So Your Companies Direct Mail Response Rates Low? Don’t Do These Mistakes
Perhaps you have been using direct mail campaigns already and you have been utilizing targetted lists along the way. What if you are still noticing very bad response or a response that is much less than had been anticipated. Before you blame the method, letʼs take a look at the techniques you employed and see exactly what it is that may have happened.
Double check your lists that you are using:
a) be certain that the customer list you are working is up to date and correct
b) make sure that you have a quality list that targets your specific demographic area
c) check for correct spelling and formatting of names
After these three things are compleated continue to check the letter and any brochure you may be mailing out. These must be complete and exact sales pitches that the target group can understand. Look over what your offer says and see if it is reads the right way . If it is misleading it needs to be reworked. Make sure the print is sharp and clear and that the sentences are saying what you wanted them to say. Vague or misleading words may cause a potential customer to stop reading on the spot. Choose your wording carefully.
Also check and be certain that you are not sending offers to “occupant” or “resident”…it is obvious that your direct mail piece addressed in this manner stands little chance of being opened or read. There should be a call to action wording in your letter and an eye catching introduction. Perhaps your sales letter just lacks enough information to interest people. Some poor responses to direct mail are known to be caused by sales pitches that are just not interesting and are not intriguing enough to get someone’s attention. Are you offering a special incentive to new customers, as a get acquainted offer? Have you done repeat mailings? Repeat mailings to the same group tend to gain a larger response.
Give your direct mail pages an honest look. Does it look like just more “junk mail”? Is your offer something without a guarantee? Does your letter clearly offer someting about the sizes and prices and other specific information that the customer would need to know? Are you offering the same item or service that thousands of other companies are offering? Is your offer fair and competitive? If you find any of these problems then write them down and rework your plan. You may have to rework your entire business plan. You want to be certain that the product or services you offer is going to be successful and you can only be a success if you have customers. You must fine tune your sales pitch after you isolate the weaknesses that it contains.
The public must be able to grasp the concept that you are selling. They also must feel that you really want them to be a buyer. You must be direct and you must be comprehensive so that the points you want to make are not omitted. A fine line must be walked between being comprehensive and putting too much information out there which may confuse everyone. It may take you more than one try to latch onto the exact pitch that you need. Once you find the way to connect with your target population and you use the direct mail list, your traffic from the direct mail will drastically increase.
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