One of our subscribers wrote us regarding last week’s article on using personalization in direct mail campaigns.

In that article I suggested that it was never a good idea to use both the first and last name in the salutation of your direct mail letter.

I advised that instead you should address your letter either “Dear John” or “Dear Mr. Smith” but never “Dear John Smith.”

What our readers are saying

The reader said that because he personally didn’t appreciate being addressed by his first name from people he didn’t know, he assumed his clients wouldn’t either.

He also asked how marketers should determine whether the person is a Mr., Mrs. or Ms. given that often names aren’t gender specific.

We appreciate the feedback and he’s right, there are a lot of issues to consider before personalizing a direct mail piece.

Here are several things to consider when using personalization:

1. Personalization is always better for your database mailings. It will lift your response higher than your prospect mailings. The consumers from your database know who you are and hopefully they want to hear from you, making it appropriate to use their first name.
2. When marketing to prospects business-to-business, you typically use Mr./Ms. and the last name. When marketing to consumers, it is more acceptable to use the first name.
3. The key is to understand who your audience is. Know the age group that your product or service applies to. A more mature audience usually demands more respect with a more formal salutation, while the younger generation might appreciate a more casual approach such as a first name.
4. Every company takes on a personality. What is your company’s personality? And do you want to project your company formally or informally? How do you want to come across to your prospects or clients?
5. Part of your position and branding is how you relate or communicate with your customers and prospects. How you approach them is a part of what defines your company’s reputation. Whether you use a first name or a more formal salutation, it will have an significant impact on your tone of marketing.
6. Therefore when you compile your own database, make sure you develop appropriate fields of selection so that your prospect/client can select between Mr., Mrs. or Ms. when giving you their information.
7. 
   If you are renting a mailing list, be aware of the quality of the list that you have. Make sure that the list you have rented tells if the name is a Mr., Mrs. or Ms.

Personalizing with confidence

There is no doubt that using personalization incorrectly could damage your future response.

But using it correctly adds tremendous value to your marketing campaign.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to ask yourself this: What image do you want your audience to have of you and your company?

The answer to that question is the first step in deciding how personalization will best work for your next campaign.

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