Hand Written or Typed Envelope

[G. Lasagne]

Just a quick simple question.

When sending letters out to potential customers or when tendering for work.
Do you hand write the envelope or print one off, obviously the letter is typed.

The way i look at it, the hand written envelope will be more likely to be opened and read, because it wont be classed as junk mail or a bill.

But then again the typed envelope will look more professional.

Any Thoughts?

[admagic]

Absolutely
It is the A pile vs B pile gary halbert argument.

But go one further too...

Test results indicate far and away the BEST combination is

Handwritten
Real stamp
(not the royal mail junk mail logo - if you must use it at all use PURPLE)

AND

Use a job lot of unusual pastel shade unusual size envelopes NOT brown or white
...eg pale blue or green

you can get these cheap on ebay.as end of run lots

Then...on the letter ATTACH something. And make the opening paragraphs say
Why you attached what it is. You can use anything from a teabag to a lottery ticket.....

It is the "dollar letter" formula

[chris nangle furniture]

I always hand wright and use a stamp I use a nice quality envelope but it it light brown I may well take up the tip and change that admagic
thanks for the tips

[fisicx]

Hand written all the time.

If you know someone who can write neatly then it indicates someone who cares (rather than a quick scribble). You could also get a stamp made up with your logo and address to thump down on the back of the envelope.

To add to the ideas from admagic, hand write the persons name and sign it by hand. Even consider a hand written slip: 'enlcosed is your invoice, hope you are warm and cosy with your new boiler. Dave'

Remember the royal mail campaign a while back, the idea that although email is quick, it's much nicer to get a letter.

[CKG]

If you're submiting a tender for public sector work it is often wise to make the envelope as neutral as possible.

Brown envelope, printed address and no personalised franking marks.

If the outside of the envelope gives away who you are (say they recognise your natty pastel shade enveloped) it could go straight in the bin without even being opened.

This is one area where direct response wisdoms don't apply.

Buy yourself a copy of "How to Write Sales Letters That Sell" By Drayton Bird. It covers letter writing and envelopes in detail.

[admagic]

If you're submiting a tender for public sector work it is often wise to make the envelope as neutral as possible.

Brown envelope, printed address and no personalised franking marks.

If the outside of the envelope gives away who you are (say they recognise your natty pastel shade enveloped) it could go straight in the bin without even being opened.

This is one area where direct response wisdoms don't apply.

Buy yourself a copy of "How to Write Sales Letters That Sell" By Drayton Bird. It covers letter writing and envelopes in detail.

Tenders all have specific rules.
MOST tenders either supply the envelope or specify it.
And you have to keep to the rules or you will be disqualified.

Re - the pastel shade envelope is about cold mailing...- and yes it does work. Clearly the contents are vital too!!

Once you have them on the list - you approach things differently with permission marketing. So your first job is to get them signed on an optin list.

Out of curiosity.....what are the views on envelope teaser copy???- I am dead set against. I have yet to see an example where it helps.

I think teaser copy says "I am direct mail spam - please bin me" - unless you hit them with exactly the right offer on the right day....a long shot.

[*Lexxy*]

oooh Mr Angel! i was only thinking about this last night! :redface:
i always do handwritten envelopes, but was thinking i must learn how to do them on the printer (21st century you say? nah, i'm alright where i am thanks :p).

interesting to read others thoughts on this...

[G. Lasagne]

Thanks everyone great advice as usual.
for what its worth i always attatch a compliment slip and business card with a paper clip to the letter.
They are more likely to keep the card than the letter.

[Subbynet]

I've personally never experienced any problems with standard white envelopes. I find it strange to even consider that a company will not open a letter, unless for example it's pretty blatantly spam. (you've won a prize type letters)

The only thing which really annoys me is scanned on signatures.

[CKG]

Out of curiosity.....what are the views on envelope teaser copy???- I am dead set against. I have yet to see an example where it helps.

If the message is relevent to your target what do you have to loose?

And if you follow that wisdom the plain envelope will only go in the bin when they find out it contains dreaded junk mail.

I had a charity mailer come to me last week. Normally they have a picture of a crying orphan on or something equally heart wrenching. I rarely open them. If I do it's only to get at the free pen.

This one had "Please accept our sincerest appologies" on the front of the envelope - or words to that effect.

It was the first envelope I opened. I fell for it hook, line and sinker.

I just had to know what they were appologising for. My curiosity was sparked.

The letter inside was a cracker too. I think the main gist was the charity were saying sorry for not explaining how they help children in enough detail and asking for another chance to explain what they do in more detail and how we can help them too.

Unfortunately the Mrs fed it to the shredder before I got a chance to have a good look over it. But it was the only charity mailer I can think of that has ever caught my attention.

And it was the envelope copy that got the letter opened and read.

[PGWake]

Just a quick simple question.

When sending letters out to potential customers or when tendering for work.
Do you hand write the envelope or print one off, obviously the letter is typed.

The way i look at it, the hand written envelope will be more likely to be opened and read, because it wont be classed as junk mail or a bill.

But then again the typed envelope will look more professional.

Any Thoughts?

To be honest I have always hand wrote the envelopes, I did try to use printed labels once but when I upgraded my computer the software didn't work.

Would agree with what you say about opening tho as I am the same and open hand written mail first

[admagic]

However....

The key to handwritten. stamp. unusual envelope is to look like individual personal mail. That is completely destroyed by teaser copy.

[GreatSEO]

Hand written and normal stamp probably best with first class in my opinion.

Regards

Dave

[diver32]

I always hand wright and use a stamp I use a nice quality envelope but it it light brown I may well take up the tip and change that admagic
thanks for the tips

The most important tip is if you are hand writing then make sure you can spell ;)

It also depends on how many you are sending out at any one time as handwriting would be quite time consuming.

If you are typing the letter why not use a window envelope.

[Cornish Steve]

We get quite a lot of mail that appears to be hand-written but is really printed. Initially, I was more willing to open them, thinking they were truly hand-written, but now I don't.

The most clever piece of junk mail I ever received was done in this way (with nothing on the envelope to indicate it was a sales letter). Inside, the most important phrase in the letter was circled, and there was a (supposedly) hand-written comment in the margin - something like "thought you'd be interested -Julian". It just so happened I had a friend called Julian, and for a few seconds I really thought it was from him. Only when I looked for carefully did I realise that this was a marketing trick - but a rather good one.

[admagic]

We get quite a lot of mail that appears to be hand-written but is really printed. Initially, I was more willing to open them, thinking they were truly hand-written, but now I don't.

The most clever piece of junk mail I ever received was done in this way (with nothing on the envelope to indicate it was a sales letter). Inside, the most important phrase in the letter was circled, and there was a (supposedly) hand-written comment in the margin - something like "thought you'd be interested -Julian". It just so happened I had a friend called Julian, and for a few seconds I really thought it was from him. Only when I looked for carefully did I realise that this was a marketing trick - but a rather good one.

Copy doodles work. No doubt about it.

Rings. Scrawl in margings - Underlines - Crosses Even coffee stains work.

A price with a "simulated" cross out and "hand written" deal price next to it

One of the most famous examples was a smiley face written by a guarantee that split tested a massive increase in conversion of a sales letter

[dal]

Oh no I've been sending out printed with my company logo on envelope, I thought it looked more professional lol lol