Thoroughly research your target market to identify their hot buttons, and determine if your product would be a good fit. You can scour the internet for informational websites, message boards, newsletters, and other online publications to get a broad understanding of the arena, and identify the pain points of the consumer. You should also purchase any specific survey data/results on the target market -- including their buying behaviour, and their feelings about how your product addresses their needs. And if you're not the kind of person that automatically trusts everything you read, you can supplement this data with your own simple survey - taken via phone, in-person, or the internet.

Next, investigate your competition -- and study their messaging, products and services. You could, for example, phone or visit them (posing as a customer) and listen to their "sales pitch". You should also get your name on every mailing list available in the industry, and create a "Clipping File" of Direct Mail pieces, advertisements, etc., so you could study their messaging. It may be a good idea to grab as many industry-specific books, newsletters and magazines as you can find, and read each publication cover-to-cover - especially the advertisements of your competitors.

Finally, make sure that you have a fantastic offer , a strong USP, and, most importantly, compelling, ''knock-em-dead'' copy with an aggressive call to action.

WARNING: Cute, Clever copy DOES NOT SELL! If someone reads your headline and thinks "Wow, that's pretty clever writing", then you've just lost a sale! They are now "out of the moment" and are much less likely to pay attention to your message.

This is why invisible copy is absolutely critical to a successful piece. Your goal should be to write a piece that almost hypnotizes your reader, and leads them effortlessly from word to word, until they arrive at the Call To Action (where they'll respond to your offer almost without thinking).