EDDM 5,000 Mails - Will I lose another $1200 with this Postcard?

Do you follow up the card with anything?

I don't need a sprinkler system, so, maybe, the only thing your postcard makes me think is: nice house.

There have been a few postcard makeover threads.
I believe they were done by Ewen and Bob Ross.
Locate those and learn about what they did and why they did it.

Also, it may just be me, but is your site done?
I see a lot of ads... like its a parked domain? (I'm viewing it from my phone)

I would elimante the No Hassle guarantee.
I am not too familiar with your industry, but I think the "no hassle" part is a given and not a guarantee.
Same thing goes with your "free estimates". Everyone does free estimates.

I would include a report on the 5 things to look for when choosing a sprinkler company.
Or make it 5 things to avoid...or something. Some kind of report.

I would also include a few short testimonials as social proof.

Thank you guys. Website is not up, I have a company doing it at the moment and thats a whole new story.

Yes the house seems to catch attention to everyone that has had me at their home for a estimate, they ask if its mine.

I agree about the free estimate part and agree about the no hassle warranty part but Im no expert and I left it up to the postcard company. That input from you all helped.

This time of year I am hoping to catch interested home owners who are in the process of Fall lawn care, seeding etc who get ready for the next year. Fall is a very busy part of year for new sprinkler installations and I just HOPE my mailers don't flop!

I find the flyer a bit crowded.

Then, how you pick those leads to send the 5k flyers? Do you know if they don't already have a sprinkler system?

I would guess that this is a very special niche so if you would be my client I first would like to know exactly whom is your client.

What is the percentage of house owners which do buy sprinklers? Lifetime cycle?
When and why they buy sprinklers? Is it more the woman or the man which makes the purchase decision (guess the man as he has to water the yard manually what stinks)
Where and how (competitors, season, online or offline)?

Then you definitely need to have your site setup first with a catchy offer to get the visitors to signup to your list.

I guess that you have 2 markets here, new installations and maintenance. Use that to get 2 different lists of potential buyers.

Then, after your lead capture is setup, I would try also to run something like a https://www.livingsocial.com/ or Groupon campaing in your area during a weak season.

You know that those don't bring in any profit so you maybe do it for some maintenance offer with the potential to turn that lead into a paying customer for a new sprinkler system if needed or for a long term maintenance fee.

You also can run a local radio spot for a while, not very expensive and if you do it right you can get leads which are highly targeted.

Last, I would team up with garden shops to help you get customers. They can be your best affiliates IMO. You also can exchange leads for them as your clients most probably also ask you to recommend a gardener. You maybe can pay for advertising in gardening shops?

Then there are landscaper and garden architects (don't know if that's the correct term) which do projects with sprinkler systems already included. Get your share with them.

Overall, you NEED to have your site up and running first.

Before sending out another flyer into nowhere, make sure you used all the other tools out there.

IMO, sending flyers is so "old style" and very un-effective. Also think about being ECOLOGICALLY RESPONSIBLE where printing and sending flyers don't fit anymore into the picture.

G.

No time to look at the postcard right now. But mailing another 5,000 cards is moronic.

Responses always go down with repeated mailings. They never go up.

Your second mailing (to the same people) told you that your market was now cold to that postcard. Every mailing after that was a complete waste of money.

There are copywriters here that can help you. They deserve to get paid. It ain't easy creating a winning offer.

You know what would have been smart? Hiring a copywriter before...before...you spent that money.


I'm not a copywriter. Mr. Subtle is. Bob Ross is. Ewenmack is. (If I missed one, sorry)

PS.

See that? That's what a copywriter would ask you.

By the way, you spent all that money an your website isn't up?

Added later; Yup, I just looked it up. You spent all that money on a postcard you had no evidence would work, and you didn't pay the $10 domain name fee? Okey Dokey.

By the way (while I'm spreading so much sunshine here), Postcard printers are (are you ready?) Printers. They are in the business of selling you printing. They are not advertising experts. They are not copywriters.

At best, they have studied graphic design.

Feel like throwing up yet? It could have been worse. You could have listened to your partner and thrown away another mailing before you fixed the problem. Hire Ewen. Hire MrSubtle. Hire Bob Ross.

Stop the bleeding.

I'm not a professional copy writer but I will give you some feedback.

1. Get your website working your card is basically sending people there due to your email address. No way would I hire a company that had a web address but nothing there. Screams amateur not professional.

2. Do not mail this card again. It is clear it is not converting.

3. Lose the "Free Estimates". No one cares and it is expected. Just helps make the flyer too "busy"

4. "Fastest, Easiest, Cheapest" does not flow to "Easier, Faster, and Cheaper". First the order was changed. Second the mind expects er to come before est. Third why waste time saying basically the same thing?

5. Are people who want sprinkler systems interested in the cheapest? The word cheap and the house you choose don't match. Could be part of the issue. The guy driving the M5 doesn't care to buy the cheapest he wants the best.

6. Should they know Rainbird? If so make the logo bigger. If not get rid of it.

7. Is Rainbird the #1 Trusted brand? If so give some proof. Otherwise it just seems like fluffed up BS.

8. "Save Water, Time, & Money!" Once again is your ideal customer looking to save money? Do they care about the water usage? The time I can see but I can't image that people who water their lawns care about water usage. Those are opposites in my mind. If your ideal customer lives in that house the message doesn't match.

9. Coupons & Zones: I have no idea what it means. So I don't see the value. I have no refereance for it. Does your ideal customer? If not these are just confusing.

10. 5 Year Warranty: Show the value better and get rid of no hassle. If the warranty is a selling point it needs to be bigger.

Service Side

11. Will your heads work on other companies systems? If not this coupon makes no sense. If so spell it out. I and many people will assume it won't. This seems like an offer to send to your past customers not to new clients.

12. Also $35 value? Dude look at the house. My house is no where near as large and I regularly spend more than $35 on dinner. What I am saying is it doesn't likely have value for the prospect.

13. What if I don't need a new head? Do i just get the part?

14. Is the labor free on the head too? If not and the labor costs more this doesn't seem like a deal to me.

Overall comments

15. If the ideal customer is in a higher end home I like the home on the back better than front. But either way don't like the house on the front personally.

16. Why is one side so busy and the other so calm? It doesn't flow well. Since there are coupons on both I expect them to be similar in feel. If you want a calm side you need to have it be more of a branding IMO with the others all on the other side. But the busy side needs to be less busy so don't just push more onto it.
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What do you want me to do?
Why would I do it?

There is no clear call to action. A skimmer like me can't skim the ad. In fact if I was a customer skimming it I am not sure I would know what you are selling. I would assume chemical lawn care service honestly. Reminds me of the flyers True Green sends out only theirs are better and not as busy.

Remember I am looking at this not as a copywriter but as a customer. I don't know how to fix it (guys like Bob and Ewen will) but I do know it is wrong and I can explain what bothers me and my thought processes behind it. I hope that has value for you.

Lots of good info above and here's my two cents:

It's a really good thing that your partner wants to keep mailing. That's the right attitude to have and a critical attitude to have in direct mail once you 'figure it out'. Once you've got a winner, you'll find that your response actually will rise every time you re-mail to the same targets and may not even plateau until the 6th or 7th mailing.

However, you need to change things before you mail again.

I believe that with the right changes, you can turn this into a money machine but you'll need to act quick because the fall season is here as soon as September hits.

I'm going to break up a few concepts for you to follow:

#1... Your targets

You are using saturation mail. I'm a big advocate for saturation (EDDM) but it's important to understand that your response will suffer compared to a truly targeted campaign. That's OK so long as you understand it and manage your expectations better.

The best thing you can do is pick areas that you know are filled with demographics that you have had success with in the past (which you are doing, so kudos).

Understand though that only a percentage of these people will be actual prospects for you. I wouldn't be surprised if 50% or more of the people you're sending to won't even be real prospects regardless of your copy.

Your copy will further narrow that number down.

You can throw that 5,000 piece number out the window. Don't even think about using that number to gauge your real response.

Your actual targets could be 2500 or even as low as 500 or less. A good direct marketer can figure this out for you but just understand that it's going to be a very small number.

The important thing to consider first is who exactly you are targeting, and make your message directed exactly to them.

Before your copy is written, you need to figure out who you are trying to reach and what exactly you're trying to get them to do.

That way, your design and copy (including offers and calls-to-action) can be matched with your target to persuade those specific people to take action.

Right now, you're trying to just grab people that are in the buying stage, and that's only going to work by mailing a ton of mailers over a long period of time. This is why you're getting such dismal results.

As you'll see in a moment, you've actually managed to cut your own throat just with a headline alone.

Overview: EDDM is fine for your service, but because of the fact that you are blanketing areas you're going to need some very strong and specific copy that will appeal to people who are not in the buying process yet for your service.

Otherwise, you will need to keep sending these postcards over and over and over until you manage to pick them up as they enter the buying process, which can take a long time and will cost a TON.

#2... Your copy

This is where you need the most work. Spend a few hundred bucks and get a good copywriter and designer to work with you if you can.

Your print shop is not an option for response-driven copywriting!


When someone glances at your headline for a split second, what's going to happen?





Think about that. You just threw nearly all of your 5,000 chances out the window. How many people out of those 5,000 random households have an old sprinkler system that needs service?

If that's who you're trying to target, then fine but I'm guessing you want to get calls from people other than the ones who simply have old sprinkler systems that need service and haven't found someone to service it.

That very very tiny micro-fraction number is literally the only people who you have a chance at selling. So again, your 5,000 piece number has been instantly reduced to almost nothing.

Your headline needs major work, along with a few other things like:



Now, onto the back of the card.




So to answer your question... yes you will probably lose another $1200.

My advice to you is:

• Work with a great copywriter
• Spend some time really thinking about your target audience
• Create offers that will appeal to that target audience
• Run another 5k mailing with the improved copy & design to the SAME area since they have been exposed multiple times to you already
• If it brings an ROI, keep mailing and each time use a different postcard size. And change up the copy & offers slightly to keep it fresh.

If you're looking for good response, you want the target to think to themselves:

"Holy sh** I've always wanted my grass to look like this! And by the good Lord's graces if I don't call these guys to get an estimate and see about taking advantage of this super-duper deal before the month ends, I'll end up losing out."

Hi there,

Try selling "greener lawns" vs "replacement heads". Show a comparison of a lawn with a luscious lawn, and one with a not so attractive lawn. Also, show that you know the location - you can refer to the zipcode and specific areas in the postcard that let the reader know you're not completely generic.

And, everything Aaron, Claude and Ewen said above.

All the best,

Sasha.

ewenmack has the right idea. You have to educate before you can build a solid repeatable business. The only purpose of your direct mail piece should be to point prospects to your opt-in form, front and center on your website. Then you start to educate your prospects with autoresponders bringing them deeper into your funnel until they're ready to convert. If you don't know how it all works message me and I can walk you through it.

The type of post card mailing you're using will never work regardless of the wording, layout or anything else. You're wasting your money.

Before you spend another dime learn how to educate and upsell. By this time next year you'll have a waiting list.

whitacre you're right. Now Ewen is that true?


Yes I have Million dollar homes close by I install irrigation in often. $500,000 homes new construction and first time buyers. Older homes etc Im in the Washington DC ArEA Fairfax VA area a wealthy area.

The message I have sent out to thousands of homes attract my complete opposite buyer. Ones I close on best generally pay $1,500 + on top of my competitions prices. Engineers, technical smart shoppers. Experienced buyers who have been around the block in hiring contractors.

Average sale is $3,500 - 5k Profit after all that I can think of including cost to gain the lead is around $1,200 - $1600 on a 3,500 - 5k job.

Actually that same postcard gained me a $4,000 job today from a homeowner that responded to that card 2 months ago and hired me. Then today hired me for more work.

That is what I mean by luck. It was in the right place at the right time because he was in the process of getting quotes the day the postcard arrived. Closed him on a $4,500 irrigation back then and today closed him on a $4,000 drainage system.

My area has plenty of money, plenty of interested parties and plenty of buyers. But the problem is...

I have had went on estimates and only to find they received the postcard but CALLED FROM GOOGLE PLACES and forgot / never mentioned the postcard until I used the coupon on it to close and they say 'oh I remember we did get that a couple weeks ago'

So... Why did you put it down forget it and not call..?

Thats the problem. And that is way out of my skills.



whitacre you're right. Now Ewen is that true?

Im interested in finding out more and whats next. Can you reach me on the email address on the postcard please.

Whats it take Ewen. Covering the initial cost will take some planning because that $1200 postcard was going to kick me good if I sent it and Kick me real good if it didnt work.

As Aaron and Bob stated, I would focus on the demographics of the area. Fredricksburg, VA, you are going to have government workers, along with biotech and technology workers who make good money. They have money to invest in their lawns.

When you think of it, why do people water their lawns, plant new flowers every spring, throw thousand's into landscaping? One of the biggest reasons is so that their neighbors will be envious, co-workers will talk about how beautiful their house is at the office. Their kids will not be ashamed to have friends over.

Is there a reason to water the lawn? Grass is pretty durable, it can take a couple of weeks of drought - it goes dormant - like in the winter.

I would vote that vanity is the number one reason for installing a sprinkler system.

Just my two cents.

One other thing, I think you mentioned they are building houses in your area. Have you thought about getting with the builders of these homes? The people who buy the high end homes, especially if they work for large companies, want everything included in the sales prices - landscaping, sprinklers, finished basements, etc.

The reason, when they get relocated, their employer (most) will provide a loss on sale if they are transferred and cannot sell the house for at least the original purchase price. Including all those extras ensures that they will not lose money if the market tanks or remains stagnant.

Bill

Card looks pretty good. But here's my take on what might help conversions:
If you can offer some kind of value (a teaser) that they have to visit your site to see what it is. Make it a limited time offer with limited number of crazy deals available.

Make the website a simple one page landing (squeeze page) with a short video which starts playing automatically with your spokesperson saying you can't believe you're doing this crazy special -- make it short, and again somewhat mysterious with the goal this time of getting them to opt-in to your offer, collect their name, email, ph# Have this autoresponder confirmation page be where you give them more details, either a video or some clever copy. You could then give them 3 different buttons to choose from:
1. Yes, someone please call me.
2. option b
3. option c

each of these qualifying questions can trigger auto-responder follow ups, a phone call, whatever.

The trick is to use your direct response postcard to pique their curiosity and create a "fear of loss" scenario, get them to your site, get their email, ph#, and most importantly, FOLLOW UP.

Everyone is giving you great advice and I haven't read it all. But sprinkler installation is a one shot deal. You get sprinklers and that's it. You don't need them again until something breaks or they are really, really old. So... if i were doing EDDM, I would go with something that people need to do repeatedly, maintenance as opposed to installation. Should people inspect their systems for leaks? Maybe convert manual to automatic? I don't know, but I would go with a lower end thing that more people need then use that to upsell into better services.

Kinda how people solicit for gutter cleaning then sell you new gutters.

I took a quick look at your postcard and in my opinion, it's WAY too busy. It looks good, but too busy which will negatively affect conversions.

I would remove lots of the text and also change the headline into one that basically punches the prospect right in the face with their problem, and how YOU can solve it.