SECRET WEAPON FOR CORPORATE SALES
By
Steve Cuno
Secret Weapon
for Corporate Sales
ot
long ago, my sales manager hand-picked 45 corporate decision makers he’d
have given his eye teeth to visit.They were, of course, surrounded by administrative assistants charged with keeping people like Dennis from getting to Square One. Undaunted, he sent each decision maker one of our direct mail lead generating packages. (He also enclosed, per my instructions, a small bag of M&M’s.)
Within two weeks, he had appointments with 42 of the 45.
More recently, I received an enthusiastic call from a client who markets $500,000 dollar software solutions. One of our direct mail packages landed them qualified appointments with four out of ten people on the mailing list.
Yet another client, who markets $20,000 scientific measurement devices, ends up with around 25 qualified appointments each time he mails one of our direct mail creations to a hundred prospects.
Lead
generating strategy
Direct mail sells a lot more than salad shooters and video clubs. For sales people seeking appointments with cloistered corporate decision makers, it’s a vital secret weapon. Executed properly, direct mail can actually make busy
Like all response advertising success, solid lead generating begins with three factors. Here they are, in order of importance:
1. Reach the right market. Avoid the temptation to begin creative work without first identifying your market and how you will reach it. The most brilliant creative work in front of a wrong or diluted audience must fail.
2. Extend a compelling offer. Offers move people to respond immediately instead of someday. This is especially true in corporate sales. In fact, the higher a target’s education and professional level, the more willingly they respond to offers. (The offer of a mere $10 gift certificate compelled bank branch managers to take over the new accounts desk to push our check printer client’s products.)
3. Develop creative work in accordance with proven principles. Response advertising techniques were developed in the unforgiving world of observing, rather than theorizing, what does (and doesn’t) sell. Though some of the techniques may appear to fly in the face of conventional advertising wisdom, you overrule them at your peril. Trust them.
Unlike mail order selling, which requires a complete story to close a sale, generating leads by mail relies on telling just enough to create interest and a
Telephone follow-up always improves results, as does a “water torture” approach — multiple mailings over time.
Dimensional
(“Showmanship”)
direct mail
(“Showmanship”)
direct mail
“Dimensionals” are extremely effective tools for sailing past gatekeepers, into the hands of hard-to-reach prospects, in irresistible style. Companies like American Express and 3M use them routinely to place sales people in front of Fortune 500 decision makers.
Successful dimensional mailings generally consist of a custom, personalized shipping box, sometimes with teaser copy; a one-page, personalized sales letter; a post paid business reply card; and an attentiongetting enclosure.
Some of our most successful enclosures targeting hard-to-reach executives have included: masks (midrange computer products), life preservers (consumer financial services), Fool’s Gold (natural gas analysis equipment), false mustaches (pharmaceuticals), kazoos (business services), and stilts (agent bank services).
Three strategic necessities drive the