Continued from page 1
List brokers List brokers are specialists who help one company use list of another company. Their services include research, selection and recommendation of lists. A list broker, for example, would search on your behalf for lists that meet your unique criteria. There is a Hospitality/Travel Professionals list. And a Firefighters Bookstore list (people who have purchased from Firefighters Bookstore). And a Federal Student Aid Schools list (28,994 schools that provide federally financed aid to their attendees).
House list Your best source of new business is your database of current and lapsed customers, otherwise known as your house list. Getting business from a current customer is always less expensive than getting business from a new customer.
Government For some products and services, another excellent source of potential clients is government. I have a number of clients who buy mailing lists from their state governments and use them to mail offers to businesses that are in their target audience. One client buys names of dentists and dental hygienists whose licenses are about to expire, and mails those prospects a direct mail piece that promotes client’s continuing education courses (which prospects need to take and pass to renew their licenses). Another client buys names of garages in his state who conduct state-mandated vehicle safety inspections. He mails them direct mail pieces that promote his software product, which is designed specifically for these inspection stations.
Keep in mind that most important part of any business-to-business direct mail lead generation campaign is list. You can have a great product, a terrific offer and best timing, but if you mail to wrong people, well, you know what happens. So make sure you get best list you can.
—Alan Sharpe is a B2B direct mail copywriter and publisher of “Sharpe & Direct: The B2B direct mail marketing e-newsletter.” Receive a free report when you sign up. Alan can be reached at 1 877 SHARPE COPY or at www.sharpecopy.com.