Dimensional Mail Most Effective Direct Response Strategy For B-to-B Sales - Part 1

Want to boost response in your B-to-B mailings? Need to break into new markets, find a new application for an existing product to a new audience? Need to reach out to hard-to-get-at executives and get their attention? Need to increase your response rate to the tune of 300% while increasing ROI?

The answers might be found with one of your vendors, but it's not your list broker, your printer, or your data processing shop - it's at your packaging producer!

The average senior executive receives a minimum of 8,000 messages of various types a day, either through passive billboards and building signage, e-mails, pop-up websites, product packaging on shelves in stores, television, background radio, newspapers and magazines, mail in the in-box, and other sources.

If you want your message to stand out, you had better be prepared to do some homework on your target audience, and give them something they will remember and find actionable.

One of the best ways to show that you really know your target is to send them something they find valuable. Of course, you could send them each a few one hundred dollar bills in an envelope, and if the envelope looked like "unwanted" mail, the only one who would gain would be the clever garbage man who sifted the trash! Even if you send something that is exactly on track, you still have to get it to the recipient and they have to find it intriguing enough to open it. They won't find the value and all that research is wasted unless they get past the "messenger".

Studies commissioned by a major mailer carried out by a well-known research firm(us)have revealed that boosting open rates has direct correlation to sales carry-through. You had probably drawn that conclusion yourself through simple instinct and deduction, but the study proves it beyond a doubt. So now, based on that, the challenge becomes more basic - get their attention and make it intriguing enough to be sure it gets opened, and sales will follow. Well, not quite.

The study of 50 top executives at commercial companies of over 1000 employees along the East Coast made clear that while they were obviously going to have a better chance of purchasing something from a solicitation if they opened the package, those odds only increased by an estimated 20%. That boosts your overall response by .05% - not much help.

One of the more powerful drivers was brand - if they had heard of the firm on the envelope, they were more than 65% more likely to open it than if it came from an unknown source. Previous studies had shown that it takes from 5-8 repeated exposures to yield recognition from an unknown audience. It would then follow that if you send your best and most effective piece first, it stands little chance of getting any attention at all. If you warm-up the prospects to build recognition with simple brand-oriented messaging first, your big guns stand a better chance of being effective and well-received. Clearly, a more in-depth approach and a solid plan based on research is needed. One hit wonders need not apply.

The most revealing statistic to come out of the study was one regarding outer wrapper and its relevance to the target. Over 85% of the executives in the study said they would be more likely to open an item if it was especially large, odd-sized, or appeared to have come by a delivery service other than the U.S. Post Office - FedEx, DHL, even UPS fared better than the USPS to convey urgency. Some companies have gone to great expense to reproduce a faux FedEx envelope as a carrier to great initial success, but only for a short period of time, based on the other revealing statistic from the study. More on that later. These would have to be produced on a huge scale to gain any price economy, and the nature of B-to-B marketing trends toward smaller mail quantities, due to tighter targeting, reduced availability of good lists and market intelligence, and lack of manpower to do follow up necessary to close large-scale sales on high-dollar services and goods.

The downfall of this approach is two-fold:

First, the disappointment factor is very high - expectations are raised when the courier envelope appears on their desk, but upon opening it, they discover they have been "duped" by another irrelevant offer - into the trash it goes.

The second factor is lack of replicability. If you have several executives on your list from the same firm, spreading out the title selects to hit a broader spectrum within each firm, at the same address, receipt will likely occur on the same day at the same time, based on the nature of postal delivery and internal distribution schedules at large enterprises. Execs noted that if anyone lower on the org chart than themselves also received one, it was deemed of lesser importance than it appeared, and into the trash it went. A byproduct of this is that fatigue happens very quickly, and response decline is at least as rapid - recipients are now wary of the "faux FedEx" and are more resistant than ever to opening them. In a sense, they are the antibiotic of the direct response world - they work great for a short while, but the organism develops and immunity to it and it is less and less effective over time. Our research shows that these packages fatigue at an incredible rate, and recapture rates for mailing other offers is almost nil.

Clearly, a better plan is needed. Now that we've outlined the challenge, we'll need to address the strategic approach to overcoming it. When using dimensional mail, the lesson is "Live up to the promise of the package".

David Poulos, Chief Consultant at Granite Partners has been offering marketing guidance to firms for over 25 years. Specialties include non-profit marketing and full-scale strategic marketing campaigns. He can be reached at http://www.granite-part.com or 410-472-4570.

Donor Newsletters Must be Newsworthy in Direct Mail Fundraising

The secret to publishing compelling donor
newsletters is to only publish stories that are
newsworthy to your donors. But how do you decide if a
story is newsworthy? Take this simple test.

Is the story timely?

Is the topic on everyone's mind these days? Did it just
happen? For a story to be newsworthy it must contain
information that is new, recent. Any topic that is current
has the potential to be newsworthy. Think within the
timeframe of your newsletter. Whatever your
publishing schedule (weekly, monthly, quarterly), every
story you publish should deal with events that
occurred since your last newsletter and not
before.

Is the story significant?

Why is it important? Why does it matter? Why does it
matter now? The easiest way to answer this question
is to count the number of people the story affects. If the
story is about the annual board retreat, the number of
people affected is likely the number of people on your
board. But if the story is about a board retreat attended
by Nelson Mandela and Bono, and a donation of $100
million given to fund your latest dream project for inner-
city toddlers, then you have a few more people
affected. People who will find the story significant.

Is the story dramatic?

News is about people. Donors want to read about
amazing people doing amazing things. A story about
Greenpeace activists in the South Atlantic protesting
illegal whaling wasn't dramatic until a Japanese
whaler fired a grenade-tipped harpoon within a few
feet of one of the Greenpeace activists, knocking him
into the deadly, icy waters.

Is the topic odd or unusual?

If your soup kitchen serves 1,000 meals a week, that's
usual. But if one of your guests turns out to be a client
from years ago who has since gone clean, gone
straight and is now a millionaire business owner who
mentors youth, and has returned to your soup kitchen
to tell you he's thankful for your help years ago, that's
unusual.

Is the story controversial?

Are your volunteers chained to the railings of the
Indonesian Embassy in Washington? Has your
executive director gone on record as saying the only
kind of safe sex is that between a man and a woman
who are married for life and monogamous?
newspapers , magazines, tabloids and television and
radio talk shows, as you know, thrive on controversy. If
you can find a story that is controversial but also in
good taste, and relevant to your case for support, you
have a newsworthy story.

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About the author
Alan Sharpe is the author of Breakthrough Fundraising Letters and president of Raiser Sharpe, a full-service direct mail fundraising agency that helps non-profit organizations raise funds, build relationships and retain loyal donors. Sign up for free weekly tips like this, and discover other helpful resources, at www.RaiserSharpe.com.

© 2007 Sharpe Copy Inc. You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the "About the author" message).

Direct Mail Fundraising Letters - Mail an Envelope, Not a Postcard

I have on my desk a direct mail fundraising envelope that I have never opened. And never will. Perhaps you can learn a lesson from its failings.

The offending article was mailed by the Canadian Red Cross. It is a full-colour envelope, 6.5 inches wide and 5.75 inches tall, with a window. The envelope promotes the organization's lottery.

This envelope fails most of the tests in my book.

Here's why.

Test #1: Does the envelope intrigue?

No. This envelope gives everything away. It features no fewer than six photos: a sports car, sailboats, a bunch $100 bills, the Coliseum in Rome, another sports car, and the Taj Mahal. You get the picture. You don't have to guess at the contents of the envelope.

The headlines are equally blunt:

"More prizes!. . . More Choice than ever before!"

"Big prizes! Big cause!"

"The big red. The New Ontario Lottery!"

This envelope fails the test of intrigue. Outer envelopes must intrigue readers to open them, not give everything away.

Test #2: Does the envelope appeal to noble motivations?

No. This envelope appeals to greed and covetousness. Those are short-term motivators. People who give you a donation in exchange for a chance to win a mansion or Mercedes Benz are not supporting your mission. They are not embracing your cause.

Test #3: Does the envelope give the reader a reason not to open it?

Yes. This envelope gives you two reasons to throw it away unopened. One is a phone number: "Call NOW to order tickets 1 800 850 5090." Another is a website: http://www.redcrosslottery.ca. If all you want your recipient to do is phone you or visit your website, mail them a postcard, not a letter.

Your outer envelope has two goals only. Deliver your package contents intact. And persuade the donor to open your envelope. Don't give yourself away. And don't send the donor somewhere else.

To see a large sample of this envelope, visit www.raisersharpe.com/z/redcross.htm.

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About the author
Alan Sharpe publishes Direct Mail Fundraising Today, the free, weekly email newsletter that helps non-profit organizations raise funds, build relationships and retain loyal donors. Alan is the author of Breakthrough Fundraising Letters and 25 handbooks on direct mail fundraising. Alan is also a speaker and workshop leader who delivers public seminars and teleseminars on direct mail fundraising. Sign up for Alan's newsletter at www.RaiserSharpe.com.

© 2007 Alan Sharpe.

Easy and Profitable Direct Mail Campaigns and Ways to Save YOU Money!

When creating a direct mail campaign keep a few things in mind.

1. Target your market! Don't waste a penny on people who have no need for your product or service.

2. Keep it simple. When your prospect sees your offer in the mail, you might have only a second or two to grab their attention. Mysterious envelopes with your offer inside will probably hit the trash before they make it into the house.

3. A simple card with a very clear benefit right up front is perhaps the only thing a prospect will take the time to read, so make this grab their attention. What more do people want than to know exactly what an offer is going to do for them? Not much!

4. If you have a free incentive...give it. Whether it's free information like a special report, or a free trial, people are always interested in the word FREE!

Your business should have a web presence, because most people expect it today. Be sure to put the URL in your mailer and give the prospect a clear and compelling reason to visit your Website. Your business Website doesn't have to be complicated, it might be only one page, but it gives you another opportunity to build a relationship with your prospect.

Put your Website to work to build an email list. Give your prospects a darn good reason to opt in to your email list for special offers, up coming events, sales, or news. An ever growing email list gives you a great way to continue contact with your soon to be customers, and it costs nothing!

The great thing about direct mail marketing today is that it is unnecessary to blanket mail a zip code, or town. Your target market can be narrowed down to prospects who most likely will be in interested in your product or service. Simple things like only homeowners. Then prospects can be further narrowed by age, income, hobbies, or general interests. Do you want to target someone who has little children, or perhaps empty nesters getting ready for retirement? You can clearly see how taking the time to zero in on your target market can save you money. So when purchasing a mailing list, make sure you get the most bang for your buck - Target!

Always focus on how to get your prospects attention in a split second. Once you have their attention, and hopefully further contact by phone or email, then you have the opportunity to explain all the wonderful benefits of your business. Marketing takes time, careful consideration and money, but done well it can sky rocket your business and that's worth the effort!

Think blanketing a zip code is the way to go? A better way is to spend your marketing dollars only on strong leads, folks who want and need your business! We put a bulls eye on your market and bring them home! Join the marketing discussion!

Visit: http://www.targetyourmarket.net

We explore ways to get the most out of your marketing efforts. While there, sign up for my weekly newsletter for up to the minute marketing trends, ideas, and special offers!

Direct Mail Postcard Marketing Tips

Direct mail has been a powerful way to get your message in front of people for many decades. In this article we will take a look at a few direct mail postcard marketing tips.

1. Choose a reputable vendor to print your postcards. If you are working in a business opportunity that suggests a vendor it is probably worth paying a little bit more to them, that it would be to cut corners and find someone yourself.

2. Pay attention to the offer on your postcard. Although you do pay for every square inch of your postcard it needs to be easy to read and feature your offer front and center.

You have a couple of seconds to get someone's attention and the offer should be what their eyes are drawn to. One good thing about direct mail postcard marketing is you know almost instantly whether you have hit upon a good design or not based on the results it gets.

3. Although email marketing is free direct mail postcard marketing is still fairly inexpensive. Based on this fact you should plan on multiple mailings as people need to see an offer several times before they act on it.

4. Include a link to a landing page where you can capture your prospects contact information and follow up for free for many years to come. You do this by using an autoresponder and it allows you to further promote your product or program to them via their email.

This is several direct mail postcard marketing tips that will help your next campaign be more successful.

Bill Bettler

Money On Command

Bill Bettler has been in sales and marketing for over 13 years. He currently makes a Full Time Living as Owner of Money On Command, an Internet Marketing and Direct Sales Company. He brings a fresh and innovative approach that's based on the principle of "Attraction Based Marketing". Born and raised in New York, Bill was previously co-owner of a Mortgage Lending company. Visit At:

[http://www.10K10Days.com]

Split Test Drive Direct Mail

If you aren't split testing your direct mail and other marketing campaigns you are wasting money and missing out on opportunities for more sales! How can I say this with such certainty? Easy because people rarely react exactly how we think they will, so if you are not testing your message chances are you have not hit on the optimum message for your target audience and so your sales are suffering.

Sure you might be getting some sales doing the same old mail out as you have in the past but what if you could double or triple your sales results.

If you use Google's adwords you are probably already aware of what Split Testing is about but for those not as familiar with this term here is a simple explanation.

"Split Testing is a process where you compare the results from two or more different messages to see which message produces the best results. By continually removing the poorer performing message and replacing it with a new message, over time you will arrive at a message that has the most appeal to your audience."

The real beauty of split testing though, is that small incremental improvements compound over time, often resulting in 100%, 200% or more increases in sales.

Split testing has been used by expert direct marketers for probably as long as people have been sending mail, however split testing as a marketing strategy has only recently come back into vogue for most marketers since Google developed adwords.

Unfortunately it is not quite as easy to split test direct mail as in adwords but that is no reason why you shouldn't try.

Split Testing Plan

Here is a simple plan you could follow to split test your direct mail campaign.

1) Firstly you need to only make slight changes. Sending out 2 completely different mail outs will only confuse the issue.

2) Secondly you need a large enough sample size to make differences in response statistically accurate, at least 1000 is probably needed.

3) Thirdly start with big factors first.

Often the biggest obstacle in getting sales from direct mail is just getting them to open the mail or read pass the heading. So a great starting point for split testing is to test the envelope and the heading. If you use a mail house you can easily get them to print two different messages on the front of the envelope. Or to really speed the testing process up, why not test two changes at the same time?

So I would also print 2 letters or flyers with a different heading on the top. So now you have 2 different envelopes and 2 different headings.

So if you have a mailing list of 4000 you could send 1000 each as per the following;

Envelope 1 Heading 1

Envelope 1 Heading 2

Envelope 2 Heading 1

Envelope 2 Heading 2

Now to track you results you might have a different promotion code that the client needs to quote to get the offer say E1H1, E2H1 etc. Or alternatively send 1000 each a week or two apart. (Not quite as accurate but maybe easier to manage and less printing changes)

Now by analysing the results you can see which envelope and which heading performs the best; For example say results were as follows.

Envelope 1 Heading 1 - 2.5%

Envelope 1 Heading 2 - 4.0%

Envelope 2 Heading 1 - 3.5%

Envelope 2 Heading 2 - 4.5%

From this example you can see that Heading 2 out performed heading 1 and also envelope 2 outperformed envelope 1.

Ok now the next time you do a mail out use heading 2 and envelope 2 and test this against a new heading and envelope or use the same procedure to test two different offers, or changes to your sales copy.

By continually improving your message you can literally increase your sales by 100% or more but how is this possible? The answer is in the effect of factors which works much like compound interest. A 15% improvement can equate to 100% in sales.

The compounding power of factors is explained further in my blog link below

Thank you for reading this far, I hope you found this article helpful.

The Power of Compounding Factors is explained further on my web marketing blog [http://funnelwebmarketing.com/blog]

By the way in Australia I choose to use B&C Mail for all my direct mail needs

Measuring the Return on Your Direct Mail Investment

In direct mail lore, there's a rule stating that you can measure the success of your efforts by a minimum response rate of 1-2%.

In other words, if you send out 10,000 pieces, you'll have a successful mailing if at least 100 recipients respond to your offer. (One percent of 10,000 is 100.)

That's one view of direct mailing success.

Permit me to offer a different perspective: one from the small business world. Specifically, I'm referring to those small business people who work by and for themselves. Call them "One-Man Bands," "Working Soloists," "Free Agents," or whatever you'd like.

To help you remember these two perspectives, let's give them a couple of catchy names:

1. The "Playing the Percentages" Perspective. This is the "industry standard 1-2% response rate on your mailings" perspective you've heard so much about. This is the yardstick favored by businesses that are sending large quantities of direct mail to sell mass market products.

For example, if I own a pizza parlor, and I'm doing a "use this card for 10% off on your next order" mailing to all residences within a three-mile radius of my business, I might have a mailing list of 10,000 names.

You'd better believe that I'm going to watch the overall response rate like a hawk, and I'm going to be looking at precisely where those hungry customers are coming from. If most of them are coming from a handful of apartment complexes next to a college campus, I'll know to send my future mailings to those complexes.

2. The "You Only Need A Few" Perspective. This is the one for those One-Man (or One-Woman) Bands who are selling services that take a fair amount of time to provide. Like marketing consulting, public relations services, graphic design, or customized computer software applications.

For these folks, a handful of new or repeat clients from a promotional mailing is quite enough. After all, as the owner of a one-woman graphic design studio told me once, "I don't want to be a victim of my own [direct mail] success."

Martha Retallick, "The Passionate Postcarder," hails from Tucson, Arizona, USA. She is the author of Postcard Marketing Secrets, a downloadable PDF manual that will show you how to put postcards to work for your business?profitably. Learn more about it at:

http://www.PostcardMarketingSecrets.com

Direct Mail Still Works!

Direct Mail Campaigns

Despite the proliferation of communication facilitators--mobile phones, faxes, emails, PDAs--the mail still plays a vital role in successful marketing. Direct mail marketing continues to be one of the leading methods for effectively reaching prospective customers because it can be focused, predictable and economical.

Direct mail is effective and efficient because it is a pinpointed approach. Basically, the campaign is an arrow shot at one individual at an individual location. Through careful mailing-list selection, you can make a personal connection to a consumer who likely needs or wants your product. Mailing lists are the key components to direct mail efforts. The most well-executed mailer or letter will have little effectiveness unless it falls into the hands of an interested or potentially interested person. There are almost endless sources for acquiring a mailing list that is specifically targeted to people or businesses that need or want your product.

In addition, with direct mail campaigning, new sales and contacts are measurable and predictable. There is no need for repeated hit-and-miss guessing and guestimating. Accurate adjustments can be made in subsequent mailings based on tracking responses (i.e. sales, inquiries and reply cards) to each campaign. This ability to track your responses allows you to further refine your mailing list, as well.

A well-planned mail campaign can be a great way to drive targeted traffic to your website where you can collect warm leads. On your mailer, you simply send the reader to a specific page on your website, often called a landing page, which contains a longer version of the promotion and an email opt in form which will collect your warm leads.

Ted Prodromou is an Internet Business Consultant and has been working with the internet since 1991, long before Al Gore invented it. Ted helps you get more web traffic and earn more money online. Download your free report Click Here For More Customers at http://www.netbizexpert.com/clickhere

You are free to distribute this article, providing it remains unchanged and with the resource / bio box attached.

How To Set Up A Totally Free Direct Mail Program For Your Mortgage Business

Glad to see that this article caught your attention. You're going to love this amazing little direct mail mortgage marketing strategy.

This super simple idea will actually allow you to mail 500 or 1,000 or 10,000 or even more...postcards and/or fliers each week for free...all of this without you having to pay one single cent for postage. In fact, this idea is so profitable, that a number of mortgage professionals notified me that they replicated the idea multiple times and created their own lucrative direct mail companies outside of their mortgage businesses. Now that's powerful!

Forgive me for jumping ahead here. Let's start back at the very beginning and explore the details of this idea.

The most expensive part of a direct mail campaign is your postage. For that reason alone, you may not currently be using direct mail in your mortgage business. Your next most expensive item will be your list. The postcard might cost you a few cents apiece to print depending on your quantity. So that's almost nothing.

What all of this boils down to is that it's pretty tough to get a mailing out these days for less than 55 cents each or maybe 65 cents apiece. So that makes direct mail pretty darn pricey. So here's what you do to avoid paying postage, list rental, printing, and even make a profit using this idea.

First, you find out how many people live in your marketing area. What you want is the number of residences in your area. The post office will show you how to do a "Dear Resident" mailing. The post office will deliver your "Dear Resident" postcard very cheap if you are trying to hit every household in a certain zip code or set of zip codes.

If you'd like to personalize the carrier envelope, just look under the Yellow Pages under the category labeled "Mailing Lists," and you'll find a list of local companies that can help you. However, personalization is not a requirement. In fact, most loan officers that use direct mail address their offers to "Dear Resident." You'll also find this reduces costs substantially.

Second, let's say you find out that there are some 12,275 residences in the targeted area you want to reach. What you now do is approach other businesses that would also be interested in reaching these same people with a postcard advertisement. Ask these businesses if they would like to spend, say, 20 or 25 cents instead of 55 or 65 cents to reach a potential customer in their target market.

As a reminder, only approach businesses with this idea that are not competing with you and your mortgage business. There are tons of businesses willing to participate and a good letter promoting the concept will keep your waiting list constantly filled.

All of this sounds pretty simple, doesn't it?

Well, it is. In fact, the odds are good you already receive a mailing like this. There are a number of companies out there that will provide this service for you at a cost. They are called "card deck mailings." Just type "card deck mailing" into Google, and you'll see all kinds of companies come up in the listing that will do your card deck mailing for you. Better yet, when you receive your next mailing...call and check out their pricing. Your card will be ganged in with all the other merchants.

But here's the simple truth. You can save a lot of money my doing these mailings yourself. They are really very easy to do. There is something to be said for that old adage "If you want it done right, do you it yourself." You'll have total control of the process. And especially total control of who is getting your mailing. Very often, the "card deck" mailing companies hit to big a geographical area and include too many folks outside your marketing area. So, do it yourself so you can be certain you're only paying to reach those people you want to reach.

Also, you can gang together more than just postcards in an envelope. You can also gang fliers, letters and other advertising materials. Although I have seen some "card deck" mailings arrive in clear shrink wrap, plain old envelopes work just great.

But whether you do it yourself, or use a company that specializes in card deck mailings, this is a very cost effective way to advertise your business in your local marketing area.

But there is one key you need to be mindful of to make this kind of a mailing work for you. You need to make sure your mortgage message stands out from the other messages in your mailing package. Again, don't offer this opportunity to your competitors...only to those businesses that want to reach the same people in your marketing area.

Here's a great opportunity to actually make money in two businesses.

You'll make money in your mortgage business by promoting your company via your mailing...that is, with your own postcard or flier. And, you can make lots of money selling your direct mail program to your co-op mailing partners. Just mark-up the cost. A 15% mark-up or so to compensate you for your work and initiative is certainly reasonable, and you'll still be under pricing the big national "card deck" mailing services. When you get all your prices together, you may find that you can demand an even larger mark-up.

Start mailing your co-op mailings once a month, and then increase the frequency as you get your systems and procedures in place. I'm sure you can see that there is some great money to be made doing this. If you've got some guts and ambition, you can work this system to a point where you are mailing countless card decks and other co-op mailings per week with very little if any cash outlay. Your co-op mailing partners are funding the entire process and even paying in advance for the privilege of working with you.

I'll let you do the math here on what you could make with this idea if you just mark-up the cost a minimum of 15% to your co-op mailing partners. You may need to consider a part-time assistant early on to make this work for you. Of course, nothing will work if you don't work the plan. To get this system up and running will take a little initiative and some oomph on your part.

At the very least, use this little trick to conduct direct mail marketing campaigns for your mortgage business at no cost to you. It's not at all hard to find six or eight or ten or more businesses that will be more than happy to sign-up for the program and participate with you.

This is a great idea...drop me an email or give me a call...I would love to hear of your success with this program.

Tom Domin is the author of "101 Ways to Originate Mortgages" and publisher of "Tom's Mortgage Tips" a twice monthly Mortgage Newsletter geared for Mortgage Professionals. Put your mortgage career on the fast track and sign-up for FREE at http://www.MortgageMarketingToolKit.com/