The actual physical nature of your package can help to produce results too. For Direct Mail through the post, don't forget the envelope. Use the outside to whet the reader's appetite. Hint at what the offer is, who the letter should go to, and why. 61. Think about who else might see the material first. One successful letter to senior managers put a shorthand note to their secretary on the outside. Another was posted from abroad with foreign stamp and postmark - to create extra interest for an export service. 62. Think impact. Would a coloured or unusually shaped envelope add that extra pizzazz? 63. Aim high. Raise YOUR mailshot above the herd with some element of surprise or originality. Unlike other forms of advertising, Direct Mail makes it cheap and easy to test several approaches simultaneously. Altering the promotional offer can make a huge difference ' there are many anecdotal cases where one mailshot outperforms another (up to 14 times better!) simply through changing the promotional offer. 64. If posting, consider WHEN. Items received on a Monday or Friday for instance, may not receive the same amount of attention as a package received in midweek. Or consider 'tying in' with some special event as Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, the anniversary of Waterloo(!) etc. For eshots, some research also indicates that Wednesdays are good days to send. But if the recipient is suffering from email fatigue, why not try a Friday afternoon when everything is quiet? 65. Record WHO replied and to WHAT message or offer. This will help you fine tune both your message and your mailing list. 66. Use a successful letter as a BENCHMARK against which to judge future efforts.