Direct Mail Top Six

Direct mail can be the most cost-effective marketing investment your company can make. It can also waste valuable marketing dollars if specific strategies are not incorporated. Most direct mail marketing experts agree that six factors need to be present with each direct mail marketing project.

Here are the six questions to ask about your direct mail marketing project - that can greatly improve the response rate from your direct mail campaigns:

Does it create the right impress-ion - and look appealing?
Is every letter completely personalized?
Does it make a real connection with readers?
Have you used testimonials?
Have you put "you" into the mailing?
Is it easy for the reader to respond?
#1 - Does it create the right impression - and look appealing?

If it looks like "junk mail," it will be treated as such. Make sure the mailing looks professional and reflects the highest standard you can apply.

#2 - Is every letter completely personalized?

"Dear Office Manager" or "Dear Purchasing Agent" letters often end up in the trash basket along with other junk mail. Don’t waste time and money with impersonal mailings.

#3 - Does it make a real connection with readers?

Make sure prospects will feel they missed out on a good thing if they do not respond.

#4 - Have you used testimonials?

Testimonials add credibility and are an extremely powerful marketing and selling tool. Use REAL names and businesses make sure to get their permission first.

#5 - Have you put YOU into the mailing?

Marketing research has found that readers respond more favorably when the words "you" and "your" appear frequently in a direct mail piece. Avoid the temptation to brag about your company or products. Talk about what will BENEFIT the reader.

#6 - Is it easy for the reader to respond?

The EASIER it is for the prospect to respond, the higher the probability s/he WILL respond to your mailing. A toll-free telephone number is an incentive for readers to respond immediately. Include a return envelope and/or fax-back form.

Ready-to-use Marketing Letters

How many times have you thought about sending a direct mail marketing letter to a new prospect or current customer, but didn’t have the time to create the letter? If you are like most professionals, you are too busy making sales to compose letters. But the work has already been done for you. In "Proven $ales Builders" you’ll find letters, forms and proven successful, attention-getting marketing flyers for different sales and marketing opportunities, including:

Seven different introductory letters

Introductory letter worksheets

Four thank you letters

E-mail marketing letter

Follow-up letter after cold call

Letter to bring back the lost customer

Three Annual Agreement letters

Customer Survey Form

Fill-in-the-blanks opening statement examples

Attention-getting opening statements

Step-by-step worksheets

About the Author

Reprint with permission
(Copyright, 2000, Ann Barrs Selling Supplies.com) Reprint permission granted in part or whole when the following credit appears "Reprinted with permission from Ann Barrs Selling Supplies.com Weekly E-Mail Sales Tips. To subscribe free, E-mail to: annbarr@sellingsupplies.com with "subscribe" in the subject line."


annbarr@sellingsupplies.com
www.sellingsupplies.com