How To Avoid The 7 Common Direct Mail Mistakes

Avoid dropping into the pit of junk direct mail. Curing with band aids is cheaper than with a stack hundred dollar bills. These simple cures can lead to turning a miserable response rate into a productive one

1. USING THE WRONG LIST.

A large mailing list or a poorly compiled list produces disastrous direct mail results. Do blame who designed the piece, who did the art work, or even the offer? If your mailing list stinks so do your results. The direct mail list is should be your marketplace of prospects. If you can not comprehend this, just buy a telephone directory.

2. YOU ARE SLOW TO GET TO THE POINT

Make your best shot immediately, or after 3 seconds you shot is gone forever. If you can't do this send your prospects paper airplane messages so they can hit the trash can easier Make sure your direct mail headline belts out an amazing beneficial reason to keep reading more. This is a sales piece, not a novel where you slowing building the story to the ending.

3, YOUR OFFER SHOULD OVERWHELM YOUR PROSPECT

You must convince your prospective client that your offer is better than any others. Both your competitors or those he will receive in the future. Use benefits that they can see or emotionally feel. Mention factors that are truly outstanding, These could be the price, the guarantee, the long term effect, the terms, special discounts, or exclusives to people only like your client.

4. PUT ON DIFFERENT SHOES, YOUR PROSPECTS

You are not selling the company rating, the yearly vacation, or the 100 years in business. These all relate to yourself. They put your customer to sleep. Begin your messages with the word you. They want to hear your message talk about them. Cross out any parts of your sales piece that talk about your company or yourself. They really don't care,

In my days of selling I never told a client they were buying from a company rated "B+". They we buying from me, and couldn't care less as long as the benefits were provided. In fact they remembered my first name better than that of the insurance company.

5. ENFORCE A TIME LIMIT

Time works against you, unless you force it in your favor. The longer your prospect waits to make a decision to reply, the slimmer the chances of getting a response. Say wording like, this new territory will not accept applicants after (date). Or a great one, the video on how this product works will expire on our internet sight (date).Even this: Only three qualified producers will be contracted, after that replying is unnecessary. Sound urgent, even it you are not. Use direct mail urgency to up response.

6. TEACH THEM TO DIAL THE PHONE

You are a fool if you put a phone number on your direct mail sales piece and expect a prospect to call. Watch a $19.95 Television Offer and write down what they say. See how it is a call for taking action immediately. "Act now before its to late", "Pick up the phone and dial our number" "Call (#) and talk directly to the department manager", "Reply directly on our website at ", "Call us within 48 hours and receive a $10,00 McDonald's gift certificate free". That one is super enticement even to super producers.

7. HOW FAST CAN YOU GRAB THE PHONE?

It's time to get ready. Go to your post office for direct mail replies, your new email, and your overnight phone messages. Do not worry about the addictive coffee and fattening donuts right now. Tell anyone you need, no phone interruptions. Your responses are your top priority of calling that day, not tomorrow. Do not leave messages! Try to call 3 times. If you have no success, send a polite email. The next day try 3 more times, and if unsuccessful use both an email and a letter. The longer you wait, the higher your changes of missing a good one. If each lead turns out being worth $800, just one lead missed vy waiting too long, costs you $9,600 a year.

MAKE DIRECT MAIL PAY BIG TIME, JUST APPLY THE 7 STEPS ABOVE

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