Mailing Lists: Vital For Business
A great tool in a competitive marketplace is a mailing list. Mailing lists have several advantages. You can target a particular market segment, and you can do this with both or either potential new clients or ones that are already existing. Mailings lists also have the advantage of being not time consuming and cheaper than a lot of other forms of communication.
Your mailing list will most likely come from one of two sources. Initially, you may choose to purchase a database of businesses and individuals in your local area. Choosing a reputable source to purchase a database from is a very important step. Research your suppliers first, ask for references, and a sample selection so that you can validate the accuracy of the information they are supplying. You will build upon this list over time and have more control about the accuracy of the data it contains. If you already have a large client base, you should be collecting your client data and adding it to a database for later sorting and retrieval. Employing good databases are the first essentials of mailing lists that you will need to undertake.
The second fundamental for a successful mailing is quality data. Getting your letters back marked “return to sender” wastes resources and money. Often this happens because you have an incomplete address, or, if you’ve addressed a letter to a business, the individual no longer works at that company. In fact, it’s not a great idea to send business letters to an individual unless your 100% sure that they are still working there. Send them addressed to a job title instead. Remember, good data is the key to your success.
It’s also very important to know your target audience. Once you know what you’re trying to achieve, choose your target audience carefully. Sending mailers out at random can be annoying to people who have no need for your product or service. Make sure that your database has the ability to sort out those people who should be your target with some key words. For example, you could target a zip code, or local veterinary clinics. This not only maximizes your possibilities for success, but also costs down on costs.
Be direct. A mailer has an initial life span of less than 5 seconds. If you haven’t conveyed an interest to the recipient in the first thing they read, then you’ll have lost their attention no matter how great your product is. Color mailers should be high contrast, easy to read and colors that attract attention. Black and white mailers are essentially cheaper to produce, but don’t convey a professional feel of a well produced color article. The most important thing, however, is that the information contained in your mailer is clearly written, concise, and conveys enough information to attract interest and or curiosity.
Stock preparation. Ensure you have adequate stock levels ready for the items you are promoting. While a mailer is a great way of bringing awareness about your business, an inability to deliver what you have offered in a timely manner is not reassuring to even your most loyal customers.
Following up after the mailing is the last fundamental piece. After your mailers have been delivered follow up with a telemarketing call. This call will do one of two things. First, if they haven’t received your mailing, as maybe their address is incomplete in your database, it will allow you to update their contact data. Second, if they have received the mailing, then you can try and schedule a follow up meeting a sales representative. This will make them feel like they aren’t being rushed in to a decision, and will make it more likely to create long term customers. Remember: The mailer is just the initial sales pitch, the phone call is a courtesy that can let you close the deal.
In closing, we have seen that the essentials of mailing lists are: A quality database, a selected target audience, a product or service that suits the target audience, a well designed and concise mailer, a follow up call, and a sales appointment. Good selling!
Filed under: List Building