Most experienced direct mail professionals will tell you the business isn't as easy as it used to be. "It's harder to get people to open a sales letter and buy." one veteran told me. You can get far better response with your sales letters if you do a few things to personalize them. This is hard to do if you are mailing thousands of letters, but well worth the extra effort if you're sending 50 or fewer letters each week.

• Address your envelope by hand. Avoid using envelopes with windows or address labels. You want your envelope to look more like one your recipient would get from a friend or close business associate.
• Use stamps on your envelope. A postage meter may be faster and easier to use, but stamps give your envelope the personal look.
• If possible, type the recipient's name at the top of your letter and sign the bottom in blue ink.

These methods of personalizing the look of your sales letter work especially well for reaching corporate bosses.