There is a lot that goes into a successful direct mail campaign. It is not enough to fire off thousands of letters to a random group of people and wait for your phone to ring. For as beneficial as direct mail can be it can also cripple your business if you are not careful. You need to find the right list, with the right letter and the right strategy to get the results you desire. There should be no stone left unturned and no scenario not explored. A direct mail campaign is a costly expense that can often make or break your business. Here are five keys for direct mail success.
- Use A Targeted List. Once you have an idea of what you are going to spend the next step is to put your campaign in motion. Everything should start with a targeted list of sellers. If your letter is not falling into the hands of motivated sellers you will end up wasting time and money. Your mailing list can be anything from delinquent homeowners, foreclosures, absentee owners, recently divorced or probate properties. The approach you take may vary slightly depending on your specific target. It is critical that you spend the time to research the company that is supplying your list. If your list is outdated or inaccurate your mailing will not be a success. It is always better to spend more money on a better list than anything else you do with your campaign. The copywriting of the letter is important but the list is everything. Before you call around you should have a good idea of who you want to target and the specific market you are looking for. The importance of a targeted mailing list cannot be understated.
- Copywriting. After you have your list ready to go you need to focus on the copy. Do you want to use a postcard or a traditional letter inside an envelope? A postcard may be more effective because you have two chances to capture your audience but they will also be more expensive. A letter is more traditional but may not be opened if the envelope is generic. Whatever you decide you need to focus on what you want to say. Your words need to convey what you do and how you do it all within just a few sentences. Whoever reads the postcard or letter is not going to sit down and read it line by line. They will most likely skim over the mailing and make a decision within a few seconds of whether or not they want to reach out to you. If you are not a skilled writer it is a good idea to find a copywriter who can put everything together. It does you no good sending out a shoddy letter that doesn’t prompt action. The goal is to get your phone to ring and not just send something out. Use whatever resources you have to make this happen.
- Consistency. One of the most common areas where direct mail campaigns fail is by not sending them out consistently enough. Before you start your campaign you need to commit to sending your letter out at least a handful of times. On average a recipient will not take action until the sixth time they have read something. Every mailing you make has expenses for paper, envelopes and stamps. These may not seem like much but they add up over time. Even if you have to mail to less people it is better to mail your list more often. There will be times when you only have a couple of calls after your first or second mailing. Instead of giving up look at the list, envelope, and letter to see where you can make improvements. A few small tweaks coupled with mailing a few more times can turn things around for you. If you are not willing to mail your list a minimum of five times you should consider an alternative way of marketing.
- Incoming Call System. How are you going to handle the incoming call volume? If your letter is a success it is not uncommon for you to have a dozen calls a day or more. The key is to capture those calls and turn them into deals. It is always best to pick up your phone and answer as many of these calls as possible. If you let them go to voicemail there is no guarantee they will be willing to talk when you call back. If you cannot answer the calls you should have some kind of automated call center that can handle them for you. Any way you do it there should be a system in place to deal with this. After you hang up the phone you should have a good idea of what kind of potential deal you have and just how motivated the seller is.
- Follow Up. Every call that comes in should be stored in a dedicated mailing spreadsheet. From there you should plan on following up with everyone that calls within 24 of speaking with them. What they say in the initial conversation may be quite different than the next time you speak. Either way you should never dismiss a lead based on the initial conversation. There are many deals that don’t materialize until after the fifth time you follow up with them. You never know when the person may be waiting for the right time to act. If you want to get the most out of your mailing you need to be willing to follow up with every incoming call multiple times.
A good direct mailing campaign can give your business an immediate jumpstart. Focus on the important areas and remember what your campaign needs to be successful.
