This time I am including several ‘secrets’ under the guise of just two. This is because they are closely intertwined.
I have often been amazed at the low level of expectations of people who send out mailings for new business. According to the Direct Marketing Association, industry-specific direct mail has produced an average response rate of 2.61%. Ask any SME what results they get from their mailings and the answer will probably be 1% or less.
So my next Sales Letter Secret is:
5. Stop expecting only a 1% return
• With the right ingredients you CAN get double digit response
• Avoid trying to convert non-users
• Focus on getting users to switch to you
If you ‘cold call’ by mail, you’ll be lucky to get 1%. So don’t do it. Don’t try to convert non-users into users. It will break the bank. Instead, find a list of people who use your product or service, and concentrate on converting them to your brand.
The next Sales Letter Secret is probably the biggest money saver of all. Test. How do you know what is the best sales approach to use unless you test? How do you know what offer works best unless you test? Hoiw do you know if a long letter or a short letter will work best unless you test?
Test before you spend big bucks, and keep testing until you find something that works better. So this is number 6:
6. Testing can make all the difference
• How will you know what works? By testing
• How will you know what works BEST? By testing
• Use a rolling test programme to stay ahead of the game
Tuesday I’ll pull it all together with number 7. Meanwhile, if you’d like to talk about how to make all this work for you, call me on 0845 165 9240 or email phillip@pkpcommunicators.com.
Phillip
