Tip: A 25.2% response on direct mail

[maxreferrals]

I'll share a quick idea I have seen work
very successfully over and over again.
(Not my idea, one a colleague showed me).

Anyone who is old-skool, you probably
know of this idea.

But it works, repeatedly well.

++ Place a creative, strange shaped
object inside a #10 envelope (handwritten
and handstamped), and segue into your
letter using it.

The best idea I've seen -- that worked with
a minimum 25.2% response rate (based on phone
calls received) was...

...an Alka-Seltzer in a #10 envelope.

Obviously, it was a very persuasive letter
with strong call to action. But it got opened!
Not tossed.

It began something like...

Dear First Name,

You are wondering why I'm including an Alka-Selzter
taped to the top of this letter.

It's because many people in our county like
yourself are in tremendous pain with their
current homeowners insurance, and don't
even realize it....

etc. etc.

---------------------
Remember: All ideas are good ideas.

They are even better when you adapt and apply them to
your own audience and your own business.

Go for it.

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

Interesting. I guess you need to buy Alka-Seltzer in bulk to reduce costs.

I don't know about 25% response but I could see an increase from the usual 2%.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Interesting - very labor intensive. I can't really see myself sitting at the kitchen table taping tablets to 1,000 mailers. The 25% response is pure bs.

 

[policy doctor]

I got a marketing packet one day I almost threw out. For some reason I went ahead and slit it open...good thing....It had a DOLLAR bill clipped to the letter.

So I took the dollar, briefly read the script and threw it out.

But it was worth my time to open that one!

 

[policy doctor]

I'm gonna share this with you. I did a mktg stint one time that did generate a 30-40% response. I kept track so I know.

I bought these pink phone message cards and just filled in person full name, date, checked off the Please Call box,

and in the body i wrote: Re: your medicare/medigap coverage. Mailed it out.

Obviously this was aimed for the senior mkt. So they called....anxious, curious, BUt they CALLED! Then I went into my LTC spiel, or medigap if they didn't have one.

I also got a lot of irritated people, but I sold. Some better income folks too, surprisingly...like college profs, engineers. Novel approach. Been used well for mtrg protection too.

 

[Macdaddy]

Interesting - very labor intensive. I can't really see myself sitting at the kitchen table taping tablets to 1,000 mailers. The 25% response is pure bs.

It depends on where you are mailing. I have two colleagues that mail regular letters to rural counties and get 10-12% response to a semi targeted list. Dimensional mail, aka Lumpy mail is well known to at least double response rates, so it is plausible.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

A marketing company at BMW came in and hit the place up for a promotion that would make the dealership countless thousands. The pitch was mailing a key to thousands of people and if your key started the car you won it. So not only did this cost thousands of dollars but the car, according to MVA rules, MUST be given away. Keys aren't cheap either. Otherwise, what's stopping the dealership from mailing out 1,000 keys and none of them work. So the fine print also was anyone who came in with the key got entered into a lottery and they'd pull the winning ticket at the end of the day if no one's key worked. They obviously gave away a stripped down base 3 series.

The result was about 50 people came in with keys. Not one of them bought a car, the dealership was out countless thousands of dollars.

 

[David C]

I've heard of guys who work the high end market mailing full size boat paddles to a targeted high net worth list. They opened with something like "don't be up the creek without a paddle". They say it works well. Dare to be different - unless you're in my area.

 

[Newby]

I'll share a quick idea I have seen work
very successfully over and over again.
(Not my idea, one a colleague showed me).

Anyone who is old-skool, you probably
know of this idea.

But it works, repeatedly well.

++ Place a creative, strange shaped
object inside a #10 envelope (handwritten
and handstamped), and segue into your
letter using it.

The best idea I've seen -- that worked with
a minimum 25.2% response rate (based on phone
calls received) was...

...an Alka-Seltzer in a #10 envelope.

Obviously, it was a very persuasive letter
with strong call to action. But it got opened!
Not tossed.

It began something like...

Dear First Name,

You are wondering why I'm including an Alka-Selzter
taped to the top of this letter.

It's because many people in our county like
yourself are in tremendous pain with their
current homeowners insurance, and don't
even realize it....

etc. etc.

---------------------
Remember: All ideas are good ideas.

They are even better when you adapt and apply them to
your own audience and your own business.

Go for it.

I like the idea.

I've done ton of direct mail. I don't believe you will ever get a 25% response rate.

Surveys ALWAYS do good for me. Price increase letters have done well. Seminar invitations have done well. I may add an alka seltzer letter to my database.

 

[Mr. Bill]

Back to the BMW marketing idea, it was probably insured. Same way they insure hole-in-ones at golf tourneys. Doesn't cost much, a few hundred dollars.