Thursday, December 30, 2010

Mail The Multichannel Powerhouse

You know how I feel about direct mail. I love it. One of the big 3 channels I suggest each of my customers add (Telemarketing, Direct Mail, Web Marketing) or get involved in when embarking on a marketing attack.


Despite the cost of postage, which when put into perspective is really quite a bargain. Despite the bad rap that paper gets which by the way is a renewable resource. Paper companies do plant trees, quite a few of them as a matter of fact. Developments in variable data which is just starting to trickle down to mainstream marketing you can send out highly targeted messages to your customers and prospects.


Mail as an effective channel has lead of all companies Google to use it. Who’d of thought? And don’t thing the NHL has stopped sending out a catalog or two. Go Black Hawks!


To keep things inline and on target these companies are using some sort of a CRM system to help them control the whole program. It keeps their message relevant and directed as they profile what a certain customer who want to buy on their next trip in to the company web site. Think green, because the more targeted your message the less waste there is. And the less waste the lower the cost of the program. Yes going green can be a cost savings benefit to a company.


When constructing your mailing you want to have the most relevant message you can get to the market you’re going after. Talk to the people your sending to, not at them.


Having a big January sale? Might be a bit late for January so start thinking February. With fewer and fewer things going out in the mail try a postcard reminder to invite your customers to the sale.


Need more activity on your online store? Send out a mailing with your web address. You might get a big surprise.


Larson Notes & Satire: Mail gives a lift to sales. Does it really matter to you if they buy in person or off your web site? A sale is a sale is a sale no matter how it happens. Now, I never do a big mass mailing. That is not the nature of my business. It has not been in my companies marketing plan for 25 years. I use a trickle direct mail attack to hold up our telemarketing attack. But, I will tell you that we are now looking at big mailings up here in the Ivory Tower. It has long been a question here on how big to grow my company. Do I don’t really want to become big? I remember the days of 37 employees and not getting a vacation. Yet when I look out into the Land of Larson I see people, good people that need employment. People that don’t wish to be taking a check from the government.


Then I look and see companies that could use our services, companies that need a push to grow faster and stronger. Is this my destiny in life? Am I a greedy capitalist or am I a giver of hope?


Would a mass mail piece find those good companies that need what I do and bring them into the Land of Larson faster than the slow growth plan we have been using? As I look back on 2010 I can say that the growth we predicted a year ago has become reality. Well we are 1½ months behind in projections. A doubling of gross sales is not a bad thing. There were bumps along the way but in and of itself 2010 was a good year. The trickle direct mail plan we have been using was very targeted and very effective. 2011? The plan is to triple gross sales? With a few tweaks (no not twits, well maybe) I know we could push that up to 6x growth, but that would mean I would probably need to go trot off to the bank for a loan and I am not a lover of borrowing money for a non-capital equipment expenditure. (Note to self: need to do a piece on loans and interest)


So many questions at this time of the year, but it is the answers that give us hope.


12 Days Of Christmas, no partridge in a pear tree or a couple of turtle doves. No 8 maids milking some cows in your conference room (unless you’re from Wisconsin) or 12 drummers drumming though your office just our 12 Days Of Xmas Telemarketing Special Get 12% more calling time at no extra charge to any 2 month program 12/26/10 thru 1/6/11 / only 1 award per day.


Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
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P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.


P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.

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