Tom was as frustrated as any $5,000 loser can be. He recently sent out 10,000 pieces of direct mail in an effort to book seminar attendance, and he got 13 responses from what turned out to be other agents. He rationalized that there was too much competition and too many seminars.
Perhaps the naysayers are right: Direct mail just doesn't work anymore. Tom finally gave in to frustration. Cold calling isn't allowed–the "Do Not Call" rules won't allow for that. There is even a penalty for sending unwanted faxes. E-mail spamming is rude and unwanted. Maybe he should just sit by the telephone and wait for business to come to him?
Do you feel like Tom at times? Have you bought into the direct mail confusion? It can be the most frustrating form of marketing, or the most lucrative, if you know what you are doing. Here are some ideas to avoid at all costs.
1) Allow your envelope to tell the reader they are about to be sold something. The U.S. Postal Service did a study a few years ago and discovered that many people open their mail by return address first. If the letter says: "U.S. Government. For Official Use Only," you are likely to open the letter. But if the envelope states: "Acme Insurance Services," you are apt to give it to your crayon-wielding 2-year-old to practice staying within the lines.
