I recently participated in a webinar about direct mail and ways to improve response rates. All of the advice the speaker offered was sound, but he was missing one fundamental aspect of direct mail. Your direct mail needs to get noticed to work.

In my mind there is no question that direct mail needs to stand out from the usual clutter in your mailbox. Take for example a recent Dunkin Donuts flyer I received in the mail. I was sifting through my stack of bills, insurance and credit card offers when I noticed the glossy mailer with a large picture of a cup of coffee and muffin. I grabbed it without hesitation and stuck it to the front of my refrigerator with a large fish-magnet. In fact, the next morning I was tearing out one of the coupons and graciously offered to pick my wife up one of her favorite muffins, the chocolate chip. I don’t know how she can enjoy that in the morning, but I digress. Her only response was to point out that I had hung the flyer over the picture of my daughter.

Unless your offer includes something as tasty as coffee and a muffin, you’re going to need something more. A high-impact mailer offers the opportunity to grab the recipient’s attention and engage them. How could you possibly ignore a pop-up Bookcube™ that jumps into place when an envelope is opened up, or a mesmerizing Flapper™ that can fold into itself over and over? These are the type of mailers that get pulled out of the pile. The ones that translate your message visually. Furthermore, the recipient will usually hang onto a direct mail piece if it’s different and likely to show it to someone else.

Most direct mail marketers can offer their tips for improving a piece’s response rate. Of course, there are crucial elements like your offer and the quality of the list. But there is one fundamental truth about direct mail that will never change. Your piece has to get noticed. Without that, everything else is moot.