A Good Letter Can Make You a Fortune in Direct Mail

A good letter can make you a fortune in direct mail! That's right, the idea sounds crazy, but many of today's top businesses are using this marketing tactic to earn a bigger return on investment. Even if you don't have any office space to spare or staff members supervising your mailers, you could still start making money with these methods.

That’s because they're surprisingly simple: designers use letterhead and snail mail to create personal correspondence that makes consumers feel good about their decision — which is why it costs less than email marketing. For more information on direct mailing, head over to our blog for the latest tips and tricks.

Good News from a Consumer Point of View

I recently received the following email pitch from Ian Griggs, founder and CEO of a direct mail marketing firm called HotSalesPeople: The subject line read, "Why Recipients Don't Return Your Mail." It went on to say that my name was listed as a customer who didn't return any of my mailings. That news didn't bother me in the least, but what do you think? I don't plan on keeping your products in my house or buying more of them. I don't need to hear more sales pitches or feel guiltier about sending out your bill. So what if your business is excellent and I like what you do? What does that have to do with me not returning your mail?

I was stunned. According to Ian, this practice of direct mailers listing "customers" who don't return their mail is the fastest way to build a customer database.

That, in turn, will make me want to recommend or buy from you.

I can't imagine recommending a business to my friends or family that keeps sending me catalogs I throw out. That's why I never signed up for any of those "free trial" offers in the mail. They're a waste of money because I always end up saying no.

On the contrary, my kids used to get those offers for baseball cards and video games, but they knew better than to sign up without permission — and they respected their father's wishes when they got them in the mail. So how does this direct mail campaign work?

Businesses like Ian's will send out mailers with names on them and then track how many people actually respond by calling or clicking a link requesting further information. In his case, Ian’s mailers are addressed to "Dear Valued Customer" even though I've never done business with him or accepted any of the offers he's sent me.

While it may have been a good idea for those who've received his mailings, if you're signed up for this type of mailing and you didn't request anything, take it as a sign that sometimes less is more when it comes to marketing.

There are cases when direct mail works, such as when you're sending invitations out to weddings. That's because your audience has chosen to invite you and they'll appreciate knowing your plans.

Conclusion

Ian tells me that I have three options:

1. You can call his company and request to be removed from the list. However, he says that most people either don't know how to do so or are too proud.

2. You can opt out of their mailing future offers, but you'll lose out on the value of your business name and personal email address in their database.

3. Or you can respond and tell him why you're not interested in his services, which will probably increase your chances of being removed from his mailing lists. "Let's say you're a doctor; maybe they didn't give your practice enough business to justify sending a catalog," Ian suggests as a possibility.