Rule -- ALWAYS first class stamps!

Mostly, this rule is for fundraising events, but it really applies to everything. And I'm sure there is an exception, but I haven't found it yet.

People are much more likely to open a piece of mail that has come from a real person that they know. So my overall rule of thumb is that you want letters of any kind -- in this case, invitations to an event -- to follow the same rules as for a letter to your grandmother. You want the letter to feel as personal as possible to whomever is receiving it, increasing the possibility that they will respond favorably.

1. If what you are sending is an actual letter, make it to "Dear Bob," not "Dear Supporter," or "Dear Friend," or whatever. You wouldn't send a letter to your grandmother starting with "Dear Senior Citizen" would you?

2. Have the return address be yours or that of some other person (such as the chair of the board, if the event you are doing is for a non-profit), NOT an organization. Nothing seems less personal than a letter from "National Association of...".

3. Use a hand-writing font for the outgoing address (and blue ink, if your printer can handle it).

4. Use stick-on, first class stamps! In the long run, it will be worth the extra expense because more people will open what you have sent them. If you are fundraising, you'll raise more money, and certainly enough to cover the extra postage cost if your list is good. If it is just a social or PR sort of event, these are the kind of personal touches that will set you apart from the very beginning.

- sean

Sean Spence
Community Events
www.commevents.com
seanspence@earthlink.net