It's not just a print job. Examine these tactics to better sell direct mail.
"Start at the end result and work your way forward," said Lindsay Gray, vice president of Acculink, Greenville, N.C. After lengthy deliberations over the most effective ways to sell direct mail, Gray settled on this simple advice to help shift the typical distributor's perspective: Encourage distributors to move out of the mind-set that direct mail is a print job and into the idea that it is a campaign. "That is how distributors have to approach it," Gray said. "Direct mail is something that has to be sold through advertising methods, as opposed to traditional broker methods."
A manufacturer of various forms of direct mail, Acculink makes use of specialized equipment—such as the Indigo 3050 HP digital press—to produce highly complex variable printing. The company has produced everything from creative scratch-off card dealership campaigns to utility bills, and continues to look for new and better ways to utilize direct mail products.
Be a Marketer
However, telling distributors to think "campaign" is just the beginning. For further explanation, Gray said that distributors need to function as complete solution providers. "They've got to be a part of the marketing team," he said. "It's the only reason that clients will be willing to pay more money for a product that they can easily get on the Internet."
To do this, Gray advised distributors to better understand marketing, how to measure response and how to plan a campaign involving mailers. For instance, he added, one of Acculink's customers is a large auto dealership that utilized a sweepstakes insurance incentive to draw in buyers. A postcard was sent with a message that instructed readers to bring the postcard to the dealership, where it would be scratched off in front of salespeople. "The incentive was large enough to pique people's interest, and it brought them to the salesperson's door, increasing the number of potential sales for that dealership," he said. "My point is that by proposing ideas that fit the end-user's needs, more direct mail sales can be made. And, direct mail ideas are measurable. The end-user can have proof of their effectiveness. That, in itself, is a selling point."
Go for Data
Once distributors develop the sense of being marketers, they then need to find ways to get in touch with a client's database and manage it effectively. "The challenge is to find those who have access to the database and help them understand what they have," said Gray. "A successful marketing plan involves analyzing data, slicing it up in segments according to age, interest, buying patterns, and so on. Then, targeted messages can be devised, resulting in response rates that will quadruple … and that is what you say in the sales pitch for direct mail."
It is also imperative that distributors tell clients about the importance of clean, updated databases. Joe Garrett, co-owner of DDP Mailing and Electronic Printing, Delaware, Ohio—a nationwide mailer specializing in personalized mailings for the trade industry—said that distributors who know the ins and outs of mailing and database management will fare better when making that direct mail sale.
For instance, he said, brokers can ensure that the mailer is performing services that customers do not know exist. "You'd be surprised at the number of times we've had a printer that was using outdated data. We had a job come up for 100,000 pieces. That client said that three out of four times that it mailed a direct mail piece, it got 30,000 back. On the fourth mailing, the customer did not get any postcards sent back," said Garrett. "What was different? The last mailing was sent first-class and was forwarded to the right address, which means that the previous mailings were thrown in the trash."
According to Garrett, the customer needed to simply update its address base. "This is an area where distributors can bring value to their clients," he said.
Become Targeted
The database is also essential in capturing new customers in unique ways. Gray said that distributors can suggest to clients just how targeted they can become, which results in more efficient and effective direct mail campaigns. "Go in and identify target audiences by age, income, family size, etc.," said Gray. "Maybe a bank's database indicates that a customer has been in a house for 10 years. And, maybe that bank wants to sell equity loans, insurance or financial planning services that the customer is not using. That bank can then send a personalized postcard with a reference number directing the customer to a Web site where his or her name and unique number can be input. Afterwards, the customer is then linked to a custom Web site listing links to other offers and thanking the customer for visiting."
Joe Garrett added that personalized direct mail touches recipients in a deeper way. "The post office says that people view mail as more personal than other means of selling products. That mail becomes even more personal when it has customers' names printed throughout and appeals to their specific interests," he said.
To enhance the sales pitch for direct mail, Garrett suggests bringing samples and case studies of previously successful campaigns. "The tough part about selling direct mail is that it is intangible. The only true judge is the return on that mailing. Detailing successful responses of other campaigns will be what helps push the sale."
Puzzle Piece
Another way to get clients to buy into direct mail is to tell them it is just one piece of the puzzle for potential business. Garrett and Gray said that clients will often use direct mail to segue into other marketing streams. "In the case that I mentioned before with the bank, customers are led to a Web site where they are directed to other links and are asked to input additional information," said Gray. "The Web site captures that new data, and the client can see that certain customers visited the equity loan link and spent 30 minutes there, while others went to the college planning link and spent 40 minutes there. Now, the bank has more areas of interest to work with."
Gray said that some customers may not realize that sending out a simple direct mail postcard can result in such tremendous value—another point that distributors need to make.
In addition, both Garrett and Gray said that repetition is key. "On television or in radio, you don't just see and hear one commercial for a product. Multiple spots are run to make a sale. It takes exposure to get a response, and the same is true with direct mail," said Gray. The benefit of multiple mailings, they agreed, is that the message can be different each time. Different offers are bound to trigger different people at different times.
Joe Garrett explained. "Some people may respond to a 20-percent-off offer, whereas others will respond to a free meal. Then, the client can become even more targeted by sending specific offers only to those who responded to that offer in the past," he said.
Final Sale
In the end, it all comes down to money. And, on the sales call, distributors need to demonstrate the cost value of direct mail. "I think it goes back to the dollars that you spend vs. the dollars that you generate," said Garrett. "With broadcast-type marketing, end-users will spend a lot of dollars without personalization. With direct mail, the message is going right into the mailbox. People view their mailboxes as 'theirs,' and it just makes a better connection and generates a higher response."
Imparting wisdom bestowed upon him at a recent seminar, Gray said that when people go to bed at night, they don't dream about saving money—they dream about making money or getting what they want. "Distributors need to remember this in the sales call. Distributors shouldn't tell clients how they can save money because that is not what they actually want," he said. "Distributors need to go in and say, 'I'm here today because I've got this idea that will make you a lot of money.'"
By Sharon Cole
- People:
- Joe Garrett
- Lindsay Gray
- Places:
- Greenville, N.C.