Page 196 - Duct Tape Marketing

Direct Mail Is an Ideal Target Medium

A Building Series
A very powerful way to construct your campaign, particularly

if your audience is not too familiar with you, is to create your three
pieces in story fashion. Each piece should build on the last and deliver
an integrated message. You can use this method to build intrigue.
Many times I will send the first piece in a lumpy campaign without
a company name, logo, or return address. In each piece, I will imply
that there is more to come. The impact of this technique can be strong.
In some cases your prospects will actually look forward to getting the
next piece. People love a good mystery.

The Call to Action
Like any direct mail advertising campaign, it is important to

determine what you want the final outcome or call to action to be and
deliver it in the last piece. If you want the recipient to call your office,
take your call, visit a Web site, or attend a workshop, make it painfully
clear what the point of the game has been.

I’ve actually had clients tell me that prospects who wouldn’t even
return their phone calls eagerly made appointments and sometimes
still displayed in their office the items they were sent throughout the
campaign. I think people don’t get this kind of attention much in
their lives—and they want it.

How Much for Those Lumps?
It is true that a lumpy mail campaign can get relatively expensive

when compared to, say, a postcard mailing, so it’s important for you
to consider two things when you are designing yours: How many
clients do you need, and what is the lifetime value a new client has to
your business? In other words, if you can determine that a new cli-
ent is worth $10,000 annually to your business, then you can more
effectively justify spending a certain amount to acquire a new client.

Most small businesses only need a handful of new clients at any

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