Why Direct Mail Companies Are More Effective

May 7th, 2009

A lot of business owners believe that doing their own direct mail effort is an easy and simple matter. This is true at some level but how effective the campaign would be depends if this will be done properly. It is important to understand what the process is all about to successfully set up the method to use direct mail for leads generation.

Making It Personal

Direct mail vendors have a proven format for sending out the communication to people. They see to it that the mails appear to be as personal as possible. Recipients tend to read the mail if there is a personal touch added to it. This can be in the form of the first name in the salutation or some personal greeting. Personal information is found on the direct mail leads database and this will not be difficult to obtain.

Regular communication for updates and pertinent information will be sent to the direct mail leads. There is a constant flow of information and communication to the leads and recipients can contact you for any questions or inquiry.

Contact Information

Direct mail providers also see to it that vital contact information is included in the communications to leads. It will be a wasted exercise if people cannot contact you back. Some do not want to use email but would often call or even visit the business office.

The Post Script (P.S.)

mailmanStudies have shown that the Post Script is a critical aspect for direct mail. The PS gives a semblance of very personal communication between you and the client. Research has shown that the PS increases response rates by 30%. You should also take note that receivers of the direct mail do not really read the body of the email or letter. What will happen is that they will just skim over the page and look at the most important points. The PS part at the bottom is very noticeable and has been known to be given notice by the reader.

The bottom line is that direct mail companies know what they are doing, have the leads as well as have the proven and tested method to do the direct mail leads generation.

Once you have found a direct mail provider that suits your particular needs then expect a good boast to your revenues.

Real Time Internet Leads

May 6th, 2009

If you have been getting listings from internet lead companies and results are lackluster, then the leads you are getting may be recycled ones, or a better term is “junk leads.”

Junk leads are sold from one business to another very cheap, and if you get lured into such leads you may end up regretting in the end. These low quality leads will not do you any good and you end up spending more.

Your business can benefit from real time internet leads. How does this work? Your vendor has a ead generation system that collects data from an online form, and then the information is delivered to you immediately. You are assured of its “freshness” and that the prospect is really interested in your offer. You also need to ask your vendor whether the real-time internet leads are ‘exclusive’ (i.e. you are the only one receiving them, or ‘non-exclusive’ (the same lead is resold to multiple companies). There is nothing inherently wrong with non-exclusive leads, and your price will be considerably lower. But you will obviously be competing with other vendors for the business. Some companies opt for lower priced non-exclusive leads because they have confidence in their salespeople to win the deal.

As a wise business owner, you need to get effective leads. You have to communicate with prospects that have sought out your offer so you can maximize the prospects that ultimately convert into sales.

Some Facts About Direct Mail

May 5th, 2009

According to the Direct Marketing Association of America, there were $250,000,000.00 worth of products and services sold through direct mail each year. This method of selling is growing at a rate of 8.6% a year and the businesses doing direct mail are booming. Last year alone, over half of the American adults bought something through direct mail.

This is a solid indicator that direct mail as a marketing tool is effective. Direct mail providers make it possible for more businesses to resort to mailingmainthis type of strategy. Convenience and effectiveness are key factors for direct mail providers. They are professionals who know how to manage the campaigns and get the best results. The direct mail provider takes care of your relationships with prospects as well as existing clients.

As most direct mail campaigners knows, repetition is an important ingredient. There is a prevailing belief that unless the recipient sees your marketing message 7 times, your business will not be noticed. This seems to be a far out notion but it is what is happening. This then gives you an idea how much to budget when doing a direct mail campaign. Your budget should at least provide 7 times send out to your mailing list. Better to send as many marketing messages made simply than having a very nice-looking message sent only once or twice.

You should devote time and effort to the process. If you are doing the campaign through direct mail vendors, sit down with their representative and detail what you need. Ask questions. Evaluate what marketing messages are sent out as well as observe the timing that the direct mails are sent out. You not only take control of what is happening to your business but also learning the ropes along the way.

Taking the direct mail method is a profitable marketing scheme. A lot of businesses rely on direct mail for leads and many have had positive results. Whether you do the direct mail campaign yourself or seek the help of direct mail vendors, you should plan the details and present it in a manner that you get noticed after so many send outs.

How To Find High Quality Internet Leads

April 29th, 2009

Internet leads are one of many lead sources that you will want to consider for your business. Verticals such as loan modification, debt consolidation or mortgage can leverage internet leads, however they can be effective in almost any industry.

One very important question to ask an internet lead provider is where these leads come from. The sources can be from portals, the internet lead company’s own website, banner ads, etc… Investigate the leads to insure that they are suitable for your market. Doing so will significantly reduce wasted time and resources.

Here are some other areas to explore when considering an Internet lead provider:

Filters: What minimum criteria will be used to determine if a lead gets sent to you? (e.g. loan amount, interest rate, etc…)

Return Policy: What criteria will enable you to return the lead for a replacement? (i.e. wrong numbers, missed filters, etc…)

Exclusivity: How many other companies are purchasing these leads? An exclusive lead should only be sold to you, whereas a non-exclusive or semi-exclusive lead can be sold to multiple companies.

Determine a time frame for which to test the leads that you got from the internet lead company. Observe the results for each lead. You can classify each lead as:

• raw lead: an initial request from any source
• dead lead: a prospect who has little potential to become a customer
• inactive lead: a prospect who will not buy now but has future potential
• suspect: an inquiry that has been qualified and has the potential to result in a paying customer
• prospect: a lead that has been qualified in more detail
• customer: a prospect who has made a purchase

The terms being used are really important. What is relevant is for you to categorize the prospects based on the information that you collected. In this way, you can focus more of your resources on the most qualified prospects that will ideally convert to customers.

As with all vendors, be sure to make sure your internet lead vendor has excellent service and a good return policy.

Sales Leads That Work

April 29th, 2009

Generating sales in any industry, especially competitive niches such as mortgage, loan modification and debt settlement, can be very challenging. Fortunately, the Internet makes one of of those challenges - the sourcing of sales - much easier.

There are several ways to acquire sales data and some of the ways are explained below.

business-people-computer-trans

Sales Lead Providers

This is a common strategy. The salesperson subscribes to or buys a sales lead list from a vendor. The sales lead company provides names, contact addresses or numbers and other pertinent data. A targeted list specific to a region or category is also possible.

Personal or Business Website

To create visibility and credibility, a website is a necessary marketing tool, including a lead generation form to create a list of who can be contacted and updated on a regular basis. This can be the start of a customer base.

Generate trust and confidence with potential customers for a sure way to get quality leads.

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