Seven reasons to use direct mail for sales lead generation.

Written by Alan Sharpe


Continued from page 1

5. Predictable One advantage of knowingrepparttar success rates of your past mailings is that you can predictrepparttar 105187 success of future mailing. If you mailrepparttar 105188 same package withrepparttar 105189 same offer to a similar group of prospects atrepparttar 105190 same time of year, you can predict how many responses you will receive, and how many of those will translate into sales.

6. Can be improved through testing Because you can measure your direct mail results, you can also test your mailings. Test one package against another, one list against another, one offer against another, and you’ll discover what works and what fails. That way you’ll spend your marketing dollars where they are most effective (without relying on guess work or hunches).

7. Immediate General advertising builds brand awareness. Sales brochures inform. But a direct mail letter asks for action now. So if you need to generate sales leads, and don’t have time to wait for your ad to appear in “IT Buyers Quarterly,” send a direct mail letter and wait a week or so for a response.

Alan Sharpe is a business-to-business direct mail copywriter, sales lead consultant and owner of www.sharpecopy.com. Alan helps businesses attract qualified prospects using creative, compelling, cost-effective direct mail marketing.


Eight Common Direct Mail Mistakes.

Written by Alan Sharpe


Continued from page 1

Slow in getting torepparttar point You have five seconds. After that, your reader is either still reading or is preparing your mailing for a flight test intorepparttar 105186 wastepaper basket.

Don't makerepparttar 105187 mistake of a slow build-up. Avoidrepparttar 105188 roundabout approach. Start your letter with your most compelling sales point. Fire your biggest cannon inrepparttar 105189 first line of copy. Promise your reader a benefit. Give them a reason to continue reading.

Poor follow-up Don't spend all your time and effort in generating a response and none in following up inquiries. Slow fulfillment is ly.

So are inadequate marketing literature and unprofessional telemarketing. They can destroyrepparttar 105190 interest that you work so hard to build. Fill requests for information within 48 hours. Send follow-up mailings to those who do not respond first time. Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up.

No time limit Time may heal all wounds, but it kills response. Your enemy is procrastination. Your enemy is tomorrow.

Don't makerepparttar 105191 mistake of letting your readers put you off until they forget your mailing altogether. Put a time limit on your offer: "Call now. This offer expires June 1, 1999." Time-limited offers almost always outpull offers with no time limit.

No call for action Ask forrepparttar 105192 order. BUY NOW! PHONE TODAY! ORDER YOUR FREE SAMPLE! If you don't ask for a response, you won't get one. Tell readers what to do. Show themrepparttar 105193 next step. Make your order form easy to read and easy to follow.

Fortunately, others have gone before us. My favourite sources for tested, practical wisdom on direct mail techniques are Successful Direct Marketing Methods by Bob Stone and anything by Herschell Gordon Lewis.



Alan Sharpe is a business-to-business direct mail copywriter and lead generation consultant who helps high-tech firms attract new clients using creative, cost-effective direct mail. Subscribe to "Sharpe & Direct," his weekly newsletter, at www.sharpecopy.com


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