Yogi Berra's 10 Tips for Direct Mail Success

4. "Why buy good luggage? You only use it when you travel."
When you get right down to it, an envelope is nothing more than a container for printed matter. It carries your message to the destination and then gets ripped open. So while it can be a four-color masterpiece, it doesn't have to be. Many times a plain old #10 is all you need.

5. "We're lost but we're making good time."
Never confuse activity with progress. You need to map out a measurable strategy before launching any direct mail campaign. And you need to execute your strategy carefully and methodically. If all you're doing is slapping together one promotion after another, you'll get nowhere fast.

6. "If you can't imitate him, don't copy him."
There's no substitute for experience, expertise, or talent. If you don't know what you're doing, you won't solve any problems by producing carbon copies of your competitors' promotions.

7. "Ninety percent of the game is half mental."
I'm forever amazed at how little thought people put into the creative process. Personally, I spend at least half of any given project on gathering information and brainstorming. When you think things through first, copy and design are a lot easier and usually far more successful. See the Universal Advertising and Marketing Questionnaire in my Learning Center.

8. "I wish I had an answer to that because I'm tired of answering that question."
Your customers know the difference between B.S. and information. So don't try to shovel a pile of one to cover up for a lack of the other. Give details. Answer questions and objections. Provide a means for customers to easily find out more — a website is good for this. People often make buying decisions based on a single feature.