Get Personal: Letters vs. Direct Mail

One of the reasons direct mail works is the personal aspect. It's ostensibly a letter from you to your prospect. Because of this, the more personal you make it, the better your response will be.

If you're mailing to 100,000 people, putting your prospect's name on your letter is about as personal you can get. But there are times when you can ? and should ? send out highly personal letters to individual prospects.

Say you sell gardening supplies, and driving to work one day you notice a home with a lovely garden, but dying roses. You find out who the owner is and send her a letter complimenting her on her wonderful garden, along with tips on rose care. Or, you meet a prospect at a business networking function. You get back to the office and send out a letter referencing your conversation and outlining what your business can do for his.

But unlike direct mail, you don't ask for a response. Instead, tell the recipient that you'll be calling in about a week to talk about how you can help them. Then follow up with that phone call.

Now, instead of a mass mailing, you have a personal contact and the beginnings of a relationship. This kind of letter will have double or even triple the response rate of a typical mass mailing. Sure, it's more time consuming, but that fact is what makes it work so well.

So what are you waiting for? Get personal!

Lisa Packer, author of "How To Dramatically Increase Your Business... Without A Blockbuster Budget" and "7 Ways To Get A Pay Raise From Your Web Site" is an independent Copywriter and Marketing Consultant. Find out how to get these two reports, plus more helpful articles like the one you just read at http://www.dramatic-copy.com

Dramatic Copy: The Right Words Make A Dramatic Difference.

---

Direct Mail Postcard Rules

It's a fact that your customers are your best leads.... Read More

Non-Profit Success Requires Ongoing Marketing

In a crowded marketplace of ideas, it is important for... Read More

Polishing Your Translation Style - Marketing Your Services

You have read part 1 & 2 of this article... Read More

Direct Marketing: Overlooked, Underappreciated, and Unstoppable

Every business needs customers, but more importantly every business needs... Read More

Utilizing Your Best Hidden Asset To Increase Sales

You probably already have in your possession one of the... Read More

Looking for Sky In All The Wrong Places

Ever sit with a single puzzle piece of clouds and... Read More

The Mighty Marketing Brochure

"Brochure" is French, and it comes from brocher, meaning to... Read More

Off the Shelf Small Business Mapping Software

All small businesses can benefit from inexpensive off the shelf... Read More

Dont Let Your Business Cards End Up in the Trash

Business cards are such wonderfully creative little marketing products. Most... Read More

Take a Leap! How To Take Your Business To New Heights

Take a moment to reflect on the current reality of... Read More

Create A Business Card That Sells and is Effective

Why does your business need a business card?Business card is... Read More

Is It Time To Kill Your Marketing Program?

Ouch . . . sounds pretty drastic I know, but... Read More

Ten Tips for Creating a Winning Proposal ? Part 1

If you want your business to grow and attract new... Read More

How To Let Your Customers Search For YOU! ? Part 2

First I want to welcome you to part two of... Read More

Love My Dentist

I love my dentist! When is the last time you... Read More

Custom Lanyards - The Perfect Solution for Promotion, Branding, and Marketing

Lanyards are fast becoming the new "must have" promotional item.Events... Read More

Simple Marketing Idea - Big Marketing Results!

Have you ever noticed how many times it's the simplest... Read More

Does Your Marketing Plan Need Changing?

Change is good, right? Not always. But when is it... Read More

Attracting Clients With Incremental Marketing

Do you ask prospective clients to go too far?Must your... Read More

Client Attraction Technique #3: Study the Competition!

One very powerful and cost-effective marketing strategy is to study... Read More

Marketing Strategy - Shift the Focus

Most of the service providers I've worked for or with... Read More

How To Market A Seminar

Have you ever left a seminar thinking: "I could have... Read More

Learn How to Market Your eBusiness in Real Time: Dissect, Study, Emulate

Everything you will ever need to know about internet marketing... Read More

Why Smart People Dont Know How to Market

As an educated professional, your success is based on what... Read More

Hello, My Name Is . . . What Your Name Tag Says About You

When you attend networking functions, what kind of name tag... Read More

Increase Repeat Business and Referrals with Direct Mail

So you have been writing mortgages like crazy now for... Read More

Notable News - Its Not About You!

You enjoy what you do. In fact, you love your... Read More

Marketing Your Franchise Online

Do you want to successfully market your business franchise online?... Read More

Strategic Internet Marketing

I met Sue at a recent networking event. She is... Read More

The Most Important Marketing Principles of All Time

As you have probably experienced there is a lot of... Read More

Marketing To Women

Recent studies concerning the "new world of women" have been... Read More

Identifying, Creating and Using Your USP?

What's your USP? Don't know, or worse still, you've never... Read More

Roping In Loyal Customers While Making An Extra Profit!

You've probably bought a book or two at one of... Read More