aspect. Its ostensibly a letter from you to your prospect. Because of this, the more personal you make it, the better your response will be.

If youre mailing to 100,000 people, putting your prospects name on your letter is about as personal you can get. But there are times when you can and should send out highly personal letters to individual prospects.

Say you sell gardening supplies, and driving to work one day you notice a home with a lovely garden, but dying roses. You find out who the owner is and send her a letter complimenting her on her wonderful garden, along with tips on rose care. Or, you meet a prospect at a business networking function. You get back to the office and send out a letter referencing your conversation and outlining what your business can do for his.

But unlike direct mail, you dont ask for a response. Instead, tell the recipient that youll be calling in about a week to talk about how you can help them. Then follow up with that phone call.

Now, instead of a mass mailing, you have a personal contact and the beginnings of a relationship. This kind of letter will have double or even triple the response rate of a typical mass mailing. Sure, its more time consuming, but that fact is what makes it work so well.

So what are you waiting for? Get personal!