Even with the best laid plans, not all direct mail programs are destined for success. When a campaign fails to meet expectations, most companies point the finger at the creative, though in fact copy and design are rarely the main culprits. Here's a quick list of questions to ask (in order of priority) the next time one of your campaigns falls short:

1. Lists

60% or more of the success of any campaign is tied directly to the quality of the names you mail to. How well did your lists target the right audience? Were they proven responders (subscription files, seminar attendees) or just a compiled list? Did certain lists do better than others or did they perform poorly across the board (if the latter, look at numbers 2 and 3 below).

2. Offer

Even if your technology sounds interesting, if the reader doesn't want your offer, he or she won't respond. How enticing was the information or material you offered to send? Was it true information of value, or simply marketing propaganda hyping your product? What could you have done to increase the perceived value of the offer?

3. Creative

Did your copy sell the offer, or did you spend most of the time droning on about your product? Was there a strong, immediate benefit message to open the copy? Were there relevant benefits (save money, increase productivity) throughout or simply a list of features? Did the design support the copy and make it easier to read, or was it simply distracting?

One of the advantages of direct mail is that it allows you to learn from your mistakes. However, your best chance of knowing precisely what went wrong (and conversely, what worked) is if you consistently test and analyze different lists, offer and creative. If you don't test, you'll never know.