5 Reasons to Test the Lift Letter

First used in the publishing world, the "publisher's note" or "publisher's letter" was added to a direct mail package that already included a sales letter, often from the magazine's editor. Usually on the small size, both in length and paper size, and signed by the publisher, it came to be known as the "lift letter" because it lifted (increased) response.

Times have changed, of course. In the age of slimming mail pieces due to rising postal and production costs, the lift letter increasingly has disappeared from the repertoire.

"These days the inclination is to strip away things from packages to reduce cost," says Gary Hennerberg, a copywriter and direct marketing consultant. "And let's not forget that maybe a lift letter doesn't work like it used to, and those dropping them have tested it. Or, it could be that the art of creating a great lift letter has been lost."

If the latter explanation is true, here are five reasons why the lift letter perhaps deserves a rebirth and, at the very least, deserves to go back into test packages.

1. The right prospects do read.
Another reason for the vanishing lift notes is that many marketing folks believe prospects no longer read, asserts Peggy Greenawalt, president and creative director of the direct marketing agency Tomarkin/Greenawalt. "But I'm as convinced as ever that people do read, if they are interested in buying. If they aren't interested in buying, it doesn't really matter if they read or not," she explains.

2. Make it "different" to seal the deal.
For top-level copywriters, wielding a second letter in the package can be a powerful weapon. "The lift gives you a chance to come at the prospect from a different angle, to change voice and shift perspective," explains copywriter Ken Scheck, who says many writers simply restate the offer. But he considers that an opportunity to get the prospect's attention is wasted on restating: "It may be your last chance to seal the deal."

Hennerberg believes it's vital that a lift note be something different from the rest of the package, and comes from a different person, perhaps someone outside the organization. One purpose is to lend credibility. "They give you a way to connect more personally with the prospect or to handle special things that might interrupt the flow of the main letter," agrees Greenawalt, who likes to use lift notes for emphasis and reinforcement, but most often for personal contact.

3. The lift letter doesn't need to be a "letter."
The lift letter can take different forms and operate on a different level for the mailer. For example, it can be used as a testimonial. "Lift letters are also great for addressing buying objections using customer testimonials," says  Pat Friesen, copywriter and owner of Pat Friesen & Co. She, in a prospecting mailing for a travel/tour company, recently used a lift letter from a new first-time customer to address the buying objection.

Hennerberg has a couple of insurance packages that have been mailed nearly 40 million times, and both include lift notes, neither of which are "letters." Rather, he says, "they're statistics and facts that didn't fit into the letter. In this case, death rates. Since we were selling insurance, death rates were germane to the selling process, but they didn't seem to fit in the letter. Rather, by stating them in a lift note they could stand on their own, and we didn't need to explain this subject to the reader."

4. Serve it as an appetizer.
Another appealing aspect of the lift letter is its appetizer-like effect. Friesen lists a few reasons how and why it works so well in tandem with the sales letter. "They are usually smaller—bite-size—in the amount of copy they provide. And frequently, they focus on one major reason (offer-driven) about why you should respond. They are easy to read in less than a minute. And they normally stand out, because they are printed on paper other than white."

5. Make it strong, then test it.
The bottom line? The inclusion of a lift letter should be tested. "It must pay for itself by lifting the response rates, but mailers shouldn't overlook the fact that if the lift letter is weak, it won't help you. So if you're going to test a lift letter, don't make it an afterthought. It should be a strategic test with the time and talent required to make it a test you can be confident in conducting," concludes Hennerberg.

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