Use #1 – Direct Mail for Follow-Up
Using direct mail to follow leads up once they’ve took the first step is an effective way to maximise your conversion and push people closer to the sale.
There are two key strategies.
Firstly, there’s the ‘Shock & Awe’ box – I’ve spoken about this before, but this is a box that you send to a prospect BEFORE a sales appointment or sales call.
The aim of the box is to make the selling really easy –so that rather than trying to convince the prospect why they should work with you, instead the prospect is trying to convince you to work with them.
Inside the box is a host of different documents, from a testimonial booklet, to an FAQ sheet about working with you, to a positioning piece, to a product/service explanation, to a ‘Expectations’ guide.
Essentially, this does all the selling for you, overcomes every objection and makes the sales process effortless, maximising your close-rate.
Secondly, is simply follow-up postcards/mailers. It baffles me that nobody takes advantage of these – you can easily set-up an integration that will trigger a mailing house to send specific pieces of direct mail to leads when they’re at specific stages of your sales process.
This means that after day seven, if a lead hasn’t responded or took an action, you can kick them a postcard as a reminder or if you’re trying to make a sale, you can fire them a printed version of the sales pitch.
Rather than relying entirely on email, you can diversify and hit them from multiple angles.
Use #2 – Direct Mail for Lead-Generation
A big mistake many businesses make is that they buy a big list, they write a direct mail piece and then they send it with no idea whether it will work convert.
The best strategy if you want to mail to a cold audience is to use a two-step campaign.
Let me explain …
Step one – send the cheapest form of mailing possible to the entire list that is aimed at simply getting a response if the recipient is interested in you/what you offer.
This could be by driving them to download a report on your specific expertise, or it could be asking them to request a brochure if they’re looking for help with whatever you offer. If done right, then 5-10% will put their hand up and reply.
These people become your hot prospecting list.
Step two – you can now actually send something special to these people that has the intention of selling/driving an action. You can spend more money as you know these leads are actually interested – which may mean sending handwritten direct mail or including something of high-quality within the envelope.
Plus, because you asked them to put their hand up with the first mailing – as long as you asked for their email and phone number – then you have permission to follow-up each of these leads by giving them a call and putting them through a follow-up process.
This two-step campaign is always my recommendation for cold mailings.
If you’re budget-tight, then you can also replace the first step with an email blast – that serves the same purpose and don’t do anything illegal – but it typically gets a much lower initial response (lucky to get 1%).
Use #3 – Direct Mail for Relationship Building
Basically, sending print newsletters.
It will cost you a couple of pound per prospect each month, and you will have to come up with some content …
… but in terms of credibility building, future-proofing your communication and giving you a platform to develop relationships, build trust and move your prospects in a position where they’re more likely to buy with you … nothing beats good ol’ printed newsletters.
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There you have it.
Three different ways to use direct mail, and if you’re still unsure on how you can best use traditional direct mail in your business, then let us help.
Drop me a personal email at [email protected] letting me know a little about you, your business and your current sales process – I’ll put some thoughts together to share some ways in which you can get “more juice” out of your sales by integrating high-impact direct mail.