"Rocket" Ray Jutkins's opening 7 of his 99 DM creative ideas.

The news of "Rocket" Ray Jutkins's death (see page 8) moved us to pull his Power Dirct Marketing off our DM bookshelf.

A jacket blurb by copywriter Bob Bly read, "The chapter on 'creative' contains more helpful information on direct response copy and design than many full-length books on the subject."

So we went to the Rocket's "99 Creative Ideas." They are disarmingly simple and self-evident. But don't let that fool you. Study his meticulous advice and profit from it.

1. Before putting pen to paper, know as much as you can about your audience.

Put yourself in the place of the person to whom you're writing about the product. What are the outstanding benefits? What are the primary needs of your prospect? What would make you buy it? Write to that person.

2. Before putting pen to paper, know as much as you can about your product.

Research your product until you find the unique benefit--the one your competition can't or won't match.

The one big benefit (sometimes there are two or even three--rarely more) of your product is what will make people buy; and it's what you should build your story around. Find that benefit. Then run wild with it.

3. K.I.S.S. Keep It Short & Simple. The apostle Paul knew the importance of being simple and clear. He said:

  Except ye utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how shall it
  be known what is spoken? For ye shall speak into the air.

Keep your words, sentences and paragraphs short. Stay away from complicated words. A good rule to follow: For every 100 words you write, double check to make sure 70 of those 100 words are 5 letters or less.

4. How long should a sentence be? SHORT! Dr. George R. Klare of Ohio University reports his research says:

* Very easy to read -- 8 word sentence or less.

* Easy -- 11

* Fairly easy -- 14

* Standard -- 17

* Fairly difficult -- 21

* Difficult -- 25

* Very difficult -- Over 29.

Sentences should be short. Only one idea to a sentence. Keep sentences an average of 14 words/25 syllables. In all of Hemingway's writings, his sentence length ranged from 1 to 49 words. Average: 13.5. Write like Hemingway!

Remember Western Union telegrams that said "Stop" after each brief sentence? Try it with your writing. Simply put a period--stop--in more often.

If you do this you will be read more, because you have made your copy easy to read.

5. Paragraphs should be short. With no more than 7 lines of copy before you break for a new paragraph. There is no rule that says the same thought can't carry over into two or three or more paragraphs--limit your paragraphs to 7 lines. It will make your copy easier to read.

6. Words should be short. Five-letter words are readable. Yes, you must use the language of your audience. If that audience is highly educated or has much technical knowledge and expertise and they expect you to be likewise, you must talk to them in their language.

But that does not mean your copy should become difficult to read. They are still people--and the easier your words are to them, the more likely they will understand your message and respond to your offer.

Use lots of 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-letter words. Use short words. They work.

7. Use familiar words. Avoid difficult words. Your copy must be familiar to your audience. If you are introducing a new concept, keep the explanation simple by couching your appeal in the language of the audience.

Doctors don't respond to the same appeal as plumbers. Teenagers as grandparents. From mountain climbers to beach bums, they are all different audiences--use the words of the audience you are reaching with your message.

Power Direct Markting, by "Rocket" Ray Jutkins, NTC Books, 1994 & 2000, is available at Amazon.com