Well, this looks important. It even says so. “Important Notification for New Jersey State Residents,” right there on the cover. I’d better hurry and open it!
So, I hurriedly tear off the perforated sides … because that’s always fun … and this is what I see. An offer for books. Apparently the rush was to tell me that they are holding a “leather-bound Collector’s Edition of Huckleberry Finn” JUST for me, and for only $5.95!
A little sneaky, that. It did get me to open it, which is the point, though my very first reaction was, “It’s just a direct mail piece, that’s not important.” So they should consider themselves lucky I read further (grin).
It turns out, these lovely people will give me the chance to buy copies of the 100 greatest books ever written. It’s not a book club, they hasten to reassure me. They “simply offer the option to choose the books I wish to own.”
The reply card is tucked behind a piece of cellophane, with a reply envelope. A nice touch that kept all the loose pieces together when I opened the offer. No paper spilling onto the floor.
As unsolicited mailings go, this was a good one. They reassure me right away that I am under no obligation. They list the advantages of trying their books (leather binding, gilt page edging, full-color illustrations). They point out that the no-obligation price for this copy is $5.95, but also tell me the regular price for the other “greatest books” is $39.95. Which is where they lost me, incidentally. I’m not interested in spending that much money for a book, as a rule, preferring to get two or three (or four) books for that amount. But, still if the quality is there, I suppose it’s not unreasonable.
The important thing is that the people who put the mailing together were up-front about the details. No sneaky stuff in the fine print, or trying to mislead me … well, other than the “important message” on the outside, but that was just to get me to open the thing, and after that they were direct and honest, so, I suppose I can’t really complain.
Would you respond to mail addressed to Debbie, Deb, and Deborah differently?
.-= Kelvin Kao´s last blog ..Why Power Rangers Writing Is Brilliant (Like Romantic Comedy) =-.
Interesting question. I grew up as Debbie and have always hated when people misspelled it as Debby or Debbi or any of the other many variations, and my full name is Debra, not Deborah. I wouldn’t hold any of the correct variations against a marketer, though, any more than I object to “Miss Boyken” or “Ms Boyken” … though Mister Boyken irritates me for obvious reasons!
Whenever my mail tells me what to do, especially when it cries wolf, er, important, I ignore it … with pleasure 🙂
.-= J.D. Meier´s last blog ..Lessons Learned from Seth Godin =-.
J.D.–Me, too … usually. Lately, though, it’s coming in handy as blog fodder, so I’m more likely to open it! (grin)
.-= –Deb´s last blog ..Review of an Important Offer! =-.