A very important question you need to ask yourself when creating marketing material is actually one you need to [rhetorically] ask your prospects: “Do you believe what I’m telling you about my product/service?”
When using Direct Mail pieces, you have to do many things at once in order to attract prospects. You have to introduce yourself. You have to ask for the prospect’s business. You have to create a general curiosity about your product. You have to help the prospect see how your product will benefit them. You have to somehow prove to the prospect that you absolutely know what you’re talking about. You have to be trustworthy and reputable.
And all of that has to happen without ever having actually ‘met’ the prospect who is standing at their mailbox or sitting behind their desk scanning the postcard you sent them.
That sounds like a lot to pack into a single mailing, yes. However, there are some simple ingredients you can sprinkle throughout a postcard – super suggestive, but at the same time helping you establish the instant credibility you need to make them keep reading – and pull that prospect deeper into your sales funnel.
- Longevity – Tell them how long you’ve been in the industry. The SBA tell us that 30% of new businesses fail during the first two years of being open, 50% during the first five years and 66% during the first 10. Illustrate your success! (“Delivering for our customers for over 20 years!”)
- Sales – Especially when promoting a specific product or service, boast about the fantastic sales you’re seeing because of your product’s or service’s unparalleled quality! (“With over 2,000 shipments last year alone, ‘X’ is helping more offices just like yours than ever before!”)
- Happy Previous Customers – Good news travels fast. Bad news travels even faster (Thank you, social media!). Use snippets of a wonderful client experience (with their permission) to put a positive image of your company in the mind of the prospect. (“We couldn’t have made our printing deadline without ‘X Printing Company’ coming to our rescue! They’re our go-to shop from now on!”)
- Authority – For whatever reason, people feel better about believing someone who tells them they have the experience in whatever they’re trying to solve/resolve. Ever watched a YouTube video to figure out how to fix or create something? You can establish that same level of trust on a postcard by demonstrating your authority or proficiency. (“As recognized by Florida Atlantic University for ‘Outstanding Advancements in Landscape Engineering & Design.'”)
- Industry-recognized – Show your prospects that not only your clients appreciate your skill and talent, but the industry you’re in has also validated you and your success. (“South Florida HVAC Contractor of the Year 2016-2018!”)
There are hosts of other things you can use to give your mailing depth and communicate to your prospect that you really know what you’re talking about. From the size of your company, to how fabulous your customer service is, to the fact that you’re open longer than your competitors, it’s okay to boast about what you can do for your prospects that your competitors aren’t – or can’t. But keep it honest.
We live in a time when marketing comes at you from all angles. And each message you see or hear is competing to be the most fabulous, fantastic, you-cannot-live-without-this proposition the prospect has ever heard of.
Over the top and unbelievable messages are most-often fast tracked right into the trash.
You want to use the brief prospect exposure you have to quickly establish authenticity and trust. If you were buying your product from a company, what would you want that company to be before you trusted them with your money?
It sounds like a simple question.
But it can have a complicated answer. Give Opportunity Knocks a call at 1 (866) 319-7109. We’ll help you design a Direct Mail campaign that does everything you need it to – simply, effectively, and honestly.