A "call to action"

I just HAD to post this article from delivermagazine.com:



It's hard to argue with the logic: Financial advisor Philip Board wants to hear from prospective clients, so he sends them a prepaid cell phone programmed with his number. The mailer, to say the least, has enjoyed a good reception.

The vast majority of recipients have been motivated enough to respond.

"They're usually chuckling a little bit when they call me," says Board, who heads 1 On 1 Financial, a four-person investment management firm in Upland, Calif.

Board has been sending the highly targeted mailer to four or five prospects each month since August 2011. It was created by the advertising agency Echo-Factory, which is based in nearby Rancho Cucamonga. Though many clients might have "inched at the audaciousness of the creative concept, Board's approval came quickly. "From the moment the agency showed it to me, I was doing backflips," he recalls.

Board was looking for a way to generate a response from particular prospects who are in the sales cycle. About half are individual investors nearing retirement with more than $500,000 in investable assets. The others are owners of local small businesses who might like to discuss the employee benefits they offer, including 401(k) plans and health insurance.

"When it comes to things like seminar marketing to find new clients, we're spending $7,000 to maybe get one or two [clients]," says Board. "So in my mind the mailer is so much more cost-effective. It's pinpointed, it's targeted."

Inside the mailer's black box is a note that reads, "We haven't heard from you." When recipients lift a tab on the mailer, they see a wooden box with a glass top and latch. It holds a cell phone loaded with 20 minutes of talk time. They can call Board by merely pressing "1."

Copy includes, "We figured your phone must be broken" and "Enclosed you'll find a prepaid cell phone with one number programmed into it. Ours. Assuming your nearest cell tower hasn't been destroyed by a "flash "flood (gasp!) -- we hope to hear from you soon." A charger is in the box, hidden from view.

Board hopes the elaborate mailer spurs targets to consider the level of commitment he would offer them as clients given the extent he's willing to go to get their business.

So are prospects actually using the free phones to place the call? Board isn't really sure, and he doesn't really care. Knowing every conversation is an opportunity to build rapport and top-of-mind awareness, he just wants his phone to ring.

Board has been able to pick up some business and says the campaign is paying for itself. Meanwhile, Echo-Factory principal Michael Schaffer thinks many respondents are reconnecting out of appreciation. "It's almost like a thank-you," he says. "Like, 'Hey, this was really great, I loved getting this in the mail. It was such a surprise.'"



The Essentials:

Company: 1 On 1 Financial (Upland, Calif.)

Agency: Echo-Factory (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.)

Target Audience: Local individual investors and local small business owners in the sales cycle.

Goal: To motivate prospects to call the company.

DM Vehicle: A black box (12.5 inches by 9 inches by 2 inches) that contains a note and a wooden box, which holds a prepaid cell phone programmed with the company's number.

Response: At press time about 75 percent of the 40 recipients had responded.