Direct Mail Success Keys: Selling
At last, the final phase! Your potential customers are now educated about your service offerings and they are persuaded that you can solve their problem. Now for the best part: selling.
The term is a little misleading, however. It’s possible to make a sale based on the strength of your direct mail piece, but only if you have some way to purchase directly from the piece. Or, of course, a storefront. Most of the time, though, you are encouraging the potential customer to take the next step, whether it’s picking up the phone, sending the reply mailer, or visiting your website. So rather than direct sales, what selling really means is creating a compelling call to action that transforms a potential customer into an actual one.
“What’s in it for me?” The potential customer needs the answer to that question before they even ask it. They must understand what will happen if they follow through, as well as how it will benefit them. Will they simply receive more information? Will they get help talking through their options on the phone? Can they go to a website for a quote? Leave no uncertainty as to what they are getting themselves into when they take that next step.
Second, the call to action should reflect the habits or proclivities of your target customer. If you’re selling Medicare supplements to seniors, QR codes and website links are not likely the best option. Instead, consider a return mailer or a phone number.
Finally, you must have a plan for dealing with the leads. Returning sales calls, sending out additional materials, web form submissions, etc. – everything needs a plan and procedure for handling. Make sure to have all of these items in place even before the first direct mail piece is sent. Even a perfect direct mail campaign is nothing if the generated leads get flushed down the toilet via poor organization.
Education, persuasion, selling – the three steps to direct mail marketing success. Contact us today and we can help apply these principles to grow your business!