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Pulling out all the stops in B2B Direct Mail
By Lisa Barbadora
Recently, I was talking with a product manager at a Philadelphia-based software consulting firm. Knowing she was struggling to generate leads for the company’s new management software product, I suggested she try sending direct mail. "’Been down that road. It doesn’t work," was her curt reply.
Further discussion revealed that my friend followed the standard direct mail rules – develop a list, offer, and kit consisting of a letter, a brochure, and a reply card – that most B2B companies do. However, only a few leads trickled in. Why? She didn’t pull out all the stops.
To get the attention of a highly mail-cluttered and mail-protected prospect, you may need the bells and whistles considered a waste of money for consumer direct mail campaigns (i.e. pop-ups, give-aways, sound chips, and other gimmicks). Remember: your kit is being sent to B2B executives or engineers who receive stacks of "junk" mail everyday. They are often protected from unwarranted mail by secretaries and mailroom staff. So, not only must you develop an irresistible offer and targeted list, but you must also find a creative way to get your kit past the all-powerful gatekeeper.
The gatekeeper can be an office assistant, executive secretary, or junior employee – anyone who opens the boss’s mail and screens what the boss will see. In seconds, the gatekeeper decides to either deliver your package or seal your fate (no pun intended).
Get attention!
Dimensional mailers, packages that make noise, wacky toys and other out-of-the-box creative cause a break in the gatekeeper’s open-and-toss routine. For an assistant to pass a mailing on to the boss, the package needs to be interesting enough for him or her to stop scanning for key words like "invoice." Ultimately, the kit must be so extraordinary that it captures – and keeps – the attention of the addressee.
Fortunately, direct mail allows for the kind of creativity and flexibility necessary to get attention. In fact, it’s the only form of direct response advertising that allows you to create not only the message and graphics, but also the format.
The format can be as simple as a postcard or personal letter or as complex as a three-dimensional custom box. Toys, peanut butter and cinder blocks have even been delivered. The kit can be scented, die-cut, edible, have moving parts, make noise…anything that a creative mind can imagine, invent, and package to add impact to your message.
How much is too much to spend? The short answer is, "it depends." The long answer is, it depends on a number of variables, such as the size of your marketing budget, the size of your list, and most of all, the value of the sale. Mailings sent to customers worth $1,000 should be much different in price than those sent to customers worth $1,000,000.
Get response!
Capturing the attention of your direct mail recipient is important, but that just gets you in the ball game. Getting a response is like hitting a home run.
To get the best response, focus on two key elements: 1) your list and 2) your offer. According to Bernard Goldberg, author of Business-to-Business Direct Marketing, the offer and list account for at least 80% of B2B direct mail success.
Make your offer irresistible by delivering your message in a way that addresses the recipient’s specific needs and interests. This may require some research. Analyze your competition – what claims are they making? Read articles in industry trade journals – are there any recurring problems discussed? Look at the professional titles of the people on your list – are they mostly decision-makers (i.e., CEOs, vice presidents) or decision-influencers (i.e., technical engineers, product managers)?
Free product data sheets and booklets on related industry topics might appeal to product managers and technical engineers. Discounted service contracts and free on-site consultations may be more attractive to upper-level managesr. If your list consists of a wide range of people, use two or three different offers as variations of the same kit.
The goal is to drive for a response in the form of qualified sales leads. With individual sales calls costing more than $300 each, it’s vital to make certain that leads are well-qualified. Direct mail allows B2B marketers to distinguish the smaller group of interested buyers from the larger universe of prospects. Put simply, it’s getting people to raise their hands. If prospects are not interested enough to return a postage-paid reply card, is it worth it to pursue them further? A mailing that costs less than 50 cents per piece is good insurance against the unnecessary expenditure of more than $300 per contact.
Last but not least, make it easy for your recipients to respond. Include a hassle-free response vehicle, such as a toll-free telephone number, postage-paid reply card, or fax-back form.
Get moving!
Take advantage of direct mail as an efficient B2B marketing tool. It’s a great way to generate leads, inform customers about new products, and complement an advertising campaign. For results, make sure your kit is equally dynamic from the copy and creative to the offer and response mechanism.
Lisa Barbadora, of Schubert Communications, is a copywriter experienced in B2B marketing communications. She can be reached at 610-269-2100 or e-mailed at LBarbadora@schubert.com.
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