Good photographs of your product cost more than bad ones, but they also sell more. When you want to show something that cannot be photographed, like cutaways of the inside of your product, use a drawing. Long copy sells more than short copy, particularly when you are asking the reader to spend a lot of money. Only amateurs use short copy. Cross-heads give breathing space to your copy, and make it more readable. They should be written in such a way that skimmers get the main points of your sales story. Testimonials increase credibility – and sales. If one testimonial tests well, try two. But don’t use testimonials by celebrities, unless they are recognized authorities, like Arnold Palmer on golf clubs. Winston Churchill said, ‘Short words are best, and the old words when short are best of all.’ This applies in spades to mail order copy. Set your copy in black type on white paper. You will already know how much I loathe ‘reverse type’ – white on black – for the very good reason that it reduces readership. There are only two exceptions. People read theater programs in the dark, holding them up against the light coming from the stage, so they are easier to read when set in reverse. So are slides projected onto a screen. Readers often skip from the headline to the coupon, to find out what your offer is. So make your coupons mini-ads, complete with brand name, promise and a miniature photograph of your product. Many readers tell themselves they will mail the coupon ‘later,’ but never get around to it. One survey showed that twice as much response is lost in this way as is received by the advertiser. Here are four ways to keep your prospects on the hook: ‘Limited edition’ ‘Limited supply’ ‘Last time at this price’ ‘Special price for promptness’ It used to be thought that the more cluttered your layout, the more you would sell. My observation has been the opposite. Tidy, well-organized layouts actually increase coupon returns.