Good Morning
A friend contacted me yesterday and wanted to add direct mail to his customer’s marketing campaign and wanted to know how much to budget and then charge. He wanted to know if there was a flat rate or if it was all custom. He did tell me that they wanted to send out a series of 3 letters. I started by asking questions: are letters personalized or general, how long and black ink or color?
After a number of email exchanges I got my answers and was able to put together a per letter cost.
A while back a new customer contacted me and wanted to send out a sales letter to businesses. I asked basically the same questions with the additional one: is this to a cold or warm list. A cold list is composed of those who were never contacted before and a warm one is of those who know the person or business that is contacting them and has some kind of relationship with them.
I was told they wanted to send the letter to a part of a cold list. The reason I ask is that I know that you can get away with one contact if you have to, with a warm to hot list whereas with a cold list you will need at least 3 contacts or more before you get any meaningful response. I was told that they were just going to send one letter and move on to another part of the list.
I probably shot myself in the foot by opening my mouth. (I know, keep you mouth shut and just do the work but I want my customers to be successful.) I told them that they get a better response rate with targeting the first group at least three times before moving on to another part of the list. I was told, no, this is how they are going to do it. Well you know the old saying; “The customer is always right, ” enough said.
We did the mailing, and guess what? They got a very low response rate and decided “to go in another direction,” and I’ve haven’t worked with them since.
As Dan Kennedy says in Magnetic Marketing, “If you want impact and you want response, then you must have repetition.”
Remember to stop by my booth at the H.E.B. Chamber of Commerce Business Expo, June 4, 2:30 – 6:30, at the Hurst Conference Center. I’ll be giving away tickets to a live seminar I’ll be doing, which will allow you to attend for free, but you have to come by my booth to get them.
Till next time,
Great Things Happen, But You Have To Take Action NOW!
Philip Freedman
Your Doctor of Customer Acquisition, Retention and Enhancement
P.S. Get your Lost/Past/Old Customers back and keep them from going to your competition. Click Here , Email me or call 817-282-0443.
