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Chapter 1: Ten Commandments Of Direct Mail
| While there is no guarantee of success in any direct mail project, there are some basic rules you should follow regardless of the type of product you’re trying to sell. Following these rules or ‘Ten Commandments of Direct Mail,’ increases your chances of success while reducing your risk of failure. If you’re ready to take a serious approach to direct mail marketing, commit these rules to memory and live by them. First Commandment Always be honest. Never lie, deceive, or attempt to fool your customers. Give them everything you promise, and more than they expect. The former is required by law, and the latter is the right thing to do. Direct mail is not a game where you try to convince people to part with their money. It is a way of doing business where you provide specialized products to individuals seeking those products. Do it right and you will be rewarded. Do it wrong, and you may end up in jail. Second Commandment Choose your customers before choosing the product you plan to offer them. There is no way to know what kind of product your customer wants, unless you know who your customer is. spend the time to first define who you want to sell products to. Blindly mailing your offer to everyone, hoping someone will respond, is a true sign of a losing proposition (and the cause of most junk mail). Third Commandment Choose customers who have the ability, as well as the desire, to purchase products in the price range you’ll be selling. Don’t insult your customers by offering products that are either too inexpensive for their consideration or too expensive for their pocketbook. Do the research, and you’ll know what they are comfortable paying. Don’t make the common mistake of offering products that are too inexpensive. Most consumers won’t respond to a direct mail offer for a low priced item. Fourth Commandment Choose customers who have a demonstrated history of buying products from direct mail offers. You want customers who are already comfortable buying products through the mail. Convincing people who have never purchased through the mail to do so, is a task you don’t want to undertake. If, in this day and age, a person has not yet ordered something through the mail, you don’t want to be the person who tries to convince him to do so. Fifth Commandment Offer the exact product your customer wants. Do the research to find out what your customer has recently bought, and how this affects what he or she will want to purchase next. Knowing what your customers want to buy makes coming up with the right product much easier. Sixth Commandment Make it easy for your customers to order. These days customers expect to be able to order through an 800 number and pay with their credit cards. If you can’t offer these services, you’re in big trouble. Not having a telephone order number or not being able to accept credit cards will scare off most customers. Seventh Commandment Ship orders immediately. Don’t make your customers wait weeks or months for a product they’ve paid for. Ship within 24 hours of the time you take the order. Eighth Commandment Offer a money back guarantee of satisfaction. Demonstrate confidence in your product with your guarantee. And if a customer should request a refund, provide it immediately in a courteous manner. Ninth Commandment Don’t process order payments until you ship the product. If you can’t ship immediately, don’t cash in customers’ payments until you ship. Doing so is morally wrong, and potentially illegal. Don’t do it! Tenth Commandment Keep it simple. Choose the right product for the right market. Create an uplifting sales letter, and promptly deliver what you promise. Source: 301 Direct Mail Tips, Techniques & Secrets | |
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