“Read This First”
Carlton explains the short lift-note cover letter -- dangling a free bonus golf video -- that went out with a remail of the "Skinny Genius" letter to tip fence-sitting customers and mine a responsive list until sales hit bottom.
READ THIS FIRST!
From: Dr. Mike O'Leary President, OHP Direct Thursday, 8:20am
Dear John:
You know, sometimes I can be a very good friend.
Like now, for instance. I'm going to send you a FREE GOLF VIDEO. All you have to do is read my enclosed letter, and call my office about the deal.
You may have seen this letter about the amazing Brad Peterson before - since I mailed out a few hundred of them last week to my "insider list". However... this FREE VIDEO was not part of that earlier offer. I simply decided to "sweeten" the deal with a free, extra video. Just because... well, because that's the kind of guy I am. Actually, it's just a small way to say "thank you" just for being a good customer. It's guys like you that make this business a real joy.
Here's what's up: Read through the enclosed letter -- it'll tell you everything you need to know about Brad's new "Drop and Pop" video package. And, if you decide to order this package right now (absolutely risk-free, of course) I will throw in the free bonus - Brad's famous "One-Shot Chip" video.
This free bonus video reveals a totally "fool-proof" professional chip shot technique that will have you up on the green and ready to one-putt every time. You'll never "duff" a short chip shot again for the rest of your life... and you'll be able to place the ball near the hole with a gentle ease that will have your buddies tearing their hair out. It's easy to learn, simple to execute, and will instantly become a "major gun" in your golf arsenal. This tape alone will shave 10-strokes off your game... consider it a little "thank you" from me just for checking out "Drop and Pop".
But you gotta hurry. I've only duped a handful of these bonus "One Shot Chip" videos, and it's first-come, first-served. This is a one-time-only offer, to my "insider list" of golfing pals. Read the letter now, while it's still hot in your hands, so you don't forget and miss out.
Sincerely,
[signature: Mike O'Leary]
Mike O'Leary
P.S. By the way... this free video is yours to keep no matter what you later decide about Brad Peterson's other video. So it truly IS free. Don't pass this up.
This short cover letter went out with the previous "Skinny Genius" letter after the first round of sales was completed. Since the initial mailing did so well, it was immediately mailed again. This often results in half again the number of sales you see in the first go-round. With a huge winner, you can mail several times, three weeks apart -- and even though each mailing only pulls half the one before, as long as your results are above break-even, you're making profit.
Keep mailing a list that responds.
After the "easy" sales were collected (in two or three mailings), this letter was mailed again, with another free bonus video added. Yours to keep, no matter what you later decide about returning the main product. The job of the cover letter is to introduce the new part of the deal, highlight it as free (but limited), and urge the reader to go to the main letter right away. You can add a handwritten note on the ordering page of the letter as a reminder of the new freebies in the offer.
This new bonus freebie is meant to tip those customers who were close to buying... but just needed a little extra push to get their wallets out. The easy sales are all taken during the first mailings. The people left on the list require more inducement. So do it -- the cost of adding extra items doesn't have to dramatically affect the cost of fulfilling the product... but it can boost secondary sales through the roof.
Never guess about how deep you can mail into a successful list of potential customers. Keep making your offer more attractive until sales tell you you've hit bottom.