PrintEmail

Why Direct Mail?
Of the many methods available to you to \"spread\" the sales message about your product or service, among the most powerful and effective is \"Direct Mail\".

Only face-to-face marketing is more effective - and that is because a skilled person can answer questions immediately and respond to any objections. Whether your goal is direct sales, lead generation, fundraising or political campaigning, Direct Mail is the most cost-effective method of reaching your target market - one buyer at a time.   More money is invested in direct mail than any other advertising medium.

Direct Mail is Targeted Mail
Direct Mail should not be confused with \"junk

mail\", for direct mail if properly conceived, written, designed, \"targeted\" and delivered to the proper audience can prove to be the most cost-effective means of business/sales communications.

Make Them An \"Offer\" They Can\'t Refuse
An Offer is a Promise. You\'re offering - promising - something beyond the product itself.  People don\'t buy products or services. They \"buy\" what those products or services do for them.

Example: People don\'t buy hiking boots. They buy better grip on rocks. They buy comfort and support. They buy long life.   When a carpenter buys a drill, \"he\'s buying the hole\". To that end, ask yourself not what you\'re selling, but what it is that your product or service does for the customer. When you\'ve defined that, the rest is easy, you tell \'em what you\'re going to tell \'em, then you tell \'em what you told \'em!

Needs and Wants: The Buyer\'s Motivation
Your product satisfies certain needs that your customer has. Your sales appeal is designed according to the financial, social or professional status of your customer.

Example:   Every living person needs water to survive. You are selling \"designer label\" bottled water. Does this water merely satisfy a basic need, or does this water appeal to the \"image\" wants of a socially prominent individual (who also needs water to survive)?

• To whom do you appeal - and what words do you choose to convince your target market to buy your product?
• Consider the word WANT: In reality, your customer doesn\'t need designer-label water. He/she wants it. That want may be so powerful, it becomes a need.

To that end, you must craft your sales message to appeal to that want or need. There are two kinds of needs:

• Felt need - the need a prospect feels without prompting by anyone (water).
• Created need - generated by creative and convincing promotion (designer-label water). Created needs are - by far - the largest proportion of marketing efforts.

Both people and businesses have needs, and the needs may differ for each. Therefore, you must research the needs of your prospects so you can design appealing messages to each segment of your target market.