The 2-Minute Makeover for Direct Mail Order Forms

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Author: Dean Rieck

The direct mail order form has often been called "the moment of truth." That's because no matter how persuasive you have been in your letter, brochure, lift note, and other pieces, it is your order form where your prospect actually says "yes" or "no" to your offer.

So if you have a couple minutes, here are some quick and easy ideas to make your order form work harder:

• Make sure it gets noticed. First, make it a separate piece whenever possible. Second, use visual cues that indicate it's the order piece, such as a different color, eye-catching graphic, certificate border, or headline. You can coordinate your order form with other pieces, but if it looks too similar, it could get lost. Everything should lead the eye to the order form.

• Make it easy to fill out and mail. By the time your prospect gets to the order form, a decision has been made. And if the decision is "yes," you don't want any barriers preventing response. So keep your order form as simple as possible, one-sided, and with as few fill-ins as you can get away with while still being complete. A well-designed order form is visually intuitive, making it obvious at a glance how it should be filled out.

• Include a statement of acceptance. You can just summarize the offer, but a complete statement of acceptance is better. It may include an affirmation, benefit statement, request for the item, summary of the offer, sweeteners, and guarantee. For example: "Yes! I want to cut my taxes in half. Please send my copy of How to Instantly Cut Your Income Tax for just $29.95. And if I respond by January 12, I'll also get the TaxSlash computer program FREE (a $39.00 value). I understand that if I'm not completely satisfied, I can return the book for a full refund, but I'll keep the computer program as my gift."

• Highlight your toll-free number. That way, people who prefer calling can do so immediately. This may also increase your credit card orders. Include the hours during which you take calls and what time zone you're referring to. If phone orders are faster (faster ordering or faster shipment), say so.

• Highlight your guarantee. Even if it's already in your statement of acceptance, you want to put to rest any doubts. So feature it prominently. Use a seal or certificate border to make it stand out.

• Include complete information. In addition to the offer and toll-free number, give the company name and logo, mailing address, total price, applicable sales tax, shipping and handling charges, premiums, offer expiration date, minimum orders, delivery time, the payment methods you accept, Canadian and international extra charges, exactly how the order should be placed, etc. Your order form should be simple, but it must leave no detail to chance. 

• Offer fax response for businesses. Make sure your order form gives your fax number, easily goes through a fax machine, and prints legibly on your end. Some statistics show that half or more of all business orders arrive via fax, so this could be a big response booster.

• Rename your order form. Sometimes "Order Form" is fine, but consider words that are significant to your prospect, add value to the offer, or reduce the feeling of commitment: Trial Subscription Certificate, Free Trial Copy, Savings Coupon, Sample Offer, Request for Free Information, Free Examination Offer, Enrollment Application, Order Coupons, Privilege Invitations, Bonus Vouchers, etc.

• Leave room to write. Those fill-in lines are where designers often look to steal a few extra points of real estate. However, if your prospect doesn't have enough writing space, you get no order.

• Add the words "Please Print." This helps you avoid scrambled addresses, misspelled names, and wrong orders. Place these words by the fill-in lines in plain view. Better still:  "Please Print in Ink."

• Make it look valuable. You can do this with certificate borders, gold seals, serial numbers, safety paper, special backgrounds or watermarks, rubber stamps, eagles, receipt stubs, etc. People don't like to throw away valuable items. Caveat: Sometimes increasing perceived value also increases the feeling of commitment. To reduce this feeling, use a simpler look.

• Create a sense of urgency. Use directive language: "Call now," "Order today," or "Complete and mail this trial certificate today." Remind your prospect of your deadline: use specifics such as "Offer ends March 15" or generics such as "Offer good while supplies last" or "Hurry! This is a limited-time offer."

Copyright © 2003 Dean Rieck. All Rights Reserved.

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Dean Rieck is an internationally respected copywriter, designer, and consultant specializing in direct marketing. He is president of Direct Creative, a full-service creative firm that helps businesses increase sales and generate leads through effective direct response advertising. For free access to direct marketing articles, tips, and tutorials, visit www.DirectCreative.com.