| If this is the first marketing article you are | | | | matter what you do to them, most envelopes |
| reading, go find some other more basic articles | | | | look basically the same. Print on them in color, |
| that I have written and then come back. This | | | | make a window, stamp it urgent - your |
| data is for the intermediate to advanced | | | | customers have seen all these tricks before. |
| marketers. | | | | They get thrown away before they're even |
| I want to go over a three-step outline for your | | | | opened. They can tell from the outside that it is a |
| marketing which are: | | | | sales pitch and they just get rid of it. This causes |
| 1) Surveys | | | | you to lose sales because of assumptions made |
| 2) Getting Attention | | | | before you even try to get your message |
| 3) Postage | | | | across, when if you had the chance to let the |
| Marketing surveys save you from flying blind in | | | | customer know what you were offering they |
| your business marketing strategies and are the | | | | might have gone for it. Plain and simple, the |
| best way to find out what you should be offering, | | | | easiest way to get around this is by using |
| to whom and how. When you don't really know | | | | postcards. |
| what to put in your direct mail marketing it's | | | | Not only does the full color aspect of postcards |
| because you haven't done your research. | | | | attract more attention than all of the envelopes in |
| In order to get the response you would like on | | | | any given day's stack of mail, but it will allow you |
| your direct mail marketing campaign, one area | | | | to get your message across while recipients are |
| you need to look at is whether or not you are | | | | making the decision of what to read and what to |
| using a survey to find out what to say to your | | | | throw away. |
| public. You may immediately answer "No - I don't | | | | Let's use this example: |
| survey." But truthfully, it's very possible you do | | | | You are sitting on the subway and the guy next |
| and just don't realize it....read on. | | | | to you leans over and says "I have something I |
| You know your market quite well because you | | | | would like to sell you and it's under my trench |
| already sell to them. You're unwittingly surveying | | | | coat, are you interested?" So as any sane person |
| all the time. Take this example: | | | | would do, you move to the furthest seat from |
| An optometrist has an optical boutique. He knows | | | | him so not to be bothered. |
| that the biggest market for his eyewear are | | | | As you now sit in the farthest seat from the |
| women from the ages of 40 to 65 years old. | | | | untrustworthy freak in the trench coat you are |
| How does he know that? His women's frame | | | | approached by a smiling little Girl Scout who holds |
| inventory is constantly being restocked fives | | | | out a box of cookies and says "Would you like to |
| times more than his men's frame stock or even | | | | buy a box of cookies? Everyone loves the |
| children's. And the types of women's frames are | | | | Thin-Mints!" So this time you pull out your wallet |
| ones compatible with no-line bifocals. Interesting! | | | | and plunk down the $3 for a box of delicious |
| Let's look at what else this optometrist knows. He | | | | cholesterol and sugar. |
| knows that these women pay a higher price point | | | | See the difference? Don't hide your message |
| for their eyewear because the products he keeps | | | | behind a trench coat. For all we know the |
| reordering are from the more upscale designers | | | | "untrustworthy freak", as I have affectionately |
| so these women probably have more | | | | named him, could have had a box of Thin-Mints |
| discretionary income. That is what I mean by | | | | under there. |
| surveying unwittingly. | | | | We may never know, and neither will your |
| Now let's take an example where you are sure | | | | customers if you don't stop stuffing your promo |
| you have no data: | | | | into bland looking envelopes. |
| You are a mortgage broker and you don't know | | | | Now, make the final step easy and take out the |
| what to say to people to get them to refinance | | | | hassle of direct mail. |
| their property, yet this is the area you specialize | | | | It's one thing to get postcards designed and |
| in. You assume that the best deal will attract | | | | printed. It's another to get them into the hands of |
| more customers. You conduct a marketing | | | | the recipients rapidly, efficiently, as inexpensively |
| survey, or get a marketing survey conducted for | | | | as possible and without too much hassle. You |
| you that asks people indirectly for their attitudes | | | | have the choice of doing it yourself in house or |
| and emotions concerning refinancing and what | | | | getting someone to do it for you. |
| would be the advantages and disadvantages. You | | | | The apparent advantage of doing it yourself is |
| find the majority of people would like to refinance | | | | that you don't pay someone else what they |
| but think it is a very complicated procedure and | | | | charge to do it for you. The disadvantage of |
| so they never try. From this information you are | | | | doing it yourself is that it's going to cost you |
| able to determine what the tone and message of | | | | more in the long run. |
| your advertising should take. | | | | Why? |
| So, what should your promotion say? How about | | | | Normally your postage for a 4.25 x 6" postcard is |
| "We'll take the hassle out of refinancing for you. | | | | 23¢. Direct mail companies can lease special |
| Find out how." You will get a response. You could | | | | software from the USPS which reads the |
| send out thousands of promotional pieces telling | | | | addresses and barcodes them. The post office |
| your prospects that you can get them the lowest | | | | gives a significant discount for bar-coded mail. |
| rate, but that isn't their concern. Their concern is | | | | Updating this software often (every three |
| that it's too complicated. Do you see how you | | | | months) ensures that the addresses you are |
| could miss? A survey is the answer. | | | | mailing to are good. If the person is no longer at |
| It is smart business to design a survey (or have | | | | that address then it's a waste of your money to |
| one designed) to send out to your past | | | | mail to them. |
| customers that will keep you in the know, and | | | | Because of the high tech equipment and software |
| not in the dark. | | | | direct mail companies use, you can sometimes |
| Now let's go into the next logical sequence of how | | | | save as much as .04 cents per card. And you |
| to break the first barrier of getting attention, so | | | | don't have all the hassle of getting the mailing out |
| the "button" you found from your survey hits | | | | yourself. |
| them before they throw away your promotion | | | | I call it a no-brainer: a technical term for saving |
| before ever even reading it. | | | | money and hassle by getting someone else to do |
| Ditch the Envelopes! | | | | your mailing for you. If you have been doing it the |
| The most common question that is asked when | | | | hard way, switch over to a direct mail marketing |
| dealing with direct mail is "How do I get their | | | | company. I am sure they will be glad to help you |
| attention?" This is a major problem because, no | | | | save money, time and trouble. |