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ANSWERING COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON DIRECT MAIL
What’s the
first thing you think of when you hear “direct mail”?
I’d bet you say “junk mail” right? WRONG!
Direct mail is only junk mail if people are not interested in what you
send them.
If you carefully target who your potential clients are and provide them
with interesting and exciting information, then who would ever think
that would be junk mail? NOT ME, or any other interesting person.
So how do you target your potential clients
you ask?
If your clever you would already be sitting on a goldmine, every time
someone comes into your business whether they buy something or not, are
the people your after. They have found something of interest in your
company so you need to get their details. They may not want to buy today
but give them an interesting reason to return and they will be back. The
minimum quantity you should be aiming for is 500.
What are the components of a direct mail
pack?
Direct mail packs come in all shapes and sizes, though they usually
include:
- letter
- brochure
- reply paid envelope
- and outer envelope
Depending on your budget, you could include anything from product
samples to vouchers and one client even had a ‘lolly pop’. As long
as it can be posted, it can be part of a mail pack.
Every element of your mailing should include a mention of your offer, as
well as your company's name, address and phone number. Be particularly
careful that your response device states your offer clearly, as people
won't respond to an offer they don't fully understand.
Finally, make it easy for people to order, by giving them a simple order
form with enough space for them to write their names and addresses
clearly.
Should a mailing be personalised?
Yes! Everybody likes recognition, and the more recognition you give
them, the more they will warm to you. Simple strategies, such as using
the recipient's name in the salutation, may give you a significantly
higher response rate than a letter that begins with a generalised
address such as 'Dear Customer'.
Ensure that customer information on your database is up to date - mail
sent to the wrong address, or which gets the recipient’s name wrong, can
damage the customer relationship.
Letters add a personal touch to the mailing, so think carefully before
you decide to send out a mailing without one. A P.S. at the bottom of
your letter, is also a must; most people scan to this fairly quickly –
so great idea to include on your letter or brochure.
Finding it hard to get your database to a
reasonable size?
Don’t worry that’s where Lasermail will help.
We have so many lists available, from CEO’s in various industries,
marketing contacts, investors, top 2000 companies, to the whole YELLOW
PAGES fast find classifications.
Once you gather your client base, you will then need to keep in contact
with them. A newsletter, an update, a magazine, vouchers anything that
would catch their eye.
The easiest way to grow your business is to look after your clients you
already know enjoy using your services or products.
You may say, why should I buy from you as
opposed to the competition in the industry?
Our key aim is to keep you up to date on the progress of your job,
remembering that you are what keeps us in business and what extra steps
we can take to make your experience with Lasermail truly enjoyable.
I’d like to ask you a question.
How long does it usually take you to receive a quote? 2-4 days?
Well here at Lasermail we think that is too long. Our motto is, if you
took the time to call us then you deserve the respect of a prompt
itemised proposal within 1 working day. YES, you read that right we will get that
price to you within 1 working day. We know how frustrating it can be, knowing you
are waiting so we want to take that pain away.
Do you ask for a price and all you get is a
unit rate?
YES! Well how do know exactly what you’ve been charged for? We have seen
from experience that you want to know everything you are paying money
for (& rightly so!), so the importance here is to give you itemised
pricing with a true idea of the end price.
Is there any mailing format that
consistently performs better than the others?
This depends on what you're mailing. The classic direct mail pack that
includes a letter and brochure is tried and true, however, and
consistently performs well. Never be tempted to send the brochure alone
and leave out the letter! Direct marketing packs that encourage the
recipient to interact with the piece (eg vouchers, offers, fax backs,
reply paids) can often increase response.
How long should a letter be?
Direct marketing wisdom has it that a letter should be as long as it
needs to be. If you need to take several pages to tell your story, then
do so.
However, remember that people are busy, and don't like wasting time. Get
to the point quickly, you will only annoy your reader if you dont.
Bullet points, benefits, a guarantee, great offer as subheadings will
make the letter more attractive and high light major points.
What affects the response rate of a Direct
Mail piece?
While there are exact answers, some things seem to affect response rates
more than others. In general, the list you use for your mailing is the
most important thing in determining response, followed by the offer you
make. From there, timing can play a big role in response, and so can
creative execution.
How can the success of a Direct Mail
campaign be measured?
This depends on what you set out to achieve and is the reason that
setting yourself specific targets is so important. Are you attempting to
create long-term customer loyalty? Tracking responses to your campaign
is what will show if you have been successful or not.
Will the response rates be affected by
different times of the year?
Different times of the year will certainly provoke different responses
for many items. Gift catalogues, for example, will often do better at
Christmas than at other times of the year. Other seasonal variations may
be more subtle, and it's worth experimenting with timing to see what
gives you the best response.
Send out test mailings at different times to map the seasonal rises and
falls for your product. Also consider the timing of your competitors'
mailing. And if you have a package that performed under your
expectations, try sending it out again at a different time of year.
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