All marketers want to find that perfect headline time after time. It's not just for the sake of looking clever- a poor headline will often destroy a presentation, just as a sweaty handshake at a job interview hints at your inability to rise to the occasion under stress. After all, that whole "looking absurdly clever all the time" part never hurt anyone in the business world.



Below are some ideas that will help you craft the perfect headline for every direct marketing situation.

The questions you must ask yourself are:

Headlines need to be exciting

Starting off with a yawn could make it seem as though even an extremely enticing product has no sense of urgency attached.

Read lots of direct-mail campaigns that come through your door, and especially those that drove you to buy straight away - study their headline copy. You'll learn a huge amount.

Is the product or service valuable to them?

Assuming that you already know, hand on heart that your product or service is something the public wants, then expressing this in your headline copy should be a piece of cake.

This means that you have to point out the useful aspects of your product immediately. Flash can get attention, but substance will keep it.

Does this product stand out from the rest?

If a headline looks the same as everyone else's, then the product will seem so, too.

Scouring your product labels and picking the minds (getting feedback) of your employees should reward you with a treasure trove of reasons that your product deserves to be bought. If it's unique and valuable, you have to point out why- immediately.

Headlines need to cut to the quick

Being ambiguous is not an option.

It's vital to be clear, concise and specific throughout your copy but especially in your headline. This is where the prospect gets their first glance at what it is you're offering. So it's vital to tell her, very quickly what she should expect, should she decide to read through the letter.

Try to make your headline similar to those on the fronts of magazines. If you walk by any magazine stand, you're sure to find some catchy headlines for inspiration.

As soon as you look at the few lines on the cover, you're curious about what's inside. This is because magazines speak directly to their readers, and they know their space limits. Their headlines have to be very good and very short, or no one will even glance inside.

When you next buy a magazine, ask yourself why did you pick that particular magazine instead of the other. Was it anything to do with the copy perhaps?

Is my headline doing it's job?

When you put these four key techniques into place, your headline will be pulling double duty. It will first grab the prospect's attention then secondly select her. Because it would've said something meaningful to her but on the flip side, had the opposite effect on someone else.

It's interesting to note; prospects read headers five times as much as they read the whole copy, which means for every dollar the advertiser spends, 80 cents of his advertising dollar is spent on the header.

The world famous copywriter David Ogilvy has even admitted that spending even a little more time on the headline is well worth it.

So based on that logic and compelling evidence, it would stand to reason that you spend 80% of your time crafting that perfect header. It would be time well spent.

There's no other way to go!