Make an irresistible offer, state it in the first paragraph and repeat it four times. The more believable it is, the more likely it will succeed. According to a Yale University study, some of the most persuasive words are: discovery, easy, guarantee, health, love, money, new, proven, results, safely, save, you, free, bonus, success, order now.
Spell out the benefits of your product or service. You should be seen as offering something different than your competitors. Find a unique benefit to highlight.
The more times you mail, the better your response rate. For the highest response rates, The Direct Marketing Association recommends mailing four times. At the very least, you should follow up your initial mailing with a personal phone call or a second mailer within two weeks. A one to three percent response rate is considered standard.
Letter - the most common form of direct mail is a letter with an order form or business reply envelope. Letters should be personalized and include a postscript (P.S.). A stamp will also increase its chance of being read.
Brochure - great when you want to include pictures, testimonials, examples or a large amount of copy. Remember, a two-color brochure always gets a better response than a one-color brochure. Put your selling message and prime benefits on the front cover. Most people won't read past the cover unless you've piqued their interest.
Catalog - according to a Gallup survey, 36% of respondents buy from catalogs because of convenience. Seventeen percent perceive the prices are lower. Catalogs are also more likely to be saved and have a better chance of being read.
Postcards - postcards have a sense of urgency and informality. Double postcards are easy to use: just tear off the return postcard, check the boxes, and put it in the mail. A postcard mails first class for less than a letter goes bulk rate, so you receive greater delivery at lower costs.
Self-mailer - because they tend to be shorter and less involved, they are generally easier and quicker to produce. They require no outside envelope or collating and stuffing, so they are less expensive to produce.
- Sell the benefits and do it in the first paragraph
- Be lively. You can't bore a person into buying. Keep them interested by asking questions, giving examples and using testimonials
- Repeat your main offer and the major benefits of your product at least three times
- Your works should be honest and believable. Underline the words or use a second color to make a point. Handwrite a short note in the margin.
- Vary the length of each paragraph.
- A two-page letter gets a better response than a one-page letter a four-page letter works better than a two-page letter.
- Personalize your message.
- Involve the reader by asking them to check boxes, answer a question, fill in the blank, jot down some numbers, circle words. Other devices such as stickers, stamps, rub-offs, cartoons, or embossing are techniques for improving response rates.
- Envelopes that work best are ones that have multiple windows, are oversized, mailing tubes, brown paper bags, and ones with creative teaser copy on the front.
The most important element of your offer is the product. In addition, you may include a giveaway or other promotion to get people to look at your mail piece more closely.
- Offer a premium. These include free newsletters, pens, and other attention getters.
- Offer discounts for ordering within a certain time limit or for volume orders. Like 10% off when you buy 3 or more books. A free car wash after ten visits.
- Offer payment options. If you are selling to businesses this is a must. A credit or bill-me offer has been known to improve results. Installment payments can also improve results.
- Offer a free trial period or a demo.
- Buy one get one free. This proven technique is often used by restaurants to attract new customers.
- Run a sweepstakes or contest. The more creative the better.
- Offer rush services, discounted or free shipping. People appreciate fast service, especially when buying seasonal products.
- Try mailing to brand new businesses or new movers to the area. Those groups tend to make the majority of their purchase decisions within the first 60 days. Reach them first and you can win their loyalty and business for many years.
- Discover who your current customers are and market to more people or businesses just like them. Market to groups with whom you have a proven track record.
- Try a new market. If you know who your customers are you also know who isn't. You may be able to pinpoint an area that you haven't yet targeted.
Response rates vary on the product, the offer, the look of the mailer and your list. Although the industry standard is somewhere between a one and three percent response rate. This shouldn't be the only way you determine whether your mailing was successful or not.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Did I get orders?
- What was my return on investment? Did I make money?
- Will my customer buy more than one product in his/her lifetime?
- What will this customer be worth to me over the next 5, 10 or 20 years?
- Will this customer be a potential referral source to other new customers?
If you answered "yes" to most of the questions, chances are that even though you may have had a low response rate your mailing was a success to you. And in many cases one new customer pays for the entire mailing.
Remember that you will get undeliverables. However, with Salesgenie you will receive the most current information so you can lower you number of undeliverables. Our databases are updated monthly; some even weekly to ensure you have the most accurate data available.
Myth - You should get at least a 1% response rate.
The fact is, response rate alone does not tell you whether a mailing succeeded or not. You need to look at the return on your investment to judge.
Myth - A good list won't have any undeliverables.
The fact is, no list is perfect. With all the changes in the business and consumer world every day, it's impossible to maintain 100% deliverability on any list.
- Increase volume of sales among current customers
- Cross-sell additional products
- Build or improve relationships with customers and prospects
- Acquire new customers
- Establish a referral program
- Sell your products directly
- Persuade dealers to stock more of your product
- Obtain qualified leads for your sales force
- Test and measure different offers
- Survey your prospects and find out what their opinions are
Remember this simple rule. Keep your name in front of your existing customers. That way, they won't forget about you and go somewhere else. Mail six times a year to your active customers. For your very best customers, visit them in person at least once a year to wine and dine them.
- Speed
- Focus
- Measurability
In today's fast-paced marketplace, you must respond more quickly to problems and opportunities than ever before. Other forms of communication can take months. With direct mail you can get a message out within days or hours.
Plus your dollars will be spent more cost effectively because they are concentrated on your top prospects in a personalized way. You choose exactly who you want to communicate with. You have much more control and focus with direct mail. Naturally, this increases the effectiveness.
Better yet, the results are directly measurable. Many of our customers test different approaches to determine what will work best.
Information derived from the Complete Marketing Sourcebook, written by John Kremer.