Get your foot in the door

I wish I had thought of this 3D Mail piece, or at least take credit for the 3,322%. ROI, but I can’t. This new piece comes to us from longtime client and avid 3 Mail user Tim Mitchum of Wexford & James in Iowa.  Tim lives in the B2B world, in the collections business. Tim calls it the “receivables management services.” But let’s face it; it’s just a small step up from sending Cousin Vinnie over to “take care of it.” All kidding aside, here’s the note Tim emailed a few weeks after the first mailing:

Just thought I would share with you another success story from a mailing you did. From a small list of 30 Cosmetology schools we sent the foot mailer to with the letter I wrote just returned a net benefit for us of 3,322.2% on the approximately $200 in investment to mail it out. Pretty cool huh!! And they called us! I will be getting another one together shortly.
Thanks again! Tim Mitchum Wexford & James West Des Moines, IA www.wexfordjames.com

I’ve included a copy of Tim’s letter right there. The letter is just a part of the mailing package. He also includes a testimonial sheet and an 11 x 17 “info card,” printed in full color on high-gloss paper load with all the benefits of his service. It’s really a very nice package.

So let’s address the elephant in the room… Yes, it is an expensive piece to send, though from his email above, the overall cost was just $200 (about $6.60 per mailer). However, when you laser target your list, you can get huge results from relatively small numbers (in Tim’s case, just 30 schools were targeted), in Tim’s case, a 3,322.% NET return on his small $200 investment. I haven’t asked Tim specifically, but by the nature of his business I’m sure there will be repeat business with these new clients, thus an every-increasing lifetime return for him, plus any new clients and referrals he gets as a result of getting these new clients. When you’re in sales, especially business-to-business you’re often just trying to get your foot in the door.

One of the biggest struggles for all salespeople is simply getting in to see or speak with the decision maker. This campaign will allow to you literally get your foot in the door! Even though I’ve seen this used most in the B2B world, it could easily work in the consumer world if your transaction size or lifetime customer value (LCV) allows you to use this piece. Cosmetic dentists and surgeons, mortgage brokers, roofers, home remodelers and other high end contractors immediately come to mind, though there are others. They key is for YOU to KNOW your customer value.

I took a slightly different approach in this letter example. We recently created “3D Mail Direct Marketing System for Information Marketers.” Three of the 50 letters included were for getting sponsors/exhibitors for your live events and boot camps. When I created this letter, I made the assumption that the prospect has at least some familiarity with me, which I bring up in the letter: We’ve had a good relationship with you over the years, and we refer many of our members to you for your services.

I thought we should have all of our “A-List” vendors, all in one spot so our members can better meet and ultimately use your services. This exact approach certainly wouldn’t work with the unwashed masses, nor would I expect it to. In many cases you’ll already have a relationship with the vendors you target, so things like formal introductions are not necessary. However, you still need to give good benefits and features, a great offer and ample ‘proof.’ Also, the piece can be imprinted with your custom logo and contact information, another bonus. The sample here has two colors. You can certainly do one color to keep costs down, or not imprint as Tim did with his.

Marketing Tip Reader’s Only Special

You can get the “Foot in the Door”mailer for 15% off the regular price. Here’s your pricing for the foot (keep in mind we can also implement the entire campaign for you, just call 888-250-1834 for details),  Use promo code foot15 when you checkout.

To order visit the “Foot in the Door” page on the website. Or you can call Tara at 888-250-1834. We’re open Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM PDT. Another Bonus… This piece can be imprinted with your custom logo and contact information (add $50 to the pricing above and on the website for a custom one color imprint for any quantity). The imprint is optional, though I do highly suggest you do imprint with your logo, contact information, etc.

To order visit the “Foot in the Door” page on the website. Or you can call Tara at 888-250-1834.  We’re open Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM PDT.

To Your Direct Mail Success,
Travis Lee