My family rented one of those booths that swirls cash around and put it at a major carnival/festival, he had so many leads he didn't know what to do with them, one lucky person got to go in there...
Your Thoughts on Direct Mail Campaign...
- Thread starter JP Savage
- Start date
- 264
How many of those leads turned into sales? Just wondering if they were more interested in getting a chance at the cash or if they were actually interested in buying insurance.
I like that he/she was thinking out of the box though!!
ilovedesign
Expert
- 24
Direct mail marketing is effective, but only with the right moderation. For example, sending out postcards and following up with a call is forward enough for customers to take notice but hopefully not aggressive enough to turn people off. Remember that direct mail marketing is like entering the doors of people's homes unannounced, and in these times it is better not to be obnoxious.
chaos
Expert
Direct mail just doesn't seem to produce mathmatically. 1% response rates. Seems like it ends up costing too much to me.
Chaos, focusing on response rates is only looking at the issue of viability from one side of the equation.
Other parts of the equation to measure are quality of lead; what qualifying remarks were made on the lead piece? Does it offer something free? Does it say FREE on it at all? Whats the market? Is there images catered to the market?
Another part to measure and is more hard to measure subjectively, easy to measure objectively. That is closing the lead. You might have a piece in its entirety describe the problem to alleviate and present the solution, but there is no close, or lack of qualifying for a buyer and letting them buy.
I would take a mailer that costs $400 and returned 5 leads if I could close 4 outa 5 of them, hell even 3 outa 5.
But take a mailer that is like the SS mailers for FE and offers free guides this etc. and your costs of prospecting go higher if your cold knocking as opposed to calling and setting the appointment, because more people send it back, people wanting free ****, or responding to vague ss benefits.
The point is, its more than just response rate, although it helps;-)
Other parts of the equation to measure are quality of lead; what qualifying remarks were made on the lead piece? Does it offer something free? Does it say FREE on it at all? Whats the market? Is there images catered to the market?
Another part to measure and is more hard to measure subjectively, easy to measure objectively. That is closing the lead. You might have a piece in its entirety describe the problem to alleviate and present the solution, but there is no close, or lack of qualifying for a buyer and letting them buy.
I would take a mailer that costs $400 and returned 5 leads if I could close 4 outa 5 of them, hell even 3 outa 5.
But take a mailer that is like the SS mailers for FE and offers free guides this etc. and your costs of prospecting go higher if your cold knocking as opposed to calling and setting the appointment, because more people send it back, people wanting free ****, or responding to vague ss benefits.
The point is, its more than just response rate, although it helps;-)
- 5,260
Direct mail works incredibly well.
DM is basically salesmanship in print.
Figure out what you are selling in your piece first. An appointment? A free quote? FREE STUFF!!!
Next, determine how defined you want the response to be. Want a higher response and higher potentially-unqualified leads? Generalize, be somewhat deceptive in copy (reference government somewhere), use BRM cards (will encourage seat-of-the-pants response).
Want a lower-response but higher quality lead? Sell more in the actual piece, don't offer free stuff, be direct.
Naturally, your mileage will vary. Your best bet is to find something that works and has always worked, like the $255 FE pieces. They've been around decades apparently. Then, learn how to copywrite and sell in print before attempting to construct your own campaign. DM is an easy way to lose thousands and thousands of dollars. I know from experience.
You just have to work the system and accept the "downside."
DM is basically salesmanship in print.
Figure out what you are selling in your piece first. An appointment? A free quote? FREE STUFF!!!
Next, determine how defined you want the response to be. Want a higher response and higher potentially-unqualified leads? Generalize, be somewhat deceptive in copy (reference government somewhere), use BRM cards (will encourage seat-of-the-pants response).
Want a lower-response but higher quality lead? Sell more in the actual piece, don't offer free stuff, be direct.
Naturally, your mileage will vary. Your best bet is to find something that works and has always worked, like the $255 FE pieces. They've been around decades apparently. Then, learn how to copywrite and sell in print before attempting to construct your own campaign. DM is an easy way to lose thousands and thousands of dollars. I know from experience.
You just have to work the system and accept the "downside."
- 170
Many years ago (70's) I sold the Encyclopaedia Britannica. For about ten years and I was good at it, not great. About 150 sets a year at a commish of 250. 1970's dollars, not bad. Their top writer sold 500...Their premium gift item was the three volume paperback set: dictionary, thesaurus and book of quotations. The ad specified that it was valued at 12 bucks. The reps paid 3 for it. It was featured is pretty much on all of their ads, print and TV. The reps paid for these leads, about ten bucks average. So it cost about 80 bucks a to book a deal...The ads didn't attract a lot of "goofs." Book people, or parents, predominantly responded. The gift item was books and we were selling books. I've struggled over the years to determine what is the equivalent item that would attract prospects specifically for burial insurance...A starbucks card, particularly in my area of 20 percent unemployment would attract a lot of "goofs." Please advise. Johnny Smiley, just swing a kit...
I think funeraldirector is talking about using the content to qualify your lead;
whether its appealing to users who value certain benefits i.e. guaranteed issue or simplified issue, level premiums, competitive premiums, protection for self/family in X situation, or it mentions qualification requirements i.e. a lead saying this is specifically for insurance, its low cost as in it costs money to begin with, that this isn't a government program or a solicitation that isn' affiliated with x government agencies etc.
whether its appealing to users who value certain benefits i.e. guaranteed issue or simplified issue, level premiums, competitive premiums, protection for self/family in X situation, or it mentions qualification requirements i.e. a lead saying this is specifically for insurance, its low cost as in it costs money to begin with, that this isn't a government program or a solicitation that isn' affiliated with x government agencies etc.
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