advertisements, letters, circulars, folders and other publicity
matter that has been used in past campaigns. In the most progressive
business houses, every campaign is thoroughly tested out; arguments,
schemes, and talking points are proved up on test lists, the law of
averages enabling the correspondent to tell with mathematical
accuracy the pulling power of every argument he has ever used. The
record of tests; the letters that have fallen down and the letters
that have pulled, afford information that is invaluable in planning
new campaigns. The arguments and appeals that have proved successful
in the past can be utilized over and over again on new lists or
given a new setting and used on old lists.

The time has passed when a full volley is fired before the
ammunition is tested and the range found. The capable letter writer
tests out his arguments and proves the strength of his talking
points without wasting a big appropriation. His letters are tested
as accurately as the chemist in his laboratory tests the strength or
purity of material that is submitted to him for analysis. How
letters are keyed and tested is the subject of another chapter.

No matter what kind of a letter you are writing, keep this fact in
mind: never use an argument on the reader that does not appeal to
you, the writer. Know your subject; know your goods from the source
of the raw material to the delivery of the finished product. And
then in selling them, pick out the arguments that will appeal to the
reader; look at the proposition through the eyes of the prospect;
sell yourself the order first and you will have found the talking
points that will sell the prospect.