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Looking for opinions on direct mailing

by GameVoid
7 replies
I am pushing my writing business more into the offline world. I am currently working a full time job and between that and existing writing contracts for my online clients I don't have much time to make dozens of cold calls per day so I thought I would try a direct mailing.

So I bought a list of all the addresses and phone numbers of the dentists in my area (even if I don't do a mailing having a list of all the phone numbers in one place was worth the $26.00 for cold calling). I then created a simple tri-fold flier. The two outside panels talk about the importance of engaging customers so that you don't lose them to competitors or disinterest and the main inside panel is an introductory letter about me (briefly) and about the benefits of hiring me to do writing and marketing assistance. I provide several ways to contact me as well as a link to my website.

Is this a good approach in lieu of cold calling at the moment? If I land only one solid lead that turns into a customer then the mailing will pay for itself but I am concerned that if cold calling only has a 3-5% success rate that direct mailing would be even lower?

I am aware that I will have to continue pushing at these guys over and over again until they hire me, I am just trying to maximize the chances that I can land at least one offline client as soon as possible.

Thanks!
Eric
#direct #mailing #opinions
  • Profile picture of the author Doran Peck
    I'd suggest first creating a dozen or less mailers which are specifically tailored to those target companies.

    These mailers would include imagery that is familiar to them...cutouts of their website, or pics of their facility. It would include terminolgy familiar to them. Specific sentences referencing things about their site or their business. An offer that clearly demonstrates that you thought this through with them in mind.

    Choose the biggest and best fish in the pond first, and go after them. They will respond to your carefully crafted advances much sooner than if your mailer looks like everything else they get day in and day out.

    Land one or more of them, then you have breathing room to do more low cost generalized mailers to a broader target base. - sort of put it on autopilot and slowly increase your client base with minimal effort.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mary Wilhite
    I just made another post like this. Use the yellow pages, and value pack to cold call. Those clients are already paying for advertising and most would love to try something new.
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  • Profile picture of the author O0o0O
    Hi Eric, it's rather difficult to gauge whether it is a profitable move or not. It depends on how many you send out and what kind of copy you use. You would really be able to gauge your success based on the number of sign ups you get versus the number of brochures you mailed out.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sondor
    I've never done a direct mail campaign myself, but have been doing a lot of reading about it lately, and I'd suggest an approach I believe comes from Gary Halbert. That approach is to generate a series of flyers. Mail them once a week for four to six weeks. Each one building on the previous.

    From what I was reading, the overall response rate to a mail campaign was far greater than a single shotgun approach.
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  • Profile picture of the author danr62
    I've been thinking about this also. I'm in a similar situation with limited time, and no time during business hours for cold calling. I've heard that direct mailers that look like a personal letter are more likely to get opened.

    Someone reported that they simply hand wrote names and addresses on the envelope, put a regular stamp on it (instead of an electronic stamp or using a rubber stamp or something), and used plain white paper with basic text printed. He did use an attention getting headline, but not in color or anything, just bigger and bolder maybe.

    He said he got a crazy response rate for doing this.

    I might try it myself.
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    • Profile picture of the author JustinDupre
      Originally Posted by danr62 View Post

      I've been thinking about this also. I'm in a similar situation with limited time, and no time during business hours for cold calling. I've heard that direct mailers that look like a personal letter are more likely to get opened.

      Someone reported that they simply hand wrote names and addresses on the envelope, put a regular stamp on it (instead of an electronic stamp or using a rubber stamp or something), and used plain white paper with basic text printed. He did use an attention getting headline, but not in color or anything, just bigger and bolder maybe.

      He said he got a crazy response rate for doing this.

      I might try it myself.
      What a cool approach! I'm going to give this a try to increase my businesses offline.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mel White
    I think that you may run into a conversion issue with this -- in other words, in a random sample you could easily run into the 20 people who open it up and go "junk mail" and toss it rapidly. I think you should target dentists with existing websites, since they may already understand the need to put fresh content on their sites.
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