for instance, have every listed business on CD. Hints and Tips: 1. The quality of the list is imperative. 2. Make sure your letter sells. 3- Remember, these people don't know you. 4. Make an offer that people have to respond to. 5. Test and measure different lists and letters. Rating: 4/5 DIY Direct Mail Write a letter to a list you compile yourself, either from the Yellow Pages or another kind of directory. It pays to include a gimmick with the letter, something to help people remember it, and always follow the letter with a phone call. Direct mail is by far the most cost-effective advertising medium, as it goes directly into the hands of your target. If you know all of the people you're selling to, don't just cold call. Send them a letter that gets them excited and then promise to call them. Telephone follow-up increases response by up to 300 percent. Hints and Tips: 1. Your first 50 words are your headline, make them sell. 2. Your PS. is the most powerful seller. Use it. 3- Write as if you are speaking to someone, not in the old proper formal letter style. 4. Tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them. Follow up on the phone. 5. Use exciting, stimulating words to describe everything. 68