10 reasons to hire a direct mail agency or consultant

1. A direct mail consultant can often reduce your overall direct mail budget and help prevent failure.
2. Direct mail copy is very different from traditional advertising copywriting. You need someone who's experienced in writing direct mail copy if you want to achieve the best possible results.
3. If you have the best ad agency on the planet, you may still find that they are inexperienced in creating truly successful direct mail packages – few agencies are.
4. Internal corporate marketing and art departments may be effective at creating direct marketing if the copywriting is out-sourced.
5. A direct mail consultant should be paid a fee based upon an estimate prepared in advance rather than an open-ended hourly rate.
6. A full-service direct mail consultant should be capable of performing a variety of services, allowing you to choose only those you need.
7. A direct mail consultant or copywriter will help you view your marketing/advertising from an independent point of view.
8. An outside direct mail consultant may be able to gain the ear of upper management, where internal marketing people may feel intimidated into taking the course of least resistance.
9. Even companies that spend millions of dollars a year on direct mail hire outside consultants.
10. If you send out direct mail infrequently, a consultant may be more of a necessity than an option. Pay for the expertise rather than experiment with direct mail packages that under-perform.

4 Reasons To Use Direct Mail

1. To get new customers.
2. To keep the customers you already have.
3. To upgrade your current customers.
4. To cross-sell your customer base.

25 ADDITIONAL WAYS TO USE DIRECT MAIL TO REACH YOUR OBJECTIVES

1. Conduct market surveys and research
2. Test market new products and services
3. Open new territories and new markets
4. Support distributor/dealer push/pull programs
5. Increase bottom-line profits
6. Generate sales leads
7. Move "suspects" to the "prospects" stage . . . to first-time buyers
8. Broadcast information to your best customers
9. Cut costs of selling your product/service
10. Sell direct (mail-order)
11. React to your competition's latest offer or new product.
12. Force distribution of your product
13. Provide marketing support to your other advertising media
14. Promote memberships and renewals of services
15. Build leads and draw attendance at seminars, conferences, trade shows, etc.
16. Generate store traffic
17. To expand your customer service capabilities.
18. Reduce the number of sales calls needed to gain a close
19. Sell small/marginal accounts that cannot economically be sold face-to-face
20. Introduce new products and services
21. Reinforce outside sales efforts/support the field sales force.
22. Reactivate old customers.
23. Economically introduce your company and products/services to high-level decision makers.
24. Dramatically increase telemarketing sales.
25. Promote internal morale by sending customers profiles on your staff including key customer service personnel.

TO INCREASE RESULTS, MAKE AN OFFER!
SUCCESS IN A DIRECT MAIL CAMPAIGN
MAY DEPEND ON A CREDIBLE OFFER.

1. Free gift or premium, tied to an order, a product demonstration. or a lead program. A medical manufacturer gave away a Franklin Medical Speller.
2. Free product trial opportunity
3. Free charitable donation in the customer's name. A major bank offered a variety of charitable options.
4. Free sample of your product
5. Free or reduced-cost seminar or in-house presentation.
6. Free cost estimate or free proposal.
7. Free analysis and survey
8. A contest, a sweepstakes or other game
9. Chapters in current business books (business to business)
10. Printed materials on generic subjects germane to product (b-to-b)
11. Article reprints industry/specific (b-to-b)
12. Information packets-free information, a booklet or literature
13. Case history releases (b-to-b)
14. Industry authority booklets (b-to-b)
15. Management reports on specific subjects (b-to-b)
16. Reprints of product/specific business magazine articles (b-to-b)
17. Basic product application brochures (b-to-b)
18. Feature/function product brochures(b-to-b)
19. Company newsletters or magazines (b-to-b)
20. Prospect's name on mailing list
21. Catalog buying guides (b-to-b)
22. Technical or scientific papers (b-to-b)
23. Reports on laboratory tests, product performance, and surveys

MORE OFFER IDEAS!
DOUBLE, TRIPLE OR QUADRUPLE YOUR RESPONSE
TO A MAILING BY MAKING A CREATIVE OFFER

• A bonus for quick reply or cash with order
• Tie-in with credit card company to boost average order size
• Yes/no/maybe involvement devices-to get your audience to do something
• Discount price for response within a limited time
• Product guarantee or guarantee of satisfaction
• A limited time offer with a bonus, gift, or premium
• "Friend-recommends-a-friend" bonus offer program
• Negative option - your order continues to be fulfilled unless you say no
• Stamps, stickers, coupons, pop-ups, cut-outs, tear-offs, perforations - all ways to gain more involvement
• "Charter" membership in your organization or for a new publication
• Make two offers to increase your response.