7 Secrets to Winning the Direct Mail Game
By Larry Brophy
Posted Thursday, August 19, 2004
If you want to find lots of new customers, here's seven things you'll want to be sure to check before you mail the first piece.
1. Look at your direct mail as your recipient will look at it.
This is much easier to say than to do. To create successful direct mail you need to talk with your customer. Find out what's important to the people who buy what you sell.
2. Remember your primary objective - what you want your prospect to do.
As you create your direct mail think "Why am I sending this mail to this prospect at this time?" That is, what do you want the recipient to do when they get your mail?
Whatever it is it had better be important. Something significant. It should lead to a positive and profitable end result.
3. Does your Number One benefit hit your prospect right between the eyes?
No matter the product or service, there're always a collection of benefits. Find out why people buy from you. How they use your product. Learn their level of satisfaction. When you do this you'll soon have the #1 benefit clearly identified.
4. Does your direct mail package "flow"?
Make certain your direct mail "flows", so your audience sees it as all together. And, make certain it looks like you.
5. Does your direct mail address the benefits you offer against the NEEDS of the prospect?
First, talk benefits. It's fine to want or dream or desire. But if that's where your prospect stays - you'll never sell them a thing.
You must turn the "want" into a NEED. Show how your product or service fulfills the "dream" - which makes it a NEED. If you can show their NEED will be met, you've got a new customer. If not, you don't.
6. Is there a reason to act now?
An offer is mandatory in direct mail. The offer is a reason for your prospect to consider doing business with you - NOW!
Offers rarely make the sale. What an offer does is STOP your prospect. Makes them pause. To consider doing business with you.
Always have an offer in your direct mail.
7. Is it easy to reply to your direct mail - now?
The easier you are to do business with the more likely you are to gain new business. Adopt the philosophy you'll take business anyway you can get it. If you'd rather get it by e-mail ... fine, list your e-address first. Along with your phone, fax, web site and "snail-mail" address.
The more convenient you are to reach, the more likely you are to be found ... and to do business with.
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