Junk Mail

I like to read “junk mail.” It is quite revealing.

Most of what gets stuffed into my mailbox is exactly that, junk.

I don’t mean the products or services these solicitations are trying to sell. Although I could question some of the medical breakthroughs for diabetes and weight loss being offered, I am talking about the solicitation itself.

A lot of time and energy went into creating them. But they remain junk, interesting in how unsuccessful they are in hooking their prospect—in this case, me.

In the case of non-profits, it is clear that the writer simply did not know what they were doing. They were trying to create something that would get the reader to open their wallets and checkbooks and pay for the service. The letters simply don’t work.

For one thing, they don’t understand that they are selling something. It may be a shelter for the homeless. It may be a meals-on-wheels program. It may be giving livestock to the peasants in a third world country. It may even be funds to fight whaling somewhere in the world.

The point is that they don’t know how to sell. They don’t know how to create and appeal that will hook their prospect.

They don’t know the process of selling via a letter, email, or web site. Any successful sales effort involves a process, a set of stages that the successful sales person uses to move the prospect through until the deal is closed and the check or credit card or cash is in the seller’s hand.

There are expensive agencies and freelance copywriters who will charge a large amount to create these solicitations. A few are good. Most are not.

And the non-profit is left with a smaller bank account and little to show for their efforts. Yes, they may have made some money, but not nearly as much as they could if they had hired somebody who understands the process, who encourages testing of letters to see who is the most successful in raising money, or canned goods, or clothes, or pet food for the many worthy causes that are trying to create a better world.

I would like to help. I am not out to get rich. I am out to make a living writing for the greater good, whatever that might be. If you want more information how I can help, leave me a note at carter@carterwrites.com.

We can start a dialog that could benefit both of us.