It might be thought that with such high penetration of the internet, direct mail has had its day, but far from it. The average UK household receives significantly less mail than in the United States and web usage is higher there than here. Most progressive firms have realised that a web presence and direct mail complement each other. New offers can be highlighted in a mail message with encouragement to order on-line. They are mutually supportive. Home shopping catalogues are still big business, with customers still preferring to handle and browse the printed page.
Yes, I am talking about junk mail, yet handled sensibly and with some imagination it can be the most cost-effective tool with which to expand your business. So why has it got such a bad name, where does it go wrong? Maybe because it is:
1. Impersonal.
2. Puerile.
3. Wrong subject matter.
4. Of no benefit.
The essence of direct mail is that one person – the seller – is making a personal approach to one identified recipient. Any thing that dilutes that mystique lessens the impact. So letters addressed to 'Dear Sir/Madam' or even 'The Occupier' get scant attention. Even letters addressed to 'Mr Stationery Buyer' or 'The Managing Director', though they may have identified the position, are one step down from a unique individual. Time and money spent on identifying that named individual with his or her job title are never wasted. A list of 500 named individuals, personally addressed and individually signed, is better than a 5,000-name bought-in list of job titles. Quality not quantity.
Most sales letters I get treat me like a moron. 'Your numbers have already passed the first stage and you could win a new yacht.' Invite me to sales seminars at exotic London hotels at only £350 a day. Offer me a free pen rather than say why I should tie up £100 a month for the next 20 years.
Direct mail's major and unique advantage is the ability to pinpoint your prospect exactly. It's the rifle rather than the shotgun approach. If you can draw up a list of all the people who might be users of your product and send them a letter explaining what it is, you have eliminated much of the waste of space advertising.
However, life or selling is not that simple. I once asked an architect friend to save all his post that fell into the direct mail category over a three-week period. It came to about 10 pounds in weight (it is only a small practice). Around 70 per cent was of no relevance at all as it was directed at surveyors, structural engineers and other professions. The senders had not even tried to understand what architects were responsible for. There were several instances of duplication and, in one case, triplication of the same promotional material.
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Note: This article was sent to us by: Carrie Hopkins at 07172010
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