A look at the power of the Postscript or P.S.

Many successful businesses consistently use a P.S. in marketing letters, direct mail and email. Why? Because our eyes tend to skim the text and seek out main ideas - plain and simple. And, the primary intent of a marketing message - whether it be benefits, suggestions, calls to action or guarantees - can clearly and easily be reinforced in the postscript.

The postscript is one of the greatest aids in achieving the desired effect on your reader and provoking the response you seek as a business. The P.S. is not commonly used to provide new information, but instead to emphasize key points, highlight new promotional efforts or simply restate a call to action. It is also an effective tool if you plan to engage the reader by conveying a sense of urgency, such as a deadline, or offering a one last opportunity discount, such as a limited time offer.

Use postscripts as a way to successfully:

• Recap: Summarize the main ideas or key benefits. Draw attention to major points of your marketing message and show that you're ready to build a new, prosperous business relationship.

• Repeat: The call to action must be clear - call me, fax me, visit my store, and sign up now! When the focus is online, in many cases all you need is a simple click and it's done.

• Offer: What measurable benefits or premiums are you offering? Include exclusive promotions and any extra incentives as a way to show appreciation for the time taken to get to the bottom of the message.

• Communicate: Include additional information, such as your telephone and fax numbers, as well as remind the reader to reply or visit you or your business in person. The psychological importance should not be underestimated, as the postscript relays the idea that you are a real person and not some robot sending generic messages to the masses.

• Urge: Make a deadline evident. Provide limited time offers. The P.S. is naturally an afterthought one last chance to entice readers to take a desired action, before they move on and forget completely. Use the P.S. to either hard or soft sell - offer a polite reminder or suggestion, or tell the reader exactly what you want them to do with a call to action.

• Testify: Include a testimonial emphasizing your guarantee, thus establishing credibility and offsetting any doubts the reader may have.

P.S. You may want to try writing the P.S. first in an effort to hone in on your intent. Moreover, it never hurts to ask for feedback from co-workers, relatives and friends by sending out a sample that uses the P.S. to gauge a reaction and acquire some insight. Did your subjects read the P.S. first or last? Did the P.S. in any way affect their reaction, feeling or overall understanding of your message?

"Have a Pawsitively Tail Waggin' Good Day!"