A very useful tool for any writer is a swipe file, a place to collect examples of effective writing that comes to your attention.
A swipe file can contain anything you want it to---headlines,introductory paragraphs,body copy,guarantees,interesting phrases or slogans,display ads,direct mail marketing pieces,e-mail messages,graphics, photos--anything that might serve as a future idea starter. It is a good idea to organize your swipe file into subsections to make searching for ideas easier, and to base it on hard copy rather than digital files.
Look for material for your swipe file in anything you come across that is sales-related. Instead of tossing direct mail marketing pieces unopened, take a look and see if there is anything suitable for your swipe file. Likewise for e-mail advertising messages. The more you view and collect, the more useful your swipe file will become.
Keep in mind that the purpose of a swipe file is to generate ideas, not to plagiarize. Your goal is to adapt the information in your swipe file to your own needs, not to copy it outright.

If I start sending e-mail messages to prospects, will I need to worry about CAN-SPAM?

The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 covers all e-mail whose primary purpose is advertising or promoting a commercial product or service, known as commercial e-mail. The Act defined requirements for commercial e-mail senders (including penalties for spamming) and gave e-mail recipients the right to request removal from an e-mail list.
For more detailed information, visit the Federal Trade Commission CAN-SPAM web site:http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/business/ecommerce/bus61.shtm.
Here are some of the highlights of CAN-SPAM;
1. Deceptive subject lines are not allowed. Be sure the subject line matches the content of the e-mail.
2. "From" lines and other Internet header information must be accurate. Send the e-mail from a real address and be consistent--always send from that address.
3. The e-mail must contain a clear and conspicuous opt-out notice. Even if e-mail is free to send, you still don't want it going to those who don't want it.
4. An opt-out request must be honored promptly. You have 10 days to remove someone from your e-mail list; however, we suggest acting immediately on the request.

Good Content in direct mail or e-mail marketing gives potential buyers what they want. Direct mail marketers and advertisers work hard to determine what type of content motivates buyers. Research consistently uncovers four characteristics of content that score highest in buyer interest. The best content is;
1. Useful or entertaining
2. Relevant to the buyer's interests
3. Timley
4. Unique to the seller, either in content or presentation
These four characteristics are particularly important for opt-in e-mail subscriptions. If a reader signs up for your e-newsletter, the motivation was not to do you a favor--it was because the content of the newsletter had perceived value.

Direct Mail or E-Mail Marketing; Content is King.

Amid the ongoing debate about whether direct mail or e-mail is the best method to market to customers and prospects, very little is being said about the one thing that is crucial to the success of both---the message. Unless the message is relevant to the audience and persuasively presented, it doesn't matter how it is delivered. So while the discussion about direct mail versus e-mail continues, focus on developing good content and honing your writing skills.
Why Market with mail? The objective of both direct mail and e-mail marketing is to persuade a customer or prospect to take action, either now or later. When a seller consistently and regularly sends a communication such as a mailed post card or a newsletter(either mailed or web-based), a buyer is more likely at at future time to take the action desired by the seller. In other words, direct or e-mail marketing is less about an immediate sale than about positioning the business or organization to be top-of-mind when the potential buyer is ready to make a purchase.
This is important in business-to-business selling where the sell cycle is often long (especially when compared to business-to-consumer), and it is hard to stimulate demand. Direct mail is also important during an economic downturn when either budgetary constraints or the unwillingness of the purchaser to spend money creates a long sell cycle for both businesses and consumers.

Proofing is a serious task and that is why we have prepared a checklist of items to examine while proofing. Please remember it is best to proof against something--your original layout or an earlier proof. Here are some items that you should check for;

Layout: are all pages complete (no dropped copy or images); are all graphic elements like text, photographs, graphics,in the correct position; are all pages in the correct order; is type aligned on facing pages; are type,rule lines and photos on crossover pages in correct position.

Typography: are fonts correct; does text break as desired; is justification correct.

Copy: are telephone,fax and cell numbers and email addresses correct;are addresses correct;are people and place names spelled correctly.

Page numbers: is the numbering sequence correct; are page numbers correctly placed.

Prior changes; have all changes to the prior proof been incorporated.

Reader's perspective; from the reader's perspective, is everything clear and comprehensible.

If you notice anything that is not correct, mark it plainly and return the proof to us with instructions. We will correct errors we made for free; we will charge for author's alterations.

Before we print your job, we will submit a proof--a print made from the artwork we will be using to produce a press plate or digital image. Your job is to inspect the proof and report the results to us--OK to proceed to press; make corrections as marked then OK to proceed to press; make corrections as marked and present another proof.

We will not proceed to press until you have signed off on the proof. By industry standards, when you sign off on a proof, you agree to pay for the job as long as it looks like the proof--even if you later discover an error, and regardless of who made the error. This makes proofing a serious task.

Take a Plant Tour of B.C. Printing
If you are interested in enhancing your company's relationship with us, one of the best things we can suggest is that you tour our facility. A plant tour gives us an opportunity to introduce you to the people who produce your jobs and for you to see first hand the steps your job must go through in our plant. We will explain the entire process, from design to distribution, and let you see the equipment in operation.
A plant tour takes about 45 minutes. We conduct tours by appointment, and also on the spot if you have the time. We put a lot of effort into keeping our plant clean and organized and we love showing off. We also think it's important for the production staff to know you as a person just like the customer service staff does.