6 Tips For Producing Direct Mail That Sells

1. Don't Scrimp on the list!
2. Test before you invest.
3. Tailor your message as closely as possible to the individual prospect.
4. Speak from the prospects point of view rather than your own.
5. Speak in specifics rather than generalities.
6. Provide a compelling call to action.

Direct mail can be an extraordinarily effective and economical method of targeting specific companies in order to develop new customers for your product or service. Consider the fact that it can cost hundreds of dollars or more to make a single sales call while direct mail can reach prospects for as little as a few dollars each. These economics mean that direct mail makes it possible to reach a much broader audience than you could ever afford to target with personal selling, often making it possible to target potential new markets or niche markets that aren't big enough for traditional selling. In addition, direct mail can work hand in hand with a direct sales effort such as by identifying interested prospects and providing an overview of your sales proposition. It can also serve as an inexpensive method of keeping your offer in the prospect's mind between sales calls. Another important advantage of direct mail is that each prospect receives your message in the precise form that you have specified. This makes it possible to compare the results of alternate approaches on a scientific basis and over time gradually improve your communications efforts.

1. Don't scrimp on the most important factor -- the list.

It is virtually impossible to sell a product to a business that has no need for it. Look for companies and people that fit the profile of your current customers. Analyze the type of firm to which your product or service will appeal.
Spend an equal amount of time considering who is the specific person within the organization most likely to initiate a purchase decision.

Don't overlook the possibility of approaching target markets that you aren't selling to now because you have never targeted them before.
Look for new markets where a change in business conditions may have created an opportunity that didn't exist in the past.

A list consisting of customers and previous inquirers will almost certainly generate better response than a purchased list because of the fact that its members have already proven their interest in your product.
Internal lists, lists of past clients and inquirers, should be supplemented with a list that is compiled and maintained by an outside firm.

One of the most important factors to consider in selecting an outside list is the precision with which it can be segmented.
The best lists allow you to select potential prospects based on a wide range of factors such as size of the company, end product, geographical area, type of manufacturing and business processes, etc.

2. Test before you invest.

The only accurate method of determining the effectiveness of a direct mailing effort is to test it. Previous experience may provide general guidance but even relatively minor changes in the target market or a shift in product emphasis can have a dramatic and unpredictable effect on the results of the new package.
Send out a small sample mailing and measure its response before you go further.

Sample a number of different lists and mailer approaches to compare the relative response and sales of each.

Tabulate the responses and sales produced by each approach.

This type of scientific approach can dramatically improve the effectiveness of your direct mail efforts compared to the normal trial and error approach.

3. Tailor your message as closely as possible to the individual prospect.

In the past, the cost of setting up a mail campaign made it necessary to deliver a one-size-fits-all package. Today, the availability of databases that provide detailed information on individual prospects and computerized personalization tools make it possible to dramatically increase the productivity of your direct mail efforts.
Deliver a message that is tuned to the prospect's individual situation.

Produce direct mail packages that are targeted to specific market segments.

Use text and photos that specifically address a particular type of industry.

Profiling your message helps eliminate wasted mailing costs by forcing you to consider the value of sending your mail to each individual recipient.

4. Speak from the prospect's point of view rather than your own.

Consider the following lead-in to a direct mail piece: "We produce the finest computer simulation software and have a technical support staff that is second to none." The problem with this approach is that it begins talking immediately about the capabilities of the advertiser without making an effort to show the reader why he or she should have any interest. Evaluate the alternative: "Are you spending too much time building prototypes and testing medical product designs that never make it to market because of fluid flow problems? Computer simulation software can help you evaluate your design concepts in a few hours without ever having to cut a single piece of metal."

This approach succeeds because it directly addresses the potential needs of the prospect.

Develop several different mailers that address different possible needs and test each one to determine their relative effectiveness.

5. Speaking in specifics rather than generalities.

The reason that people open a direct mail piece is that they are looking for information. So you need to first establish your credibility by demonstrating that you understand the prospects business situation and the alternatives that are available to them.
The author should have a solid technical understanding of the problem you are addressing.

Provide useful information not already known to the prospect such as test results or testimonials.

Technical people love factual information that concerns them, hard information and specific advantages of products.

If your product or service is unique, provide plenty of technical information to help prospects understand the background.

6. Provide a compelling call to action.

One of the most critical parts of the direct mail piece is the call for action. If you aren't clear yourself what action you want the reader to take, there's very little chance that he or she will think of it on their own.

Make it easy for the prospect to request more information by providing a postage paid card already filled in with the prospect's contact information.

Provide a special web page that prospects could access to request literature that applies to their specific interest and or even describe their problem so it can be evaluated by your technical staff.

Providing a compelling offer can greatly increase the response of a mail package.

Offer a booklet, offer a free technical consultation at the prospect's site, or deliver a free sample of your product.

The mailer is intended to sell the offer rather than the product so be sure to describe it and state its benefits in detail.