100 Personalized packets/reports sent out. ZERO response....um....

by abbot Banned
13 replies
So the title says it all. I have been doing this in the past with a pretty decent response rate. So..I decided to upscale by picking a niche (dentists) and create a personalized packet for 100 dentists here in town.

These packets are for google places optimization. They were personally addressed to each dentist and had hand written statements on both the letters and screenshots (same as I usually do)

The only thing I did differently was I placed them in a number 7 envalope (yellow ones). which is supposed to have a higher response rate then the white ones.

These were sent out 4 days ago. so far....ZERO calls. Not even a single one...I'm not what happened with this campaign.....Guess I better plan on following up with all 100 of these guys monday.


Sorry just had to vent this.
#100 #packets or reports #personalized #responseum
  • Profile picture of the author TheCG
    I would think your follow up calls would be alot more successful after this mailing.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jerry McGough
      Are you in the USA ?
      Don't panic yet....wait a bit....

      Different envelope sizes may go through different sorting machines at the post office.
      That could cause some delay.
      They might be being delivered around now.
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  • Profile picture of the author racso316
    Follow up definitely with a letter sequence or phone calls.

    Maybe change the offer. Make it more irresistible. Place some urgency in your copy.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    This isn't the first time someone has said something like this, and it won't be the last.

    Most unsolicited direct mail goes directly into the trash.

    You may have to repeat your mailing several times before getting a response. Just like running an ad--people have to see it several (many) times before it gains credibility.

    Giving your prospects a call after the mailer has had a chance to arrive will get you valuable feedback. Did they see it at all? Any comments about it? You'll learn something.
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    • Profile picture of the author link82
      Originally Posted by kaniganj View Post

      This isn't the first time someone has said something like this, and it won't be the last.

      Most unsolicited direct mail goes directly into the trash.

      You may have to repeat your mailing several times before getting a response. Just like running an ad--people have to see it several (many) times before it gains credibility.

      Giving your prospects a call after the mailer has had a chance to arrive will get you valuable feedback. Did they see it at all? Any comments about it? You'll learn something.
      Good deal here. After sending out 40 mailers, I got one dentist to call me. However, I haven't gotten him back on the phone.

      I'm sending mailer #2. After that, phone call time. Mailer #2 is approaching them from another angle, so we'll see. I'm targeting dentists too.

      Of course, this week I'll also be focusing on other niches. But hoping to catch attention by being consistent.

      G'luck! Keep trying.
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    • Profile picture of the author RobbieT
      Originally Posted by kaniganj View Post

      This isn't the first time someone has said something like this, and it won't be the last.

      Most unsolicited direct mail goes directly into the trash.

      You may have to repeat your mailing several times before getting a response. Just like running an ad--people have to see it several (many) times before it gains credibility.

      Giving your prospects a call after the mailer has had a chance to arrive will get you valuable feedback. Did they see it at all? Any comments about it? You'll learn something.
      There will be no instant response as they don't know you, yet.

      If you do a series of mail-outs to the same recipients keep a track of when you get responses so that you know what response you get after the 1st mailer, after the 2nd mailer, after the 3rd mailer, after the 4th mailer and so on. You should then be able to gauge how many times you need to mail to people in that particular niche to get a good response and what you ROI is for the campaign.
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  • Profile picture of the author Chris Cho
    You're only in 4 days in... I'm sure you'll get some calls in soon. I get calls 6-7 months later sometimes.

    Plus, **** happens! haha try again and keep adding a twist till your letter and packages work. This is marketing and it wouldn't be fun if we got it the first time. =X
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve Faber
    Damn,

    Where are you? I could have gone all day without hearing that, as I'm in the midst of doing the exact same thing (really, I sent some out two days ago, and just closed my sales letter down to open this window) to dentists in my area. I am using the yellow envelopes as well.

    I was planning on folowing up with the first batch by phone on Monday. Past sales experience dictates your response rate goes WAYYY up if you folow up with a phone call. The problem is getting past the gatekeeper.

    1 - They are local business owners so you know they're busy, they are not just say that.
    2 - They don't know you from Adam

    Don't try to sell them on the phone. You're only calling to get an appointment. I've found that strategy to be far more effective. Plan on being very flexible with your times, too. This is no 9 to 5 gig. You have to be prepared to work around their schedule

    While I am reletively new at the offline game, I have been selling in the BtoB arena for years, so I have plenty of experience to fall back on.

    I do have a meeting with an autocare provider on Monday, so that is positive.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tam Chancellor
    Originally Posted by abbot View Post

    So..I decided to upscale by picking a niche (dentists) and create a personalized packet for 100 dentists here in town.
    Why not choose a road less traveled? By that I mean, pick a niche that isn't marketed to death. I agree with the other comments regarding a series of mailings and follow-up calls, but there are a lot of niches that aren't heavily marketed and will be easier to approach.
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  • Profile picture of the author rushindo
    4 days is not enough time to draw any conclusions.
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  • Profile picture of the author jessiepadgal
    Originally Posted by abbot View Post

    So the title says it all. I have been doing this in the past with a pretty decent response rate. So..I decided to upscale by picking a niche (dentists) and create a personalized packet for 100 dentists here in town.

    These packets are for google places optimization. They were personally addressed to each dentist and had hand written statements on both the letters and screenshots (same as I usually do)

    The only thing I did differently was I placed them in a number 7 envalope (yellow ones). which is supposed to have a higher response rate then the white ones.

    These were sent out 4 days ago. so far....ZERO calls. Not even a single one...I'm not what happened with this campaign.....Guess I better plan on following up with all 100 of these guys monday.


    Sorry just had to vent this.

    Four days...they may not have arrived yet.

    You shouldn't expect an immediate response.

    You need to send more than one message.

    Have you sufficiently tested your copy?

    Get ready to follow up and don't expect such immediate results...a year from now, someone might give you a ring, so even if you only end up with 5 gigs now who knows what you'll net total.

    Best wishes!
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  • Profile picture of the author fitz10
    So in the past you've done mailers and they have been responded to in 4 days? Nothing was different aside from the envelope? Did you market to dentists in your other mailings?
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  • Profile picture of the author ryanmckinney
    I would keep in mind a few things:

    You targeted a niche that gets bombarded by these offers.
    It's only been 4 days.
    How good is your copy?
    Have you positioned your self as a marketing expert in their niche? (i.e. talk some lingo that dentist talk, let them know you know marketing for dentistry)
    Did you separate your letter from the 100s of sales "junk" they receive weekly?
    Did you qualify them in any way (i.e. are they paying for advertising some how,but not listed on GP)

    Like Jason also said, most of your direct mailings get shi*canned, immediately, if they even made it past the keeper of the gate.

    It's why I choose fedex (open rate), and make sure I have tweaked my copy (learning how to better do that now by reading Dan Kennedy's - Ultimate sales letter.

    Ryan
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