Direct mail: jargon-buster

Action devices: techniques used in a piece of direct mail to generate a response.

A.I.D.A: the letters stand for (Get) Attention, (Arouse) Interest, (Stimulate) Desire, (Ask for) Action—what every successful piece of direct mail needs to do.

Bangtail envelope: an envelope with an extra flap which people can tear off to use in responding to a direct mail shot.

Bingo card: direct mail reply card inserted in a publication.

Bounceback: an offer enclosed with a mailing sent to fulfil a customer order.

Cheshire labels: paper that has printed names and addresses that are to be mechanically affixed individually to each piece of direct mail.

Coupon clipper: a person who has expressed interest in direct mail offers—often out of curiosity.

Dummy: name inserted deliberately into a direct mail list to verify how the list is being used.

Floating variable: personalised information that can be placed anywhere within a direct mail laser text, usually within a sentence.

Insert: promotional piece placed in an outgoing package.

Integrated marketing: a combination of two or more forms of marketing in direct mail used to sell a product or service.

Lettershop: company that performs the mechanical details involved with direct mail, including addressing, collating, etc.

Lift letter: an extra component of the mailing piece in which a specific point of the offer is reinforced.

List test: part of the mailing list selected to try to determine the efficacy of the entire direct mail list.

Mail Preference Scheme (MPS): a service where consumers can request to have their names taken off or added to direct mail lists.

Magnetic ink character recognition: ink that can be scanned by optical character reading machines.

Nesting: placing one enclosure within another in a direct mail envelope.

National Sort Plan: preferred sorting sequence according to Royal Mail regulations.

Piggy-back: an offer included in another direct mail offer.

Pop-up: a printed piece pasted into a paper fold in direct mail that will "pop up" when the fold is opened.

Presstream: a Royal Mail discount service similar to Mailsort.

Prospecting: sending mail to generate leads rather than trying to get immediate sales.

Psychographics: characteristics used to denote the lifestyles of customers.

Seed: a name inserted deliberately into a direct mail list to verify list usage.

Teaser: a promotion designed to generate interest in a later advertisement or promotion.

Tip-on: an item stuck to a printed piece.

Traffic builder: a direct mail piece used as a way to draw punters to the mailer's business.