Mr. Ric, a 70-ish widower, looked forward to my visits. He always scoured whatever I brought him for the coupons. Oh, he loved those coupons for juices! Mrs. Kitty, a 40-ish something professional, hated them. I remember her putting the sticker ‘No Junk Mail' in her mailbox. Come to think of it, that did not deter me from inserting those brochures there.

I thought it was a dead medium particularly because everyone has access to the Internet. However, ‘direct mail', I reckon, is still the strongest, most personalized way of getting your message across - especially if you are targeting local customers. Local customers are characterized by Mr. Ric who frequents community stores.

You certainly want your local customers to look forward to your brochures, flyers or coupons. In order to have the effect, you must be able to capture your client's heart and mind. What captivates your client's heart is a strong message.

Your brochures should be strong enough to shake of any thought of ignoring it. It has to be convincing enough for your client to not just glance but read through it. Finally, it has to grab the attention of your customer within about five seconds (probably less).

Successful brochures do these. They focus on the client's needs and it makes them feel that the brochure was made for them - just them. It has to establish a relationship with your client. It is easier said than done. How do you make an inanimate printed document establish a relationship? Here are few tips to make your brochures establish the personal tone:

1. Personalize your mailing. Personalize by using your client's name - the odds of getting a solid lead are five times greater that in you send your piece to a recipient in a household. 2. Personalize your envelope. As with the mailing, your envelope should have the look and feel of any familiar mail. In must not be to professional or to fancy that it would look expensive. An ordinary envelope with the name of the recipient would do. 3. Keep your headline straightforward and simple. Always remember that you have less than five seconds to get your message across. The reader should understand your message as well as the benefits behind it as soon as she opens your brochure. 4. Use action verbs. As you write your brochure, remember to use action verbs. They are stronger and direct to the point. Avoid wordy and lengthy paragraphs. That is a sure fire way to get your brochures thrown away in five seconds.

The ‘do' of your brochures determine whether they end in the minds or in the trash. It is very important that your brochures are made up to suit your customer's needs. The best one are those that are simple, direct to the point and personalized. If you can give me a brochure like this, I would gladly bring it to Mr. Ric myself.