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SWB
DGeneralUpdated 2 Nov 2026

Direct mail

Marketing method that sends promotional materials directly to potential customers.

Definition

Direct mail is the marketing method that sends promotional materials directly to potential customers. Founders reach for it when a vague conversation needs a shared, specific meaning. Name it clearly, then let the next decision — a hire, a price, a test, or a pass — follow from that meaning.

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In the room

How the word shows up in a real conversation.

You know Direct mail is doing work when it changes a weekly choice — price, hire, channel, or kill. The working definition: Marketing method that sends promotional materials directly to potential customers.

Common mistake

Using Direct mail as a label instead of a fact. If you cannot point to the evidence — a number, a customer, or a written assumption — you are using the word as jargon.

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