The Direct Mail Letter Is Dead?

The direct mail letter is dead. At least, that’s what my mailbox is telling me every day.

I see dozens of promotions using envelopes containing brochures, postcards, coupons and self-mailers combining all of these. But more and more, these packages contain no letter.

Do you think the audience is too busy to read a letter that was originally designed to create some level of personal connection with the prospect?

Most direct response writers I know or work with use these terms to describe the letter in a direct mail package.

-The persuader
-The seller
-The salesman in disguise
-The Sales Letter

Why am I seeing fewer and fewer letters? Has testing shown these advertisers that letters are a waste of money and essentially dead? What do you think?