Direct Mail Tells and Sells Simultaneously

One of the older sayings in the sales game is “Telling isn’t Selling”. This means that if you’re just rattling on about how wonderful your product or service is to a customer without first getting to know his or her needs and wants; you’re wasting everybody’s time. Direct mail marketing has the ability to tell and sell simultaneously.

If you’re not telling a customer about your product or service you definitely won’t sell it! We are after all, not therapists sitting in front of the prospect and doing nothing but asking questions. A client will get pretty bored with that sooner rather than later.

Direct mail marketing through the targeted lead list gets to who is most likely ready and able to purchase your good or service. What you need is intelligence about your customer. These profiles are not 100% accurate (there is always the occasional 70 year old who can’t wait to get their hands on the new Halo game) but they should be accurate enough to give you an idea of who will be most receptive to your message.

Direct marketing is the science and art of using a combination of the right message along with the proper audience to maximize the effectiveness of the “telling”. Premier Advantage Marketing has access to customer lists that can be tailored to a specific demographic or profile. This along with creatively structuring a compelling message and offer will make the best use of your direct marketing dollar.

Premier Advantage Marketing primarily uses direct mail for tangibility and personalization. It can also be very effectively leveraged in a multi-channel marketing program along with digital and other media.

Using direct marketing targeted lead generation will get you to the “telling” part of your message with a much better chance of finding somebody willing to listen. This makes the “selling” part much easier when it is to a receptive audience. Now telling really is selling.

12 FAST DIRECT MAIL TESTS FOR CHEAPSKATES

Source: Dean Rieck, Direct Creative Blog 

So you want to boost your direct mail response? Okay, just start shoveling money into a few dozen tests and …

What’s that? You don’t have a big budget for all the testing you’d love to do? You don’t have time to run a bunch of tests? No problem.

One of the great things about direct mail is that, with just a little ingenuity, you can test quickly and on the cheap to improve your results.

Here are 12 quick and easy testing ideas for cheapskates:

Change your outer envelope. A new color or a different size may be all it takes to get people to take a second look at a package they’ve seen too many times. You can also try switching from a teaser envelope to a plain one or vice versa. And faux express envelopes are often worth a test.

Test a new letter. It can be an all-new letter from scratch. Or a longer version of your current letter with more detail. Or a shorter version with less detail. Or a modified version with a new spin on the headlines and opening paragraphs.

Remove your brochure. Believe it or not, response often picks up without that elaborate brochure. It may be that removing the brochure simply gets people to read the letter more thoroughly. This doesn’t always work, but as tests go, you can’t get any simpler.

Include a stand-alone reply form. You should be doing this anyway, but if not, try it. It doesn’t matter if another piece already has a reply form. This is just a test. And if it works, you can make further modifications later.

Insert a lift note. This is an easy way to overcome a major objection or highlight a key benefit. Just remember to keep it short and have it signed by someone other than the person who signs the main letter. If you have a celebrity or authority who can sign it, all the better.

Strengthen your offer. This is where you can usually make the most difference. All things being equal, the best offer you can make is a free trial. The second best is a money-back guarantee. If you don’t want to change your offer completely, try turning it into a yes/no offer, or a yes/maybe offer where “yes” is a purchase and “maybe” is a request for more information. Of course, sweepstakes can always add a lift, but your customer quality will usually go downhill.

Offer something free. It’s generally better than discounting your product and gives you the opportunity to use the magic word “FREE.” It can be a free gift, free shipping, free add-ons, free subscription to your newsletter or catalog, whatever.

Add a time limit. This almost always boosts response. You can connect the time limit to your main offer or to your premium. One easy way to add this to a preexisting package or mailer is to create a simple piece of art that looks like you’ve rubber-stamped the deadline. It should be ugly and realistic.

Highlight your guarantee. In a package, you should feature it prominently in the letter, brochure, and order form. If your guarantee is strong—and it should be—you can also create an insert or lift note that explains your guarantee in detail. In a self-mailer, you should place your guarantee on the primary selling panel and on the reply panel.

Build a package around your self-mailer. You’ll need an outer envelope, basic letter, reply form, and BRE. Add your self-mailer as the brochure and presto! You have a complete direct mail package. It’s not an ideal solution but good enough for a quick test.

Mail your print ad. Just print it, fold it, and insert it into a plain envelope with a little note that says something like, “I thought you would find this interesting” or “Try this. It works.” You might also try adding a BRE or reply envelope with a live stamp to help ease response. You may even try adding a reply form so people don’t have to cut out the coupon.

Try the two-step. First mail a postcard or small self-mailer offering free information on your product. Then fulfill requests with your direct mail package. Just make sure to modify the package with envelope copy that says something like, “Here’s the information you asked for.”

Wide-Format Printing Thoughts              
Source:  John Carew

Recently a colleague approached me regarding a straightforward wide-format graphic print and installation project. As the dialogue continued with the client, we realized the details surrounding the project were adding a level of complexity that required a higher level of attention. This post is designed to give you a basic sense of the questions to ask when approaching a wide-format graphics project.

Whether your wide-format printing project covers an office wall, conference room window, high-end window display, or city apartment building, considering a few key points can make the project more successful.

DurationHow long will the graphics remain in place?

Wide-format substrates can vary significantly from one to another. The material used for a massive billboard may cost as little as a quarter per square foot, whereas the more versatile vinyl used for vehicle wraps may be more than a dollar per square foot. It is critical to the success of any wide-format printing project to know how long the graphics need to be in place in order to the best substrate for the installation.

SurfaceWhat type of surface will the graphics be installed on? Glass, drywall, concrete, metal?

A project can fail––literally fall off the wall onto a client or customer’s head––if the wrong material is selected. The complexity of a specific location can add hundreds of dollars to the installation cost as well.

ImageryWhat kinds of images will be printed? Full-color images or type only?

Believe it or not, not all digital output devices are created equal, and not every wide-format printer prints using the same settings. One printer may be running its machines at a higher resolution while a lower-priced vendor is running them at the bare minimum. In reality, if the graphics were intended to support the sale of a high-end product, the print from the lower-cost vendor using lower resolution would most likely detract from the buying experience. It is important to provide an early mock-up of the planned graphics for the wide-format project. If the project is printing skin tone, cosmetics, or a neutral color like silver, color consistency and high resolution will be critical, whereas large solids and small images may make the lower-cost printing option work out just fine.

LocationWhere will the graphics be installed?

Is the location outside or inside?

“Location, location, location” applies to wide-format graphics as well as real estate. Indoors or outdoors is the biggest factor, but if graphics will be installed on a narrow, closed window in direct Miami sun for 10–12 hours per day midsummer, that could make or break a wide-format graphics project. Graphics installed against the top edge of a wall in close proximity to an air conditioning vent will, with the changes in temperature and dust produced from the ventilation system over time, peel from the wall if not properly reinforced and printed on the correct substrate for the wall type.

There are several other dozen factors that should be taken into account when printing wide-format graphics, but considering duration, surface, imagery, and location will get you on the right path.