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Whats more powerful? Postcards or Salesletters?

by RedShifted
50 replies
I ask this because I respect Bob Ross, have had impressive success using his post cards, but they only seem to work for certain types of businesses. Business's where someone would need a certain service or product immediately, say lawyers/drs/dentists/food/etc.

Just any type of situation where a person would have the tendency to think "I need XXX immediately", thats where I see postcards working.

HOWEVER.

I have not been able to get postcards to work for certain home improvement based business's. These aren't really business's where a person says "Oh today, I need an energy audit". Or "today I need to get new windows installed" or "Today, I think I'll get a porch built" etc etc.

These types of services seem more like luxuries than immediate needs.

THOSE are the types of business's I'm having issues with conversions.
This is also the reason I think salesletters could prove more effective.

Like for an energy audit, I don't see anyone doing salesletters in the mail right now. A lot of these business's are doing homeshows, ppc, postcards, magazines or cold calling. Homeshows definitely work, but they're expensive. Cold calling seems to work second best, but again, I want something simpler to focus on that I feel like I can do all by myself.

I've been reading a ton about how to write salesletters & get them opened. I believe in order to actually sell jobs for something as elaborate and expensive as an audit, MORE INFORMATION and MORE BENEFITS need to be shown. A post card can't do that as well as a salesletter (my own unexperienced opinion).

My question, what do the vets think about this? I'm working with an energy audit biz in particular, that is getting virtually no leads, and really would love to figure out something better than postcards. I've done everything right, people just can't seem to be sold in such a tiny amount of space is my opinion. Maybe a 3 page letter outlining all the benefits, organized neatly, could prove more profitable?
#postcards #powerful #salesletters
  • Profile picture of the author SirThomas
    How much is a typical energy audit? And what's an average cost for the job/solution?

    You mean people are not interested in audit or the actual job?

    Thomas
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  • Profile picture of the author Doran Peck
    Doesn't matter if the message arrives on a postcard, a letter, in a magazine, or by personal currier. If its not converting then it's not the right message.

    It's not the "medium" used that determines success. It's what you do to push he right emotion or logic buttons.

    Food for thought
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    • Profile picture of the author RedShifted
      Originally Posted by Doran Peck View Post

      Doesn't matter if the message arrives on a postcard, a letter, in a magazine, or by personal currier. If its not converting then it's not the right message.

      It's not the "medium" used that determines success. It's what you do to push he right emotion or logic buttons.

      Food for thought
      Yeh that was kind of my whole point.

      You can't push the right emotion buttons when you are limited to one post card... as opposed to a sales letter which can typically be a few pages long.

      To me that = a lot more buttons pushed. Which is why I was asking.

      An energy audit is free, the systems themselves go for around $4,000-$6,000 to install everything. If we determine the home would make a good candidate that is. Its a lot of stuff that is involved in the system. Solar air circulating & cooling system, radiant barrier in the attic, blown in insulation up to r38 (most homes are under an r18), attic tent, hot water pipe wrap, CFLs, real time energy monitors, solar attic fans, fireplace draft stoppers, wall place sealers & a couple other things.

      We sell the systems, and in 2-3 years the system pays for itself. Afterwards, for as long as they have the house, and due to electricity skyrocketing over the last 5 years (by 40%), their interest will grow exponentially as electricty rates contine to go higher and higher. So 10 years down the road you can make back 10-15xs what you originally paid for the system, thats thousands of dollars you wind up saving off your bills.

      The problem is the mind state of america. There are too many psychological and financial barriers for people to want a system. "Oh its too expensive.. oh I got to wait 2-3 years to get my money back" etc etc.

      So I'm trying to write a killer sales letter, that really minimizes the price and focuses on the future, and how much money they will ultimately wind up saving.

      We also offer financing, so one of the things I put in the sales letter was "because you can finance, the system pays for itself"

      And I also added a word about how we would pay for the system ourselves, if they were only a few hundred dollars. But due to how much they cost, there is no way we can do it. Our company would have to invest so much money we wouldn't have revenue to pay our installers. Except I worded it a bit more intelligently than that.

      I realize that the marketing message always trumps the marketing medium. What I'm saying though is how the heck is it possible to sell a $4,000-$6,000 system in a little 4 X 6 postcard? Or even a 9x12 would be impossible I feel. I'm thinking in the terms of if I write a salesletter, I can take the time to cover a variety of objections, that I can not cover in a postcard.

      There is the objection of price,
      the objection of how much you actually save from each part of the system,
      the objection of time,
      the objection of "what if I don't save any money after the systems put in?"

      In a salesletter I can cover these issues a lot more thoroughly than a postcard.

      So thats why I asked which would be more effective. At the same time however, I'm thinking this post is not really doing much to help me. I should be more focused on squeezing the message into a tiny post card I think rather than asking which is going to be more effective. And really, if I don't have room to address objections on the postcard...then I probably shouldn't even create them in the first place or allow that to happen.
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      • Profile picture of the author Adwizard
        Redshifted,

        Your not trying to sell the system on a postcard... What you should be trying to do is gather leads. Never once should the card mention what your selling or the cost of anything EXCEPT the FREE ENERGY AUDIT

        Here:
        Headline: Tired of Watching Your Money Go Out the Window???
        Graphic: A home with dollar bills flying out everywhere they are losing $$$
        (perhaps one that shows like a heat map of where homes are losing)
        Offer: EXTREMELY BIG

        FREE
        Energy Audit
        (No Purchase Necessary)

        Let us teach you how to save BIG $$$ on your energy bills. (with 40% increase in electric you really need this!)
        Testimonials: From past clients for sure!

        Direct Mail is fantastic for Window companies as well! I know... I have been doing it for years!
        Signature
        Building Businesses Beyond their Four Walls by
        Thinking Outside the Box... since 1993.
        Is anyone capable of designing a mobile site for
        this e-commerce site for a fee:
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        • Profile picture of the author RedShifted
          Originally Posted by Adwizard View Post

          Redshifted,

          Your not trying to sell the system on a postcard... What you should be trying to do is gather leads. Never once should the card mention what your selling or the cost of anything EXCEPT the FREE ENERGY AUDIT

          Here:
          Headline: Tired of Watching Your Money Go Out the Window???
          Graphic: A home with dollar bills flying out everywhere they are losing $$$
          (perhaps one that shows like a heat map of where homes are losing)
          Offer: EXTREMELY BIG

          FREE
          Energy Audit
          (No Purchase Necessary)

          Let us teach you how to save BIG $$$ on your energy bills. (with 40% increase in electric you really need this!)
          Testimonials: From past clients for sure!

          Direct Mail is fantastic for Window companies as well! I know... I have been doing it for years!

          Ok! Thats great stuff I can't thank you enough.

          I kinda had that in the back of my head like "why am I even trying to sell the system?" I'm making my job that much harder by doing so.

          I'm going to try and make a really powerful postcard right now & I'll upload it when I'm all done. Maybe you guys could help me doctor it up a little bit if you don't mind. =]

          Thank you!
          -Red
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  • Profile picture of the author Jerry Williamson
    I actually use a series of cards via SendOut Cards. It allows me to upload photos of potential clients business, signs, maybe the owner himself right onto the card (and inside) and start a drip campaign that has awesome conversions rates. You can even get 3 fold cards and supersized cards as well as send "gifts."

    Jerry
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    • Profile picture of the author maderemark
      Grab the prospect's attention with a powerful card like Adwizard mentioned and drive them to an online squeeze page with a free report on how an energy audit can quickly save the prospect money in the short run. Of course the prospect will have to enter their email address to get the free report. Then your client can contact them with more info.
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      • Profile picture of the author bob ross
        Originally Posted by maderemark View Post

        Grab the prospect's attention with a powerful card like Adwizard mentioned and drive them to an online squeeze page with a free report on how an energy audit can quickly save the prospect money in the short run. Of course the prospect will have to enter their email address to get the free report. Then your client can contact them with more info.
        He's going to have trouble by doing that because you want them to immediately contact the company and schedule an in-home visit, there's no extra steps needed.
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  • Profile picture of the author bob ross
    Adwizard definitely has it right. I think I've mentioned before that I've only had limited success with sending out sales letters for my remodeling company. You use postcards to get them to take the next step where you're salespeople can sell them in person.

    I also personally believe that sales letters have lost a lot of their effectiveness over the years. The average consumer mindset is a lot different today than it was during the heydays of sales letters. They have much shorter attention spans and want to know what you're offering immediately. Postcards are perfect for that.

    If you sent out 5,000 sales letters trying to sell someone something and I sent out 5,000 postcards to the same people just for a limited time free estimate/audit/etc. I'm going to have a hell of a lot more sales than you are in the end, for much cheaper too.

    I still <3 you red!
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    • Profile picture of the author maderemark
      Originally Posted by bob ross View Post

      Adwizard definitely has it right. I think I've mentioned before that I've only had limited success with sending out sales letters for my remodeling company. You use postcards to get them to take the next step where you're salespeople can sell them in person.

      I also personally believe that sales letters have lost a lot of their effectiveness over the years. The average consumer mindset is a lot different today than it was during the heydays of sales letters. They have much shorter attention spans and want to know what you're offering immediately. Postcards are perfect for that.

      If you sent out 5,000 sales letters trying to sell someone something and I sent out 5,000 postcards to the same people just for a limited time free estimate/audit/etc. I'm going to have a hell of a lot more sales than you are in the end, for much cheaper too.

      I still <3 you red!
      Hey Bob,

      I bought your WSO on selling with 4 color printed cards, flyers, etc. Really GOOD stuff. And no fluff!
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  • Profile picture of the author racso316
    Why not use both?

    If you're going to be sending sales letters, don't just send one and forget it. Create a sequence of letters, use postcards, call people up, use lumpy mail, use as much as you can.

    You can create a consumer guide, a free report on "How to save $X,XXX at home by doing this simple thing. At the end of it address the free audit.

    You can send the first letter offering the free report/audit, call them up to mention you send a letter, send a postcard as 2nd in your sequence, and lastly, send a 3rd letter with the free report on it.

    Test your letters, and make sure you follow up.
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  • Profile picture of the author sweetcrabhoney18
    I think both postcards and sales letters have their space. It really depends on who you are marketing to and what you want from them. A quick postcard can get attention but a detailed sales letter can sale the whole product. I don't think this applies to making money products because most people don't even read the sales letter and just decide based on a video. I read the sales letter that come from charities and I read the sales letter that come from direct sale products.
    Testing both products are so important as well and being creative. I know some offline businesses that use their postcard as their business card. It prevents people from just tossing the card into their card holder and it draws long term attention.
    Best of luck!
    Signature

    keep moving forward

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    • Profile picture of the author want2knowhow
      Wouldn't it also be beneficial to immediately re wire and prepare the homeowner's brain to accept a 5-$6,000 price tag sticker shock...by using mental phrases? You know like

      "How long have you lived in your house...and how long do you plan to stay? 10 years or more? Great...then let me ask you this...how much is it worth to you to stop over paying those ridiculous light and gas bills every summer and winter?

      Or a post card saying...
      How much is it worth to you to stop over paying those ridiculous light and gas bills every summer and winter?

      stop over paying those ridiculous light and gas bills every summer and winter!

      stop over paying those ridiculous light and gas bills every month!

      LET ME TEACH YOU HOW TO STOP GIVING THE UTILITY COMPANY YOUR MONEY EVERY MONTH!

      LET ME TEACH YOU HOW TO STOP BEING SCREWED BY THE UTILITY COMPANY EVERY MONTH!

      LEARN HOW TO STOP BEING SCREWED OVER BY THE UTILITY COMPANY EVERY MONTH!


      Show them a (cartoon graphic) projection of 2 homeowners;

      One turned your service down and is paying through the nose and is freezing and angry. The other paid for your service and is laying on a beach sipping a Mai Tai and smiling (cause he saved so much money) or he could be relaxing by a warm, cozy fire...saying THANK YOU XYZ services! Couldn't have done it without YOU!

      Or...

      one homeowner is sweating profusely, angrily looking at a high utility bill, while the other homeowner is happily enjoying his air conditioned comfort saying "Thank YOU, XYZ Services! Couldn't have done it without you!"

      I dunno..maybe I'm over thinking this...
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      • Profile picture of the author RedShifted
        Originally Posted by want2knowhow View Post

        Wouldn't it also be beneficial to immediately re wire and prepare the homeowner's brain to accept a 5-$6,000 price tag sticker shock...by using mental phrases? You know like

        "How long have you lived in your house...and how long do you plan to stay? 10 years or more? Great...then let me ask you this...how much is it worth to you to stop over paying those ridiculous light and gas bills every summer and winter?

        Or a post card saying...
        How much is it worth to you to stop over paying those ridiculous light and gas bills every summer and winter?

        stop over paying those ridiculous light and gas bills every summer and winter!

        stop over paying those ridiculous light and gas bills every month!

        LET ME TEACH YOU HOW TO STOP GIVING THE UTILITY COMPANY YOUR MONEY EVERY MONTH!

        LET ME TEACH YOU HOW TO STOP BEING SCREWED BY THE UTILITY COMPANY EVERY MONTH!

        LEARN HOW TO STOP BEING SCREWED OVER BY THE UTILITY COMPANY EVERY MONTH!


        Show them a (cartoon graphic) projection of 2 homeowners;

        One turned your service down and is paying through the nose and is freezing and angry. The other paid for your service and is laying on a beach sipping a Mai Tai and smiling (cause he saved so much money) or he could be relaxing by a warm, cozy fire...saying THANK YOU XYZ services! Couldn't have done it without YOU!

        Or...

        one homeowner is sweating profusely, angrily looking at a high utility bill, while the other homeowner is happily enjoying his air conditioned comfort saying "Thank YOU, XYZ Services! Couldn't have done it without you!"

        I dunno..maybe I'm over thinking this...

        YAH! I LIKE THAT A LOT! You definitely hit it right on the head with that pitch I love it.

        I've just finished my first version. I still have to put a square picture of the owner on the left side of the house so the corner pops out the slanted left side (where the tree is). Am going to throw an address in there too. I think it might get a few calls idk, can be improved.

        I'm going to make ANOTHER version now using your pitch I really think that would be great on this design. Will test both versions!!!

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        • Profile picture of the author pspro
          nice design RS!

          since you posted this asking for opinions: right now your headline and sub-headline are: "100% Guaranteed" and "Free Energy Audit"... to which the average consumer says "who cares, I'm thinking about how I'm going to get the extra money need for ___")

          personally I would replace the feature headlines with the benefits of making a home more energy efficient: "Reduce Your Bills By 15% -35%" (bills should prob be energy bills) and more comfortable: "Get Rid Of Costly, Uncomfortable Drafts"

          “Don’t Sell the Steak... Sell the Sizzle!” ~Elmer Wheeler

          Good luck with it!

          Heidi
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          • Profile picture of the author maderemark
            Originally Posted by pspro View Post

            nice design RS!

            since you posted this asking for opinions: right now your headline and sub-headline are: "100% Guaranteed" and "Free Energy Audit"... to which the average consumer says "who cares, I'm thinking about how I'm going to get the extra money need for ___")

            personally I would replace the feature headlines with the benefits of making a home more energy efficient: "Reduce Your Bills By 15% -35%" (bills should prob be energy bills) and more comfortable: "Get Rid Of Costly, Uncomfortable Drafts"

            "Don't Sell the Steak... Sell the Sizzle!" ~Elmer Wheeler

            Good luck with it!

            Heidi
            Spot on, Heidi!
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          • Profile picture of the author ZHammer
            Originally Posted by pspro View Post

            since you posted this asking for opinions: right now your headline and sub-headline are: "100% Guaranteed" and "Free Energy Audit"... to which the average consumer says "who cares, I'm thinking about how I'm going to get the extra money need for ___")

            personally I would replace the feature headlines with the benefits of making a home more energy efficient: "Reduce Your Bills By 15% -35%" (bills should prob be energy bills) and more comfortable: "Get Rid Of Costly, Uncomfortable Drafts"

            "Don't Sell the Steak... Sell the Sizzle!" ~Elmer Wheeler
            I definitely think this is the crux of the matter - Any time you are selling something you should be thinking about the problems your are solving and the results you are giving.

            Continuing on this line of reason, I'd use something like this (if you can get permission):
            Mr. Smith (<- Replace with a client name) in YourHometownUSA, NJ is saving $1,567 dollars a month on his Utilities bills because of a FREE Energy Audit from NJ Energy Experts - Call #908-688-5028 to find out how you can too!

            That's just a rough attempt - but the key points are that you are selling the results (which is what they care about) and making the message match the market as much as possible:
            - Looks authentic because you are giving details about a real person (maybe include their picture)
            - Appeals to them personally because you are talking about their city or neighborhood
            - Tells them a real number that can be achieved (obviously this will come from after the 3 years or whatever)

            That's how I'd structure it - I don't have the results to tell you it'd work, but that's how I'd look at it based on what I've learned in here and in my studying of direct mail.
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            • Profile picture of the author maderemark
              Originally Posted by ZHammer View Post

              Continuing on this line of reason, I'd use something like this (if you can get permission):

              Mr. Smith (<- Replace with a client name) in YourHometownUSA, NJ is saving $1,567 dollars a month on his Utilities bills because of a FREE Energy Audit from NJ Energy Experts - Call #908-688-5028 to find out how you can too!
              I'm a big believer in testimonials. So I would try to get an actual testimonial from Mr. Smith and use that with his photo. Use first and last name and his city to make it more believable.
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              • Profile picture of the author ZHammer
                Originally Posted by maderemark View Post

                I'm a big believer in testimonials. So I would try to get an actual testimonial from Mr. Smith and use that with his photo. Use first and last name and his city to make it more believable.
                And this is actually a great side tip for any testimonials you use anywhere else btw - the more information you can include about the person, the more legit it looks.

                When you think about it - there can actually be some power in the simple-text-based mailings. So many of the things coming in the mail are the high quality/nice looking pieces - something that is somewhat "ugly" (ie - just text on a brightly colored cardstock) will stand out.

                Either way it will always come down to testing to see what gets the best pull - but a great place to start is with the question "What does the target market actually care about?" Then just make your message match their own words/thoughts/pains/feelings etc...
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        • Profile picture of the author Huskerdarren
          Originally Posted by RedShifted View Post

          YAH! I LIKE THAT A LOT! You definitely hit it right on the head with that pitch I love it.

          I've just finished my first version. I still have to put a square picture of the owner on the left side of the house so the corner pops out the slanted left side (where the tree is). Am going to throw an address in there too. I think it might get a few calls idk, can be improved.

          I'm going to make ANOTHER version now using your pitch I really think that would be great on this design. Will test both versions!!!

          Redshifted, That's a really nice looking postcard. It hits all the main points and has a strong call to action. I want to do something like this and include a link to a 1 minute TV commercial viewable online or on a mobile phone with a hint of an added bonus at the end of the commercial.
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  • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
    Originally Posted by RedShifted View Post

    My question, what do the vets think about this? I'm working with an energy audit biz in particular, that is getting virtually no leads, and really would love to figure out something better than postcards. I've done everything right, people just can't seem to be sold in such a tiny amount of space is my opinion. Maybe a 3 page letter outlining all the benefits, organized neatly, could prove more profitable?
    What savings are made by this energy audit biz?

    Is it a case where they get no fee if there is no money savings?

    What are their stats on energy savings?

    The offer could be the problem, not the delivery method.

    Best,
    Ewen

    P.S. If you can show money saved and it costs nothing to get the savings,
    then you are selling FREE money!
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    • Profile picture of the author want2knowhow
      Originally Posted by ewenmack View Post

      What savings are made by this energy audit biz?

      Is it case where they get no fee if there is no energy savings?

      What are their stats on energy savings?

      The offer could be the problem, not the delivery method

      Best,
      Ewen
      Made me instantly think of those damned car lot/dealers who purposely don't post the price of the car on the windshield because they know if they can just get you IN there...then you are left at a disadvantage on haggling from a set price point.
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  • Profile picture of the author RedShifted
    Thanks Heidi! I appreciate just the fact that you didn't rip on my graphics like some other people did in a different thread. I mean really I don't even care if people rip on my stuff if they could just provide a few tips like you did.

    You are spot on. Reason I took that headline was I saw it in a high converting yellow pages ad, but you are correct, when I really think about it I could have targeted much better.

    I'm thinking even a before and after picture of bills might provide more "sizzle" then just a fancy picture of a home. So I'm going to get all these things together and test our second direct mail campaign. If we don't get more than 1 lead like we got last time, then I'm going to have to hire someone to do the copy for me.

    Only thing I know about copywriting is Dan Kennedies salesletter book, which I just read about a week ago, so I'm still learning. Thank you so much for your help guys really can't thank you all enough!
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    • Profile picture of the author maderemark
      If you want great graphics for next to nothing - check out fiverr.com

      Can't beat the prices, quality and time you'll save!
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    • Profile picture of the author Mr. Subtle
      Originally Posted by RedShifted View Post

      I'm thinking even a before and after picture of bills might provide more "sizzle" then just a fancy picture of a home. So I'm going to get all these things together and test our second direct mail campaign.
      For your second postcard use the idea you typed about in post #1 of your "Results Oriented Community Advertising" thread. The "grabber" can be 2 (or 4 or 6) FREE CFL 26wt bulbs (equivalent to the old 100wt incandescent bulb) as a "thank you" for requesting a FREE (no sales pressure) home energy audit.
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  • Profile picture of the author jcjonas
    I would personally take a picture of the house out in means nothing to the homeowner. Focus on the pain that the homeowners having. Don't make it look cheesy would 100%guarantee stuff. If you read the Dan Kennedy book, you'll know that he's not a big fan of graphics and that the more words on the page are better. Again focus on the pain the homeowners haven't and what you or service can do to solve that problem. Just thinking you might want to put your headline something like " in this tough economy trying to save a penny everywhere makes a difference….etc" and you can add some benefits there off of this sentence.

    You also might want to send them as mentioned in this thread to a squeeze page or have them: 800-number with a recorded message and if they're interested they can leave their information. Also mentioned in this thread you need to test a number of different headlines and delivery methods. I would send out postcards of different sizes, lumpy mail, sales letters, etc and track everything meticulously.
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  • Profile picture of the author philipdwyer
    Both have their pros and cons. Postcards do not need to be open to be read, but come off as cheap. Sales letters need to be opened to be read but appear more professional.
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    --
    Philip Dwyer
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  • Profile picture of the author RentItNow
    To me it is a matter of refining your target. Can't really refine them much with a post card but a two page letter...man you are speaking right to them.

    Another way to put it is if I want to go after a general audience, sure play the numbers with the post cards but if you are going very niche (say Divorce Attorneys or Real Estate Agents that only take investor clients) write a heart felt letter introducing yourself and get into their head and then use a few tricks to get them to call you. It's working great for me.
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    I have no agenda but to help those in the same situation. This I feel will pay the bills.
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    • Profile picture of the author maderemark
      To me it is a matter of refining your target. Can't really refine them much with a post card but a two page letter...man you are speaking right to them.

      My wife just HATES when I do anything that long. She says, "Who has time to read it? They'll just toss it in the trash." That's why you need a mix of post cards and sales letters to appeal to each person's attention span.
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      • Profile picture of the author ryanmckinney
        Originally Posted by maderemark View Post

        To me it is a matter of refining your target. Can't really refine them much with a post card but a two page letter...man you are speaking right to them.

        My wife just HATES when I do anything that long. She says, "Who has time to read it? They'll just toss it in the trash." That's why you need a mix of post cards and sales letters to appeal to each person's attention span.

        Dan Kennedy covers this as well in the book I referenced. It boils down to the copy writing skills.

        Ryan
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        • Profile picture of the author ZHammer
          Originally Posted by ryanmckinney View Post

          Dan Kennedy covers this as well in the book I referenced. It boils down to the copy writing skills.

          Ryan
          Yep - this will always be the case. You got to put yourself into the mind of the prospect - what would be appealing to them? If you keep it appealing, sometimes that means that long letters work well - as long as you get there attention and interest quickly.
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  • Profile picture of the author ryanmckinney
    I think a well crafted sales letter will do well, the same as a post card. It all depends on what you are selling.

    People like stories, you can take people through story, you can hit on their pain points specific to their industry / lifestyle, whomever you are marketing to.

    Reading Dan Kennedy's the ultimate sales letter, and understanding and learning how to write effective copy will do a lot for my business, as it is a tangible tool. I started with early success from 3 page sales letters.

    For peopel (98% of us) who are not expert copywriters, we will not see the same sort of results from a direct mail campaign as an expert copywriter would.

    Postcards have their place as well! Short sweet, to the point, ask a question, get someone intrigued to get a call back or to take action, and you get constant, drip fed exposure.

    I think each mailing piece has it's place, and done correctly will be very effective.

    I am working on my first PC campaign to local businesses, pitching SMS.

    My direct mail sales letter pieces pitched GP and SEO, and has sort of a "story" to it.

    On a smaller level (10 direct mail pieces sent out), with no sales letter, and just the businesses advertisement and a note saying "I got cool idea, call me if you want to discuss" , received 2 call backs, 1 client. The voicemails said "Ok so I got my own advertisement in the mail with a note , I am curious about your idea, call me at *number here*".

    There are many ways to do things effectively, the hardest part is just getting the attention of the decision maker and getting it to their eyeballs, then it's actually getting them to want to call you or take action.

    To the OP - Read that book!

    Ryan
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    • Profile picture of the author maderemark
      I think we've all heard the stats that it takes multiple exposures to a sales message before many people respond.

      Doing a series of post cards to the same list with a more detailed letter later will get a better response than just one post card or one sales letter by itself.
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  • Profile picture of the author cuttingedge
    Here's a fast inexpensive way to get your propects calling.

    Start with a good mailing list and a supply of small inexpensive post cards.

    Dear Friend,

    Would you like an amazing secret that will help you reduce your home energy to dirt-cheap prices?

    If so, call (000)123-4567.

    Mail your postcards and see if you get some action.

    You could also try this in the classified section of newpapers and magazines.

    Should work for most businesses.

    Some of you may want them qualified before talking with lots of the folks who will call you.

    To reduce these calls, try something like this.

    Call (000) 123-4567 for a free recorded message that reveals the secret to reducing your energy needs or something along those lines.

    Now, write out your telephone script stating that if you are interested to call you on your private line at ___.
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    • Profile picture of the author maderemark
      Originally Posted by cuttingedge View Post

      Here's a fast inexpensive way to get your propects calling.

      Start with a good mailing list and a supply of small inexpensive post cards.

      Dear Friend,

      Would you like an amazing secret that will help you reduce your home energy to dirt-cheap prices?

      If so, call (000)123-4567.

      Mail your postcards and see if you get some action.

      You could also try this in the classified section of newpapers and magazines.

      Should work for most businesses.

      Some of you may want them qualified before talking with lots of the folks who will call you.

      To reduce these calls, try something like this.

      Call (000) 123-4567 for a free recorded message that reveals the secret to reducing your energy needs or something along those lines.

      Now, write out your telephone script stating that if you are interested to call you on your private line at ___.
      Or for those who don't want to call because they think they'll end up talking to a salesman, "Visit www.yourdomain.com to get your free report on an amazing secret that will help you reduce your home energy to dirt-cheap prices."

      They will be taken to a squeeze page where they have to enter their name and email address and/or their phone number before they can download the report.
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  • Profile picture of the author lena012
    For me postcards attracts more attention(specially if it's a good photo) than a regular salesletter.
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    • Profile picture of the author pspro
      Hey Red, since you're a Dan Kennedy fan, I wanted to share something he said in his Magnetic Marketing course that has always resonated with me; transforming your offer from "un-invited pest (an offer that goes in the trash) to welcome guest (an appointment)"

      this is page from one of his affiliates has a good analogy:
      dankennedywebsite.com/lesson1.htm

      Heidi
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  • Profile picture of the author alangerome
    personally I really like your post card. I think its great considering the bad advice your getting. nothing works by it self. post card then letter then phone call. that's what works. do you know these peoples names? if you don't, then how can you do a letter. a letter, by its very nature is personal. its never how many but how well. dear friend, are you kidding? your not their friend they don't know you? dear homeowner? that's headed for the trash. Dear Tom and Betty Kilster, is the proper way to earn business.
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  • Profile picture of the author JerrickYeoh
    Postcard is much more social integration which able to let customer stop and look more into it before they find out what you try to provide .

    Salesletter is to direct and it would sound like spam so people will usually ignore it or look more into it . Saleletter interaction is to depress on sales which cause customer will ignore in 1st impression .
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  • Profile picture of the author RedShifted
    Wow thanks guys! Had no idea people were still posting in this thread but it made me smile to see that a few people at least liked it.

    Unfortunately however we never wound up testing it, and my focus got diverted to our second older business when our PPC stopped converting well. So I redesigned the site, finally we're getting good leads again, but before I even send out any promotional material for this new energy biz I'm realizing that site also needs a serious makeover, as well as some reviews online.

    Then perhaps I'll edit the card a bit more, and use a more sophisticated system to drive leads. Looking back at this thread it amazes me how much I've learned in such a short time on warrior forum, and how ignorant I sound in my OP.

    But you guys have helped me a lot!! I finally have a website that is converting very decently with PPC (this time conversions are a lot more consistent), and I only have warrior forum to thank for that!!

    -Red
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  • Profile picture of the author scottgallagher
    Here is a POST CARD we use.

    ...with a handwritten note and put into a 30-day, 8- email auto responder driving sign ups for a webinar and online assessment seem to work well for us.
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    Father, Entrepreneur, Author, Adranalist
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  • Profile picture of the author huntpeter
    If you are going to design a postcard to promote your business, then it should contain Images of your product or related to your services. It should contain an effective content with blasting tag line. It will be more effective if its design is relevant to your service.
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  • Profile picture of the author TrumpiaTim
    Postcards or brochures are definitely more attractive
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    Trumpia: The Most Completed SMS Text Messaging Software & API Solution.
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  • Profile picture of the author mwds120
    If you ask me, post cards are worth trying first, since they don't require the effort of opening a letter. Just make sure you have a catchy headline. Layout is also important. Your message must be easy to process within just a few seconds.
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    Indianapolis houses for sale at msWoods.com - m.s.Woods Real Estate LLC. About Indianapolis at | FunCityFinder.com

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  • Profile picture of the author damongreene
    I will tell you that sales letters work, and in my experience better than postcards. I recently wrote a sales letter for a LANDSCAPER...yes you read right. Put all the bells and whistles of a sales letter (2 pages) and an irresistable offer. The letter was placed in newspaper slots or on mailbox flags and personalized ina white envelope. He got an 8% response rate and closed 50% of business (he is not a salesman at all) which netted him 1200 p/m extra.

    Now we are testing actually getting the letters in the mail thru USPS on another subdivision. Those results were from on subdivision. This is repeatable. So Im an advocate of sales letters for businesses that you would not expect to see them. Hands down they work!
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  • Profile picture of the author AlexTee
    I like using 6 x 9 post cards. I like the color, graphics and the fact they will be read or at least looked over before being thrown away.

    With that being said, postcards will work but the message has to move them to take action as a result of being educated.

    For instance…..Is there anything harmful to their health that they don't know about?
    If so, what is it? How does that change after the audit and how do they know?

    Are there any other little known facts they should know about that you could put in a report?
    If you can find an angle here they won't care about the price!
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  • Profile picture of the author club20coaching
    Post cards are effective but flyer distribution is way more effective! unless you like spending way to much on mailing them! I pay 2 guys $8.00 per hour cash and they can for 500 per day... by the time I'm done I spend maybe around $320.00 of the printing and distribution! $320.00 for around 2000 flyers.. and sometimes see a 2% return.. or 40 phone calls for my services.. depending on how good the design and where you pass them out at.
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    Website Design In Michigan

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  • Profile picture of the author JaffeyApple
    Which format greatly depends on the prospective reader; an essay to a plumber won't work neither will a postcard to finance company.

    There is lots of good advice above to take into consideration but you also need to focus on some of the smaller details like hand written or window envelopes, franked or stamped mail, standard envelope or something different like a black one.

    On the postcards again there are variables to consider. In some markets the quality of the artwork impacts on the interest. It might sound strange but a decrease in quality in certain markets makes the readers perceive the products will be cheaper so it is worth their time to call.

    One thing I would say with certainty on the postcards is to keep them short and sweet. Look at it like trying to create interest and intrigue to get a date, tell them enough to be interested to want the date, not the life story or there will be no story to tell when the salesmen is trying to seduce the lead.

    Looking at the postcard you created I feel that it is far too wordy and the image alienates a certain part of the potential audience. If you want to use property images, and presumably these properties are within a 30 mile radius of where you are located, include the house type variables within the imagery. Large property images means it is not affordable to smaller home owners, smaller properties and it is not considered suitable to the larger property owners as they don't won't to be associated with a lower grade property or service. In home improvement you have to be very very careful not to alienate prospective clients owing to their own snobbery.

    A website with a video for this specific market I feel would work very well which will also act as a chaff weeder, as leads for leads sake cost money to service. The video will give the lead a greater idea of what you are offering, still holding back on some of the 'exciting' details until the appointment, but will get rid of the some of the expensive timewasters. Even if the salespeople are commission only, administration of appointments etc costs money.

    I have done some quite large campaigns (500k+ per campaign) in the past and spent a lot of money. You must split test in the same way as you would an email campaign. It makes the process more protracted but once you have the formula right you can increase the regions of coverage with a magic formula. Test, test and test again.
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