peterbamuhigire/direct-mail-writer

Direct Mail Writer

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Use when

• Write complete direct mail letters, postcard campaigns, and email campaigns for clients — covering offer design, list strategy, copy structure, and testing methodology. Use when a client wants to reach a known or purchased audience with a targeted, measurable written offer via post or email.
• Use this skill when it is the closest match to the requested deliverable or workflow.

Do not use when

• Do not use this skill for graphic design, video production, software development, or legal advice beyond the repository's stated scope.
• Do not use it when another skill in this repository is clearly more specific to the requested deliverable.

Workflow

1. Collect the required inputs or source material before drafting, unless this skill explicitly generates the intake itself.
2. Follow the section order and decision rules in this SKILL.md; do not skip mandatory steps or required fields.
3. Read files in references/ only when the body points to them or when you need the deeper framework, examples, or evidence.
4. Review the draft against the quality criteria, then deliver the final output in markdown unless the skill specifies another format.

Anti-Patterns

• Do not invent client facts, performance data, budgets, or approvals that were not provided or clearly inferred from evidence.
• Do not skip required inputs, mandatory sections, or quality checks just to make the output shorter.
• Do not drift into out-of-scope work such as code implementation, design production, or unsupported legal conclusions.

Outputs

• The requested copy asset or idea set in markdown, written to publish, review, or adapt without major rework.

References

• Read references/galletti-27-points.md when you need the deeper framework, examples, or supporting material it contains.

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Required Input

Before generating any deliverable, ask for:

• Client business name
• Industry / sector
• Country or city (default: Uganda / East Africa)
• The specific offer being made (product, service, free consultation, etc.)
• The target audience (existing customers, prospects, a specific segment)
• The desired response action (phone call, website visit, WhatsApp message, in-store visit)
• Budget context (affects format recommendations)

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Part 1 — The Four Prerequisites

Before writing a word of copy, confirm all four conditions are met: (Adapted from Edwards, Edwards and Douglas, 1991)

| # | Prerequisite | What to Verify | |---|---|---| | 1 | The right list | Is the audience targeted, current, and relevant? A mediocre piece to a great list outperforms a great piece to a poor list. | | 2 | The right offer | Is the offer clear, compelling, and risk-reducing? A weak offer cannot be rescued by strong copy. | | 3 | The right copy | Is the message benefit-led, action-oriented, and reader-focused? | | 4 | The right timing | Does the mailing align with seasonal need, budget cycles, or purchasing windows? |

If any prerequisite is absent, resolve it before proceeding to copy.

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Part 2 — The Two-List Pre-Writing Process

Before writing, build two lists:

List 1 — Features Every factual attribute of the product or service.

List 2 — Benefits For each feature, ask: "What does this mean to the specific reader receiving this letter?"

Write the letter from List 2 only. Use List 1 as supporting evidence, never as the lead.

"Features instruct. Benefits sell." — Hahn (2003)

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Part 3 — The Three Tells

Every direct mail letter must address three questions — in the first paragraph AND again in the P.S.:

1. What are you offering?
2. Why should they want it?
3. How do they get it? (the response mechanism)

If any of the three is absent, the letter is incomplete.

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Part 4 — Letter Structure

[HEADLINE or opening hook — strongest benefit or most important fact]

[Opening paragraph: State the problem the reader has. Paint it vividly.
Then pivot: "There is a solution."]

[Second paragraph: Introduce the offer. State it clearly. Lead with the outcome,
not the features. Use specifics — not "great results" but "34% more enquiries
in the first month."]

[Third paragraph: Build credibility. Testimonial, case study, statistic,
or credential. One proof point is enough here; more can follow.]

[Fourth paragraph: Address the most likely objection. Do not wait for the reader
to think it — raise it and answer it.]

[Fifth paragraph: The offer in full. State exactly what they receive, what they
pay (or don't pay), and any time limitation or bonus.]

[Closing paragraph: The call to action. Exact next step. Make it frictionless.
State the deadline if applicable.]

[Signature — handwritten name, full title]

[P.S. — Restate the single strongest benefit and the call to action.
The P.S. is the second-most-read element after the headline. Never waste it.]

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Part 5 — The 27 Copywriting Points

See references/galletti-27-points.md for the full Galletti checklist. Apply before finalising any copy.

The five most critical points:

1. Move the best, most powerful thing you can say to the very beginning
2. Write to one specific person — not "our valued customers"
3. Use "you" and "your" far more than "I," "we," or "our"
4. Make the offer risk-free — a guarantee, a trial, or a free first step
5. Test the headline before anything else — if the headline fails, nothing else matters

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Part 6 — List Strategy and the FRAT Formula

When advising on mailing lists, apply the FRAT formula to prioritise who to contact first: (Adapted from Hahn, 2003)

| Letter | Factor | Question | |---|---|---| | F | Frequency | How often has this contact bought or enquired? | | R | Recency | How recently did they buy or enquire? | | A | Amount | What is their average transaction value? | | T | Type | What type of products or services do they purchase? |

Score each contact on all four criteria. Mail the highest-FRAT contacts first, most often, and with the most premium formats.

For rented or purchased lists:

• Require recency of contact within 90 days
• Match list demographics to the offer's target buyer
• Test with a small cell (minimum 500 pieces) before rolling out

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Part 7 — Budget Viability — The $20 Rule

(Hahn, 2003)

Before committing to a mailing programme:

For every UGX 20,000 (or USD $20) of projected revenue per transaction, the client can reasonably invest up to UGX 1,000 (or USD $1) per piece in mailing costs.

If projected revenue per transaction is UGX 100,000 → affordable cost per piece = UGX 5,000. If projected revenue per transaction is UGX 500,000 → affordable cost per piece = UGX 25,000.

Use this to guide format decisions: a UGX 5,000 budget points to a postcard or simple letter; UGX 25,000 allows for a folded brochure insert.

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Part 8 — Format Options

| Format | Best For | Cost Tier | |---|---|---| | Single A4 letter | Professional services, B2B offers, relationship selling | Low | | Postcard (A5) | Event invitations, short offers, reminders | Low | | Letter + insert | Product launches, complex offers with supporting evidence | Medium | | Self-mailer (folded brochure) | Retail promotions, multiple products | Medium | | Email (cold or warm list) | Digital-first audiences; fastest test vehicle | Very low | | WhatsApp broadcast | Known contacts only; EA primary channel | Very low |

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Part 9 — Testing Methodology

• Test one variable at a time only — headline vs headline, offer vs offer, list A vs list B
• Minimum test size: 500 pieces per cell for digital; 2,000+ for print
• Code every response mechanism: different phone number, URL parameter, promo code, or reply address per test cell
• Track: response rate, cost per response, conversion rate, revenue per piece mailed
• Never roll out without a test — even a 50-piece email test beats no data

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Quality Criteria

Good output from this skill:

1. Copy leads with the strongest benefit — never the company name or "We are pleased to offer…"
2. The Three Tells appear in both the opening paragraph and the P.S.
3. "You" and "your" outnumber "we," "our," and "I" throughout the letter
4. The offer is specific and risk-reducing — not vague
5. At least one proof point (testimonial, statistic, case reference) appears in the letter
6. The call to action is a single, unambiguous instruction with a response mechanism
7. The P.S. restates the strongest benefit and the call to action
8. The $20 Rule has been checked before recommending any format

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References

• Hahn, F.E. (2003) Do-It-Yourself Advertising and Promotion, 3rd edn. Hoboken: Wiley.
• Edwards, P., Edwards, S. and Douglas, L.C. (1991) Getting Business to Come to You. Los Angeles: Tarcher.
• Pinskey, R. (1997) 101 Ways to Promote Yourself. New York: Avon Books.