Today we’ll discuss how to use direct mail marketing and, yes, telemarketing to your full advantage. I know, the word “telemarketing” might as well be four letters, but there is a way to help customers feel like they are getting personal attention and keep them from blocking your number!

With the success direct mail marketing has had and the availability of computers, these can be used as a powerful marketing tool for your product and/or company success.

PS: Telemarketing is best for high priced, high margin products/services.

Here are the key steps to putting together a highly effective direct mail marketing program:

  1. List all benefits your customers will get from the purchase of your products and services.
  2. Pick the single most powerful benefit out of that list.
  3. Build an attention-getting headline around that benefit. Remember to use emotion. Fulfill the desire to be young, wealthy, desired, popular or successful; the stuff we all want to some greater or lesser degree.
  4. Develop a sales letter using the headline you created to grab attention, provide information and motivate customers to act.
  5. Put together supplementary items, such as a brochure, order form, reply envelope or note that encourages them to read the letter.
  6. Rent, purchase, or open a mailing list.
  7. Compare the cost of mailing vs. cost per order and embrace this plan. If you can’t stop here.
  8. Continue to test and refine your direct mail marketing plan.
    1. Note: By testing and refining you might want to use only a portion of this purchase list for your first and second or maybe even third rounds. Look at your results. A great mailing can elicit a 2% return. That might not sound like much but if you’ve done your homework and you know how much getting a new customer now costs and you know how much the average customer makes you this could be a very profitable endeavor.

For example: If your average customer is worth about $1000

And your mailing cost you - $2500

Including - purchasing a list of 5000 (let's say @ $65 per 1000 names,) hiring the graphics person and marketing person for a compelling copy (or someone with a really comprehensive and fresh library and a dang good brain, hint, hint,) and then printing and mailing – I suggest you use a service.

With a 2% return, you're looking at 100 responses. You can do the math – 100 x $1000. Does direct mail still look expensive?

You can see how direct mail marketing can help you find a local or even country-wide target market to send letters or postcards to and draw in new clientele and customers. Fine-tuning your marketing campaign will bring better results and therefore lower the overall cost of the campaign.

To be successful in telemarketing you need to:

  • Put together a plan, so you know exactly what you want to accomplish during the call.
  • Develop a list of topics to discuss and the questions you want to present around these topics.
  • Input verbiage checking to see if you are calling at a good time.
  • Get confirmation that you are.
  • Include enough questions to keep the conversation interesting, but not too many to sound like you are interrogating.
  • Start with broad questions and narrow your focus as the conversation continues.
  • Offer feedback to show them you are paying attention and appreciate their time.
  • Don’t insult their intelligence or manipulate them.
  • Listen first, talk second.
  • Be relaxed and conversational.

Telemarketing doesn’t have to be the trauma it’s made out to be. You can put together an honest, personal and effective telemarketing campaign that is endearing, informative and gets the job done. Think of how you would want to be treated on a marketing call. Ask your friends and family what they hate most about the telemarketing calls they get and work hard to craft your plan/copy in a better way. This is a really valuable exercise!

“When selling by telephone, you have approximately thirty seconds to convince the customer to listen to you. You need an opening statement that captures their attention, conveys who you are, what you want and why the prospect should listen.” Jay Abraham