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How to Profit from Direct Mail

Posted by vernonsimpson on July 19, 2013

In the next coming weeks I will be talking about developing and running an effective direct mail campaign to boost turnover and profits. You see, if you really want to make dramatic improvements in sales you cannot simple rely on having great presence on line. You need to have a range of strategic marketing weapons to make the most of your target market. And direct mail is one of the most powerful marketing weapons you can have.

You are running a direct-mail campaign every time you mail an existing or potential customer a letter and ask them to respond or take action.

Direct mail is a marketing strategy that can help you achieve a number of business objectives. From lead generation to customer retention, direct mail campaigns are a highly versatile and relatively cost-effective choice for business promotion.

What you probably don’t realise is the direct mail is one of the most targeted marketing strategies you can implement, and one of the easiest to track, measure and analyse results.

It is also one of the most personal. Instead of an advertisement, flyer, newspaper insert or catalogue, you are sending each customer a personalised letter that is tailored to their unique needs and desires.

Getting the most out of your direct mail campaign is easy. With a laser-sharp mailing list and irresistible offer, your direct mail campaign can easily flood your business with qualified leads.

Let’s get started!

A List of Ideal Customers

Unless you spend time carefully crafting a mailing list of ideal customers, you may as well pack and up go home. The success of a direct mail campaign largely rests on the pinpoint accuracy of your mailing list.

The only people you want on your list are your potential “ideal customers.” The people who are most likely to buy from you – often and in large volumes – and who are a delight to deal with. They are the type of people who will account for 80% of your revenue, and just 20% of your total customer base.

You have a number of options when you are creating your mailing list:

• Existing customer database. This is a list of all of the people who have previously purchased from you. It is important to gather their full contact information at the time of sale so you will be able to get contact them again.

• Existing Leads database

This is a list of all of the leads that have come through your door, but have not purchased from you. This may include those who responded to your last direct mail campaign, but have not yet become customers.

• Outsourced list. This is a list that has been purchased from a market research firm, the government, or the post office. These lists are pulled based on demographic information – age, sex, location, income, family structure, etc.

Putting the mailing list together

Once you have determined the source(s) for your mailing list, you will have to spend some time assembling it and preparing it for your mailing.

1. Make sure all contacts are up to date. Phone  old contacts to confirm their mailing address. An out-of-date list will cost you money in printing and postage.

2. Ensure all contacts are accurate to the list criteria. Take a read through your list to make sure there are no contacts that shouldn’t be on the list.

3. Use a database management program to manage your mailing. This will allow you to keep a master list, and create custom lists for each mailing. Remember to save the file name as something that describes the mailing so you can easily find it.

Next week we will talk about writing effective direct mail pieces, and the first two steps of the Five Step Direct Mail Campaign. In the meantime if you want some help in putting your campaign together visit: http://businessgrowthforyou.com

Until the next time.

 

Vernon Simpson, Nydes Business Coach

Coaching Business Owners and Executives to their next level of Excellence