Where to Start:
Most novice marketers have definite fixed ideas about direct mail that are way off base - most often in the area of what to spend and how much to do. You should determine what you are able to spend for your marketing budget, spend it, and determine the maximum number of leads that you can create. For instance, I've heard this statement quite often: "We aren't that large of a company. How could we send out 2,000 postcards all at once?" because "What if they all call?" ? seems like a valid concern, right?
Here is the reality behind it: Unfortunately they won't all call. However, a good deal of them very well may and making sure that your traffic in is not more than you can handle is something to think about. Truthfully, there is no sure way to tell exactly how many people will call if you haven't done this type of marketing before. Think of it this way. What would happen if they did all call? You may not be able to handle all of them, but you would handle as many as you possibly could, right?
In this scenario, you would have maximized your income for that time period providing you could close up all those callers! You can also explore the idea of expanding your operation to handle the number of leads that you can create.
What if you didn't max out your promotion at the very start? You can afford to send out 4,000 pieces every two weeks but you think that you will simply get too many calls to be able to handle them all. You, instead, send out only 2,000 and the response is decent. However, you still have some down time where you are having to try to "manufacture" sales.
You saved $400 in marketing money but you had enough down time where you could have closed quite a few more sales than you did. The question now is "Which gives me more money in my pocket? Saving $400 on marketing or closing quite a few more sales and earning an extra couple of G's potentially." More than likely the answer is to spend as much as you possibly can on your marketing, right?
By spending all that you can afford on marketing when you start a program you maximize your income almost immediately.
Okay, Time to Track Results:
Hopefully you have more than one way that you try to recruit new customers. So how do you know which ones are working and which aren't? Set up a system to track the results.
Let's take for example a situation in which you decide to start a Postcard Marketing Campaign for your business. The first week you send out 3000 postcards. When they start hitting homes you get 30 calls. Did all of these leads come from the postcards? Probably not. Because the week before you got 8 calls and hadn't sent out any postcards yet. So how can you tell who actually got a postcard?
The Answer: All you have to do is ask them. "So how did you hear about our company?" The hard part is making sure that any employee in your company who answers the phone and may talk to a new prospect remembers to ask the question every time. The fewer prospects who answer this question, the less accurate your information will be when making future marketing decisions.
Now let's assume that you have been sending out postcards for a while and you have a good number of calls coming in. If you ask the question "So how did you hear about our company?" they may respond, "I got your postcard in the mail." But, by now you have mailed postcards to 4 different lists, 3 times each. How do you tell which list and which mailing this customer was from?
The Answer: Put a marketing code on the postcards that will tell you which specific postcard they received and when it was mailed.
Give each list a name and work the date into your marketing code as well. And the only thing your representatives have to ask is "Would you mind reading me the marketing code above your address?" This code should give you all the info that you need to know and help you keep your Marketing Results Tracking as accurate as possible.
Try not to operate off of assumptions about "how to market" if you haven't educated yourself. And make sure you collect all the data and make your future marketing decisions based on the facts.
Joy Gendusa founded PostcardMania in 1998; her only assets a computer and a phone. In 2004 the company did close to $9 million in sales and employs over 60 person. She attributes her explosive growth to her ability to choose incredible staff and her innate marketing savvy. Now she's sharing her marketing secrets to others. For more free marketing advice, visit her website at http://www.postcardmania.com
Have you thought about starting your own business? Have you... Read More
Rest assured that no matter how smart you are, you... Read More
Telemarketers... ooohhh... I'll bet we've all got a nice story... Read More
Customizing booklets can be done by industry or by company."110... Read More
Okay, we were kidding about the smoke, but not about... Read More
I've discovered a really fantastic way to discover what works... Read More
"Instead Of Wasting Time Trying To Hit The Lottery Of... Read More
There are several color formats and systems available for mixing... Read More
What is the single most important thing you can do... Read More
Hello everyone! Have you ever been curious about something, and... Read More
Subtle adj. Showing or making, or capable of showing or... Read More
None of us have enough time in the day to... Read More
When a shopper picks up a product in a store,... Read More
Are you suffering from feelings of indifference or a lack... Read More
Are you spending more time trying to get new clients... Read More
If you want to get consistent results from your marketing,... Read More
If there is one thing I can't say enough it... Read More
Building business relationships through networking is a great way to... Read More
If you really want to pull more profits from your... Read More
Okay. Raise your hand if you think brand management is... Read More
It's a startling fact: almost all entrepreneurs aren't marketing their... Read More
Far too often we see small businesses rush into doing... Read More
Wondering if your marketing message is dancing in the spotlight... Read More
We're back to the subject of ethics, more specifically, business... Read More
In the past, purchasing ad space was the solution to... Read More
It goes against the grain, especially for those of us... Read More
Many service business owners these days are "giving away" their... Read More
We all watch the commercials on TV. We hear them... Read More
One of the basics of all marketing and advertising training... Read More
Preparing a Marketing Plan for your product or service is... Read More
The difference between a successful business and one that just... Read More
Don't get me wrong. I certainly don't think the majority... Read More
I think selling and marketing today often feels a bit... Read More
When you want someone to like you, associate yourself with... Read More
Every business person who has any kind of product or... Read More
I Hate Cold CallsLong before I started my business, I... Read More
Promotions are everything you do to let your customers know... Read More
1.Evaluation of Existing Products / Therapies2.Assessment of New Products3.Market assessment... Read More
Every direct mail package you drop in the mail should... Read More
Want to learn how to lose a billion dollars?Just follow... Read More
If I were to ask you right now, what marketing... Read More
It was a real eye-opener to hear the perceptions people... Read More
If recreating the old experience of subscribing to magazines by... Read More
If you pick up a copy of the November 2003... Read More
The term business marketing strategy might sound like it is... Read More
Most small business owners want to generate huge profits, with... Read More
What benefits will you get from flyers?Flyers are much different... Read More
"If God wanted to create a perfect punishment for a... Read More
According to Dough McCormick, Chariman and CEO of iVillage, Inc,... Read More
I'm a board member of a local nonprofit and we... Read More
Trade show rentals allow you more flexibility and the opportunity... Read More
If you are like most service professionals and small business... Read More
When studying the demographics of an area for a business... Read More
The famous P.T Barnum once said, "Without promotion, something terrible... Read More
Do you know what Howard Stern... Oprah Winfrey... and Paul... Read More
With the explosion of the internet and online businesses many... Read More
In today's highly competitive business environment it is critical to... Read More
Are you struggling to find a new twist for... Read More
I don't know if you have ever seriously considered bartering.... Read More
One secret to a site that sells: Look at your... Read More
How do you personally define success? High income? Substantial net... Read More
In previous articles, we discussed the generation of a contact... Read More
Have you noticed it? More and more marketing campaigns are... Read More
Many business owners do not understand the authenticity and validation... Read More
Today's business marketing rules are different than they were in... Read More
In virtually any business first impressions are lasting impressions. Most... Read More
Marketing |