B2B Direct Mail with the Bank Bag

What you’re about to read was first published in my monthly newsletter, The Copywriter’s Corner, and is also published in my 3D Mail Direct Marketing System.  To get more information on the newsletter and the System, visit this link.

I’ve got a great example for you in this post, using our extremely successful bank bag self-mailer.  This is the second step in a great 3 step sequence from my longtime client, Jeanna Pool of Catalyst Creative in Denver, CO. The first step is sent via USPS Priority Mail, and included a stop-watch with the headline:

“May I Have 29 Minutes of Your Time?”

One week later she sent the bank bag and the trash can a week after the bag.   Jeanna has used virtually this same sequence of letters for four years with great success, typically sending them in September as most accounts open for changes the first of the year. I suggest you see a PDF version of the letter here then come back and read the rest of this email.

Right away they remind the prospect of sending them the stop watch last week, to help build on the efforts of the previous letter. She made it clear that they had not yet heard back from them, which is the reason for the second letter.

There’s the big promise of only taking 29 minutes of their time, and a guarantee, stating:

“If at the end of our 29 minute meeting, I’ve completely wasted your time, simply say so and I’ll kindly leave your office and make a $100 donation to the charity of your choice.”

The copy is a bit “we” heavy for my liking (“Our firm is built on…” “We’ve helped 100’s…”). But in this case, it’s working.

This is a great example of how a business to business marketer can use 3D Mail. After each step, the sales representative (in this case Amanda) follows up with a phone call. If you have sales reps making outbound calls to prospects, this is a great strategy to follow.

I ALWAYS recommend that you either start out with a phone call), or follow up with a phone call to be sure they received your letter. In the B2B world this isn’t a problem. If you’re B2C, you have a little more to consider with the “do-not-call” lists and other ‘consumer protection’ initiatives our government has used to cripple many businesses.

They used a manageable sized list of100 prospects, which ensures that all calls could be made on time. Jeanna could easily ramp up the number to well over 200, but without the follow up phone calls I believe the campaign wouldn’t have been nearly successful.

My suggestions to you:

Keep the number small enough for you to manage it as we described above. Choose a highly targeted segment of your current prospect list you believe you can have success with, OR pick a list of your ideal clients (your “Dream 100” to steal a line from Chet Holmes’ book, “The Ultimate Sales Machine”). For solo-entrepreneurs that may only be 25-50, for larger companies with a sales force, it could be hundreds. Whatever you do, keep it small enough that you can micro-manage it from the beginning.

Send out your attention-getting, clutter busting 3D Mail, and follow it up with a phone call. Try to get to the decision maker on your phone call, but even if you get the gatekeeper, ask if they received the piece you sent. If it’s 3D Mail, they are almost guaranteed to remember it. They’ll likely even get a chuckle out of it. Repeat the above sequence every 30-60 days until all of your “Dream List” become clients. It takes discipline, but it can work wonders for your business.

Thank bag bag is a great direct mail piece for just about any business.  Get 20% off the bank bag mailer when you use Promo Code bankbag20.  See the bank bag here and remember to enter the promo code when you check out.

Want to get your hands on a copy of this letter, and 246 others?  You’ll want to check out the 3D Mail Direct Marketing System here.