Starting a direct mail campaign with poor preparation
is perhaps the most common of all mistakes.
Direct mail is not the end - but the first step in attracting
new customers. The preliminary leads it generate may turn
into actual sale only by proper follow-up. Do not start
a direct mail campaign unless you have made all arrangement
for prompt and proper follow-up. Indeed, there is little
justification for starting an elaborate mail campaign if
you are not in a position to encash the sales leads.
Hot leads rapidly turn cold if not followed up promptly
and properly. Delayed response, slow fulfillment, poor marketing
literature and inept response can easily destroy initial
interest shown by potential customer. Think of how hard
you worked to get these leads - Isn't the end result so
very frustrating !
Here is a checklist of questions you should
ask yourself before starting a direct mail campaign
- Can I respond to every inquiry within 24-hours ?
- Is follow-up mail and printed literature in place ?
- Am I responding with answers to customer's inquiry or
a general-purpose sales letter ?
- What is my plan for people who do not respond ? Do I
send additional mail ? If so, at what intervals ?
- How do I mix e-mail, postal mail and phone/fax for people
who have shown positive interest ? Direct mail followed
by postal mail, telephone, fax, sending representative
(wherever possible) generate upto 10 times more response
than direct mail with no follow-up
- Does my follow up inquiry fulfillment package include
a strong sales letter telling potential customer what
to do next ?
- Does my inquiry fulfillment package include a reply
element, such as printed order form, link to on-line order
form in website, full specifications etc.
- Does my sales brochure give the reader the information
he/she needs to make an intelligent decision about taking
the next step in the buying process ?
Don't put 100% of your time and effort into lead generation
mailing and 0% into follow-up, as so many mailers do. Remember,
your ultimate aim is to sell and keep selling - not mail
distribution.
