I have a client who wanted to drive prospective customers to his
online store using a business-to-business postcard. Great idea,
I thought, and cost effective.
He had a terrific product, a compelling offer, and a sound
business model. He had just one problem. He wanted to make all
website visitors register before they could browse his product
catalog. Big mistake.
So I, along with his business partner, managed to talk him out
of the idea. And he will be glad that we did.
That's because one of the fundamental requirements of
business-to-business direct mail is that you make it easy for
your prospects and customers to respond. The word to remember is
"convenience." You must make responding as convenient as
possible. Here are some ways to do that.
BUSINESS REPLY CARD* Pre-print your prospect's name and address on it.
* If prospects must complete the card, give enough space for
company, job title, address and city.
* Pay for postage so prospects don't have to hunt for a stamp.
* If you need to qualify prospects, ask as few questions as
possible.
COUPONSPlace coupons at the outside corners (not in the gutter or the
middle of the page), where they are easy to tear out.
CALCULATIONSMake the math as easy as possible so that customers can quickly
and accurately add shipping, handling and sales tax to their
order.
PAYMENT* Offer as many payment options as possible without paralyzing
your reader. One of the most attractive payment plans (and one
likely to boost response, if you can afford it) is the "send me
an invoice" plan.
* Accept all the major credit cards.
* Accept orders by telephone (toll-free, of course).
*Accept orders on your website.
LEAD GENERATIONIf you are after a lead and not a sale, make the next step in
the sales process as convenient and as painless as possible for
your prospect to initiate. Some prospects are reluctant to
respond by phone because they fear they will hear a sales pitch.
Others dread responding by email because then you will know
their email address. Through testing, discover which response
methods work best for your target Audience.
One of the beautiful things about shopping by mail is the
convenience. You don't have to battle traffic, hunt for a
parking spot or wait in line. But that is only true if the
direct mail ordering experience is also convenient. Use some of
these methods to improve your convenience quotient and your
customers will thank you for it--with their orders.
© 2005 Sharpe Copy Inc. You may reprint this article online and
in print provided the links remain live and the content remains
unaltered (including the "About the author" message).
More Information:Alan Sharpe is a professional fundraising letter writer, instructor, coach, author and newsletter publisher who helps non-profit organizations to raise funds, build relationships and retain loyal donors using cost-effective, compelling, creative fundraising letters. Sign up for free weekly tips like this at
http://www.RaiserSharpe.com/ 
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