Direct Mail and a Poker Chip?

Welcome to the high-stakes table of entrepreneurship! Imagine this: you’re holding a poker chip in your hand, ready to bet on potential customers – your leads. But here’s the deal: those leads won’t magically turn into winning hands without some strategic moves. That’s where lead follow-up and conversion come into play. They’re like your secret card tricks to success.

Imagine this: you’re holding a poker chip in your hand. Not at a casino, not in Vegas… but in your office. And it’s not for playing cards — it’s for winning customers.

That’s exactly what one sharp attorney did. He dropped a poker chip into a white #10 envelope, paired it with a personal letter, and mailed it to a list of unconverted leads. And no surprise — it got opened.

You can see a copy of the letter here, and the envelope we used here. I suggest you take a look right now.

Imagine receiving a sales letter like this from an attorney and never hearing from them again. How would you feel? Most likely, a little neglected and uncertain. Follow-up is the key to building trust and establishing rapport with your leads. Most businesses don’t work their leads nearly enough.

They could be online visitors, walk-ins, referrals, found at trade shows or home shows, it doesn’t matter, most people simply don’t give them enough attention. You know what they say: “The fortune is in the follow-up.” Many small business owners make the mistake of giving up on leads too soon. But here’s the thing: people are busy. They have lives, distractions, and an in-box that looks like a digital war zone.

However, it’s YOUR job to ensure they act, and using unique and cleaver direct mail is the BEST way around the email in-box overload. Be prompt, be persistent, and be creative. Utilize a multi-channel approach by integrating phone calls, personalized emails, or even follow-up mailers.

Let each interaction build upon the previous one, this is the true beauty of direct response, multi-step marketing. In this type of business (and most businesses if we’re being honest), Building relationships is key. Consistently deliver value and showcase your expertise. Be informative, engaging, and keep your business in their minds. Remember, out of sight, out of mind!

The use of a poker chip in the letter was a clever move to catch your eye. It’s all about standing out in a sea of boring mail and making you curious about what’s inside. You can’t ignore that kind of creativity. But getting the letter opened is only the first half of the battle. You also must capture the reader’s attention right from the start.

A captivating headline serves as the gateway to engage potential leads and initiate a response. Here, we emphasize the power of curiosity, emotional triggers, and the promise of fixing their #1 personal issue right now, all within the headline and sub-head. Marketers should craft headlines that evoke curiosity, address pain points, or highlight benefits, compelling the reader to continue reading.

Understand that people make decisions based on emotions, not logic alone. Direct response marketers should tap into these emotions by identifying and appealing to the desires and fears of potential leads. By emphasizing the positive outcomes or alleviating the pain points, marketers can create a strong emotional connection.

Gary Halbert, who I’ve written about extensively in this newsletter, advocated for using emotional triggers, such as greed, fear, curiosity, and exclusivity, to drive action and increase conversions.

Testimonials and social proof are also great tools for lead conversion, especially in an area wrought with passion and emotion, like family law. We used one here, however, in a bit of self-critiquing, we should use more.

Scott also used a clear call to action. The attorney makes it crystal clear what they want you to do – call and schedule that consultation. They don’t leave anything to chance. It’s all about taking that next step and getting the ball rolling.

So many of the letters I critique lack this fundamental element of direct mail. In the absence of a clear call to action, prospects may be left guessing about the desired action or feel unsure about what to do next. By providing a precise call to action, the attorney removes any vagueness and reduces barriers to taking action. They make it easy and straightforward for the prospect to move forward.

Lastly, in the postscript, Scott shows genuine empathy for their situation. He acknowledges that life is tough right now, and they want you to know they’re there for you. They’re ready to lend a helping hand. It’s all about making the prospect feel understood and supported.

Ready to stack the odds in your favor?

The Poker Chip is an effective, low-cost 3D Mail piece that can work for both cold prospecting, and, as we shared above, be used as a lead conversion piece in your marketing campaigns. In fact, I have several Poker Chip sample letters you can view here. There’s bound to be one that fits your business.

You can get this effective direct mail piece for 15% off when you use PROMO CODE POKER at checkout at this link. You can even have your name or logo imprinted on the chips. Or if you need a little more help, contact my team at 360-761-7382 or contact us here.

We can help with copywriting, design, mailing lists, and mail fulfillment, automations… The whole nine-yards as they say.