Latest / The Copywriting Podcast with Fexingo: Sales Letters, Headlines, and Persuasive Writing / How a Postscript Doubled Donation Revenue
Transcript
- Lucas: There's this idea in direct mail that the postscript is the most-read part of any sales letter. And most copywriters nod along, then slap on a P.S. that just restates the offer. But a 1990s case from the American Red Cross shows what happens when you treat the P.S. as its own persuasive engine — not a summary, but a reinforcer. Luna: What did they do differently? Lucas: They had a control package that was pretty standard — a letter from the chapter chair, a brochure about disaster relief, a reply slip. The P.S. simply said something like 'Please send your gift today — every dollar counts.' Typical. Then they tested a version where the P.S. was handwritten, in blue ink, and it read: 'I just got off the phone with our disaster team in Louisiana. They need supplies tonight. Your gift today will be there tomorrow.' Luna: So they made it urgent and specific. But handwritten — that's a tactile cue too. Lucas: Exactly. The test beat the control by 112 percent in revenue per thousand pieces mailed. That's not a small bump — that's a campaign-changer. And the only difference was the postscript. Luna: Why does a P.S. get so much attention? I've heard that readers often skip the body and go straight there. Lucas: Eye-tracking studies from the 1980s, even pre-digital, showed that when people open an envelope, they scan for three things: the letterhead, the signature, and the P.S. The P.S. feels like an afterthought, which ironically makes it feel more authentic — like the writer had a last-minute thought they had to add. That perceived spontaneity builds trust. Luna: And in the Red Cross case, the P.S. wasn't just a summary — it gave new information. That 'just got off the phone' line creates a time stamp. Lucas: Right. It frames the entire letter as urgent and current. The reader thinks, 'This isn't a mass-produced appeal; someone is actually dealing with a crisis right now.' That's the psychological lever — immediacy plus specificity. Luna: Were there other tests? I'm curious if the handwritten style alone lifted response, or if the content mattered more. Lucas: They ran a follow-up test where they used the same handwritten P.S. but replaced the specific disaster reference with a general 'your gift helps families in need.' The lift dropped to 40 percent — still good, but not the 112 percent. So the specificity drove the extra lift. The handwriting added a personal feel, but the real power was in the concrete detail. Lucas: The digital equivalent is the postscript box in an email — that section after the signature. Most marketers stuff it with fine print or unsubscribe links. Instead, you could put a one-sentence update that creates urgency: 'We've already sold 200 of the 500 units available.' Or a personal note: 'I stayed up late packing orders last night — yours will ship first thing.' Luna: It's the same principle — the last thing they read should feel like a real human added it, not a template. Lucas: Exactly. And in direct mail, the P.S. can also serve as a secondary call to action. For example, if the letter asks for a donation, the P.S. might say, 'If you've already donated, thank you — and consider sharing this letter with a friend.' That turns a passive reader into an amplifier. Luna: I've seen that in nonprofit mailers. It's a soft ask, but it works because it's non-threatening. Lucas: There's also a technique called the 'P.S. sandwich' — you open with a P.S. that teases a benefit, then close with a P.S. that reinforces the call to action. Some of the most successful fundraising packages use two postscripts. One Harvard study from the 1970s — actually, let me get this right — one analysis of 200 direct mail packages found that those with two P.S.s outperformed single-P.S. packages by about 25 percent. Luna: But that only works if both add value. If the second P.S. is just repetitive, it'd probably hurt. Lucas: Absolutely. The first P.S. should create urgency or social proof. The second should restate the core offer in a fresh way. If they're redundant, the reader smells formula. Luna: Let's talk about the Red Cross case again — that handwritten touch. In a world of digital everything, handwriting feels almost rebellious. But is it scalable? Lucas: It's not scalable for millions of pieces, no. But for a targeted segment — say, lapsed donors or high-value prospects — handwriting can be done with a machine that simulates real handwriting. There are services that use a robotic arm with an actual pen. It's not cheap, but for a high-value list, the ROI can be enormous. Luna: And for email, the equivalent is a plain-text signature with a personal detail. Not a logo, not a tagline — just 'Lucas, who just got back from the shelter.' Lucas: Yes. And the timing matters. The Red Cross P.S. worked because it referenced a recent conversation. If you're sending a campaign about a winter coat drive, the P.S. could say 'I just saw the forecast — temperatures are dropping to 10 degrees tonight.' That's timely, specific, and emotional. Luna: It's interesting that this tactic is decades old, yet most copy still ignores it. I see so many emails that end with 'Sent from my iPhone' or a generic unsubscribe link. Huge missed opportunity. Lucas: The thing is, the P.S. works because it mimics natural conversation. When you talk to a friend, you often save the most important point for last — 'Oh, and one more thing.' That's the P.S. role. It's the mic drop. If you waste it, you're leaving money on the table. Luna: So the lesson for today's episode: don't treat the P.S. as an afterthought. Treat it as the second headline. Lucas: Exactly. And if you found that useful — if this episode sparked an idea you might actually use — that's exactly why we keep these conversations ad-free. It's listener support that keeps it that way, at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. No pressure, just a small way to say the show matters to you. Luna: Yeah, it's a small thing that adds up. And it lets us keep digging into these specific cases without any sponsor noise. Lucas: So next time you're writing a sales letter or an email, ask yourself: what's the last thing they'll read? Make it count. Because in the Red Cross case, that one line doubled their revenue. And that's the kind of leverage good copy delivers. Luna: One last thought — I've been testing a P.S. in my own newsletter and seen click-through rates jump. The test group got a P.S. with a single question, and open rates didn't change, but clicks went up 18 percent. Lucas: That's a great real-world data point. So the P.S. isn't just for fundraising — it works for any kind of persuasion. And the key is always specificity and humanity. Luna: Alright, thanks Lucas. And to our listeners — go write a P.S. that earns its spot. Lucas: See you next time.