by Prince Barikdar

Direct mail is a classic way to build sales. And it works! Big companies spend MILLIONS to send out sales letters and brochures. They earn MILLIONS in sales in return.

But sales letters have one major problem. People don't open them. I've seen my neighbor go to his mailbox, pull out the mail, then stop off at the garbage can to pitch the sales letters one by one into the trash--unopened.

Figure out a way to get everyone to open and read your sales letter, and you've got a cash cow.

Fortunately there is a solution to this problem. Simple, inexpensive postcards don't have to be opened. Recipients can read your card's message without even picking it up.

A good postcard practically jumps out of the stack of mail at you. Here are some tips for getting a post card that sells, then sending it out to the right people at a cost any budget can afford:

First, give your postcard a headline. Put it in bold 14 to 16 point type. Start with an action word like buy, save, relax, or earn. Your headline can announce a new product, ask a question, or simply start "An important announcement from our owner!"

Next list several benefits the customer gets. Put them in bulleted form. For example: *Save cash *Look great *WIN a vacation

Notice the "Win a vacation." You need something in your postcard that gets people to call, email, go to your web site, or drive to your store. Offer a free report, no-cost consultation, free sample, or deep discount.

Save space at the bottom your card to list several ways to contact you or buy from you. People like to see your phone number, email address, web site, and physical address. Listing all of that gives customers their choice of ways to find you, AND builds confidence that you are who you say you are.

Also put a headline or short paragraph on the address side of your postcard. This is for people who first see your card from that side. You want to give them a reason to turn the card over and read your main copy on the other side.

Use a headline like, "Flip me over for a 50% discount!" or "Important announcement!"

Now it's time to send your card out. Your best address lists are the ones you gather yourself. Put a sign-up form on your web site, pull addresses from your billing records, or put a sign-up form on your store counter.

You can also buy lists from a variety of sources. Usually, the best lists are very new and often a bit pricey. Go to your local library and ask for a recent copy of SRDS's Directory of Lists. You can also find list brokers under the "direct mail" section of your Yellow Pages.

Postcards also work extremely well as a very affordable way to build a small or home-based business. Send just 10 postcards a week. Do it consistently. After a while you will see sales grow. I've seen people build entire businesses on this method. Postcards work!

Prince Barikdar uses postcards to earn big money. See his system for sending simple postcards to build a business that can earn you a large income at http://www.smartpostcard.biz He supplies the postcards and gives you a step-by-step method for sending them. Reach Prince at mailto:webmaster@smartp ostcard.biz or 718-264-2565.

USE INEXPENSIVE POST CARDS FOR POWERFUL MARKETING by Prince Barikdar http://www.smartpostcard.biz< /a>