Junk Mail is Direct Mail that doesn't work.

Make Direct Mail work for you.

Contact your customers and potential customers regularly, keep them up to date with what you are doing. They are probably already talking to your competitors.

Make sure that your companies products are always considered when a purchasing decision is about to be made. Keep your companies' name in the forefront of your potential customers mind.

Be very careful with what you say and how you say it. It can make a lot of difference.

Make sure your mailing passes the five second test

Look at the junk mail you opened this morning. You knew straight away that it was rubbish. Either you should never have been sent it, or you lost patience with it before you registered the message.

Only mail to people who would be interested

Use the names and addresses of people who have already bought from you or have responded to your press releases or adverts. These people are worth a goldmine. They have already told you that they are interested!

Consider buying or renting lists, but be careful, there are lots of lists out there. Be sure that you know where the list has come from so that you are convinced that a high enough proportion of it will be potential customers.

Overprint the envelope?

There is lots of space on an envelope that can be used to help your message. The cost of overprinting can be quite low.

Check list

Direct mail needs to be structured and planned the same as most publicity.  It must: -

Grab attention

Create interest

Stimulate desire

Build confidence, add proof

Promote action

Make it personal

With computers, it is incredibly easy to personally address and sign letters to your clients and potential customers. 

Tips for letters

Always have a headline.   Always have a P.S.   These are the two parts of a letter that are always read. Don't waste them.

Special offers work - but not for everyone.

A special offer of a reduced price or freebie can have three important effects.

It can give you a good headline to make the mailing noticed.
It can bring the buying decision forward. But more important,
It can stop the sale going to your competitor.

The downsides are the cost of the special offer and the risk that it may devalue the market's perception of your products and company.

Make sure that the special offer will be equally attractive to everyone. Not everyone wants to take a trip to Paris, not everyone likes Champagne.

Be careful not to offer a discount to someone who has just paid full price.

But if your competitor's are doing it????
Or if you need a quick injection of cash????

Make your mailings earn their keep.

Monitor the response to each mailing and analyse the results. Try changes to see if you can improve the response. Be in control.  Use Management Accounting