One of the worst enemies of successful direct mail campaigns is inattention to the details - the little things that can stand between success and failure. A single oversight in any of several areas can lower response rates or even waste the entire effort. Among the most important details are the following:

1. Postal regulations. The U.S. Postal Service has very complex regulations governing third class mail, the lower rates under which much direct mail is shipped. Each piece of mail must conform to rules about size, placement of address label, and other factors. More than one direct mail shipment has been rejected at the post office, costing thousands of dollars to make the package right.

2. Package design. The actual components of your direct mail package - letter, brochure, response card, and other items - can have a big impact on response. It usually pays to engage a professional direct mail consultant or designer to help identify the package components and put the package together.

3. Measurement system. Once you begin getting responses to your direct mail effort, you must be prepared to measure your responses. How many positive responses are coming in? Where are they coming from? What are the key trends? Sometimes, a direct mail campaign may under- perform its overall goals, but yield important clues for the future. For example, you may discover that some particular subgroup within the target market has expressed more interest than expected. Only by effectively monitoring responses will you be able to detect such variations.

4. Fulfillment system. One of the worst deficiencies in any direct mail campaign is an inability to respond effectively. If you are providing an 800 number for people to call, make sure it is properly answered. Also be sure to provide quick responses - sending out products or samples within a few days of requests. Consider what you will do if responses exceed your expectations. Do you have an approach for handling the situation? For example, you may want to be prepared with notices explaining that you have received the order and are processing it as a way to buy some extra time in fulfilling an avalanche of requests.

Direct mail is as much art as science. It is essential to anticipate as many scenarios as possible to increase the odds of success.