of July. Once we mailed envelopes full of nails with the banner: "When can we nail down your next job?" Last year, I sent postcards from Maui, HI, with the note: "Thanks to my loyal customers for sending me skiing. I appreciate your business!" The best things to mail are items that pack flat, play big and will not be thrown away. Don't forget to put your name and logo on all of your "Bug 'Em 'Til They Buy Or Die" mailings.
Only send what your customer:
- Will read
- Needs to know
- Wants
- Will keep
Remember, your goal is not only to create interest, but to create the right kind of interest in you. Be sure that your mailing creates the right perception of value about your company and how it does business. To show potential customer targets that we were more than a small "local" company, we sent out maps indicating our project locations covering a 100-mile radius. To show we were qualified in a new business market, we sent out photos and resumes of key managers with years of experience in this "new" area. To create the perception of fast service, we mailed out "on-time schedulers" and photos of projects with the headline: "Another Successful Fast-Track Project." Decide what perception of value you want to present to your customers, and tell them about it.
At our company, we want to be known as problem solvers. To create this perception of value, we mail photos that show us completing tight schedules or overcoming tough logistics. We mail customized postcards of completed projects listing out extra services and benefits the customer received, such as personal service, quality control or value-added cost savings. We mail product literature that's new and interesting to keep them informed and reinforce our cutting edge technical capabilities. We mail tips, "how-to" checklists and cost estimating guides to help customers, which increases our value to them.
To create interest, potential customers must know that you deliver results. Your "Bug 'Em 'Til They Buy Or Die" mailings should often show people delivering results. Remember customers don't care about:
- What you do
- What you have
- What you've done
Customers only care about themselves and what you will do for them.
