Get the most from your mailings to potential customers using tips from a direct-marketing pro.) What does it take to get someone to buy a car? A personalized letter promising a $1,000 discount ca... What does it take to get someone to buy a car? A personalized letter promising a $1,000 discount can go a long way. Thats what I discovered years ago in Canada when I worked on a direct mail campaign for Ford, promoting Lincolns Town Car, Continental and Mark VIII. We told recipients that all they had to do was visit a dealership, negotiate their best price and then produce the letter to save another $1,000. Sales took off. Consumers are bombarded these days with advertising messages. Direct marketers like me are part of the reason. For 12 years in New York and now in Hollywood, Fla., I have run Lois Geller Marketing Group, a marketing advertising firm with big clients such as J.P. Morgan Chase, as well as other large companies. Sending an offer by mail can cost anywhere from $1.00 to $150 for each prospect, depending on the different components of the campaign. For the most part, direct mail is more expensive than advertising, or e-mail or social media, and it can also be much more effective in the long run. How do you get the most out of the money you invest in your direct mailings, whether you handle them in-house or hire an outside firm? Here are eight of the approaches I recommend to clients. 1. Save the postcards for vacation. The classic letter in an envelope has a much better chance of generating a significant response, in my experience. To most consumers, serious mail comes in a letter, which is private. The act of opening an envelope and unfolding the letter is engaging. A few years ago my company created a two-page letter for a firm that was selling a $2,000 annual subscription service to advertisers and ad agencies. Our client had done fairly well with a post-card campaign. It was generating paid orders at a rate of about 0.75%. We thought we could do better. We created a letter to the ad agencies that said, If you can send me an e-mail with the 4 letter code above, Ill send you a secret that will help you land new business you didnt even know was loose. Each recipient had a private code, available only in the letter. Paid response increased to 11%. 2. Impose a deadline. Give recipients a valuable freebie that they cant get any other way than by responding now. It should fit what you are selling. For instance, if you were a tax preparer trying to attract new clients for next year, you might send a mailing in January of 2013 offering the first 100 new customers a free leather binder to store their 2012 taxes and tell them that the offer would expire on March 15. Potential customers who cant procrastinate will act immediately. We call this a call to action. 3. Emphasize your products benefits, not just its features. Say you are selling a teapot with a spill-proof spout. Rather than simply mention the spouts spill-proof shape, focus on the problems it will prevent: burned hands, ruined suits, embarrassment. How do find out what your prospects will value most about your product? Ask them. For instance, if you were selling the spill-proof teapot, you might want to chat with tea buyers at your local supermarket to find out what teapots they use and how these pots could be improved. 4. Outdo the competition. If you are a dry cleaner, and ABC Cleaners down the street is offering 20% off to new customers, give your regular customers 25% off as an incentive to stay loyal. 5. Use real people. I have found that when we include photos of actual customers or employees, rather than models, in our mailings, the response rates go up. Your direct marketing agency or art director can help you arrange an inexpensive photo shoot and get the permission you need to incorporate the pictures into your ad. 6. Rent the right list. List brokers will offer to sell you all kinds of lists. Ask for those with recent high responses to offers to products similar to yours. I suggest using a list broker whos a member of the Direct Marketing Association, a reputable trade group. 7. Get personal. If it looks like your letter and envelope might have been in the hands of a real human being at some point, customers will be more likely to open it. Sign your letter in blue ink. Use the same ink to highlight a paragraph or to add a margin note. (The art director on your campaign can help you add your black ink handwriting on the layout and change it to blue.) Try a real stamp (or stamps) on the envelope. The more unusual the stamps, the better. Use a blue signature line above the return address. 8. Repeat your offer in the P.S. People often read that one first. When we mail our own newsletter, I usually write personal notes on about 100 of them. I might mention someones family or a catalog their company had done. Typically, about 50% of that group will respond. In an e-mail driven world, a human touch can have a dramatic impact. So, try it. Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com .
Top blog stories
A review of Idmobile.com
Idmobile.com offers both pay-as-you-go and contract plans. Pay-as-you-go plans are ideal for customers who don't want to be tied down to a long-term contract, and they can purchase bundles of data, minutes, and texts as and when they need them.
Idmobile.com offers both pay-as-you-go and contract plans. Pay-as-you-go plans are ideal for customers who don't want to be tied down to a long-term contract, and they can purchase bundles of data, minutes, and texts as and when they need them.
AO.co is a trusted expert in TVs, washing machines, clothes dryers and other household appliances. AO.com is one of the largest retailers in the UK and it specializes in electronics, clothes and home furniture.
At Three, we believe phones are good. They just make life better. Easier. And more fun. But
we all need to find a balance that works for us. Our mission is to help our customers use
their phones to live their best lives.
We make your life easier
Since 1992, we’ve been helping customers get the best deal on their dream phone. We firmly believe in giving you the highest quality, for the lowest price. That’s why we work with three of the UK’s leading networks to do all the haggling for you,...
At Halfords, we're all about the journey. With more than 700 stores with over 10,000 colleagues, we're the UK's leading retailer of automotive and cycling products. We are also the leading operator in MOT, tyres, car servicing and car repairs - pleasing more than 750,000 customers every year.
It's important to us that everyone gets great customer service and can enjoy our products, no matter their level of sight. So, if you're blind, partially sighted or struggle to see or read the screen, we’ve a range of features to help you get the most from our products and...
Look iconic, without the hassle— using Nasty Gal discount codes, you can shop your favorite pieces for way less by simply entering one of our promotional codes (of your choice) at the checkout. From delivery offers, to promo deals, we keep ‘em coming, so you always have the offer you...
The Covid-19 has caused the school and universities to shut down around the world creating a major issue in Learning and Education. As this virus spreads through the interaction and if social distanci... The Covid-19 has caused the school and universities to shut down around the world creating a major...
Why its Important to Manage Your Holiday Calendars?
A printable calendar 2021 is a prominent online platform where you download printable calendars of your choice. These calendars can be customized as per our client requirement with photo, text, logo, or any other image. If you are thinking of planning a dream vacation tour with family and kids but...
A ladies sleepwear basic, the women's robe is an essential lingerie style. The majority of women have at least a couple of robes in their wardrobe. But there is so much more to this favorite lingerie style than velour or cotton robes. The womens robe has become a must have...
0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ ... HOW DO I? By Jr Davis [email protected]` How Do I? Almost everyday of my life, not soon after waking up this is the first question I ask myself. How do I get everything done...
"How will I know when to divorce and finally find freedom for myself and the kids?" you ask yourself again and again. "How can I get this nightmare behind me and just get the fastest divorce possible... Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
Have you stopped smiling due to the poor discolouration of your teeth, uneven length or wide gaps in your mouth? If this is you, shout with joy as you no longer need to suffer with these problems now that Dental Veneers are available. Discover the advances and cost savings now...
This article is addressing one simple but very important question to ask; who will own my domain name? Registering a domain name is one of the very first steps in the web design process and it is one of the most common services that is taken for granted. Part of...
Teeth Whitening is the big buzz at the moment but is it good for you? After treatment some people suffer from Sensitive Teeth and Gum irritations. Did you also know that if you have Crowns or Veneers they will not change colour like your natural teeth? There is a better...
Search topic
Teeth Whitening - Is it Enough?
Teeth Whitening is the big buzz at the moment but is it good for you? After treatment some people suffer from Sensitive Teeth and Gum irritations. Did you also know that if you have Crowns or Veneers they will not change colour like your natural teeth? There is a better...