I'm going to start a new topic for the next several tips.  that is CRITICAL to any successful marketing campaign, but is of utmost importance when it comes to 3D mail.

“Testing” is an ugly topic.  Why?  Because testing variables in advertising direct mail, phone scripts and sales presentations requires discipline, diligence and patience.  To get it right, you can only test one variable
at a time. 

This means that if you change a headline, you can’t change anything else.  Plus you have to make sure all other variables remain the same, like the mailing day or a war breaking out that has everybody watching CNN day and night or the current economic crisis, or a hurricane hitting, or a... you get the idea.

Frankly, most business people will just not go through the “detailitis” required to test - which is why it’s a very good idea to model proven promotions.  And in some cases where you’re only going to use something once or twice or you’re dealing with a very small number, it’s just not worth testing; instead, you take your best shot.  But let’s assume you’re working on something you intend to use over and over and over again in some significant quantity, so that it’s worth real effort to fine-tune it. 

First, there’s split testing, which is the fastest way to test band get to a reasonable conclusion.  Let’s assume you have a postcard and you want to leave everything the same but test four different headlines, and you have 4,000 similar addresses to mail to. You do “nth name testing”; that means Headline #A goes to every 4th name, Headline #B to every 5th name, Headline #C to every 5th name, etc.  So you evenly divide the list without bias among the headlines being tested. Some media (like Val-Pak or MoneyMailer) will let you split test within a single buy.

Second, there’s testing against a control.  A “control” is a marketing strategy that already works well and you’re using it on a continuing basis - maybe it’s a series of letters you mail every month.  You have been using it long enough you know what it produces.  You have a “known” to measure against.  Now you can start trying to improve that control, ideally one step or variable at a time.

Dan Kennedy talks a ton about testing in his book, ‘The Ultimate Sales Letter.  He even talk about the steps to take with a finished sales letter before you actually mail it!  Imagine that, testing before you mail!  Get the Ultimate Sales Letter here at Amazon.