10% Response Rate on My Direct Mail Package YES :)

I never thought sending a letter through the mail and getting a phone call back could be this exciting. A few moments ago a little lady phoned me from Potchefstroom saying she wanted to see me and help her guesthouse get more guests. Awesome :)


The letter was one page long, sent via fastmail (it's a bit expensive now though R4.60 'n pop, eish). So the cost of the mailing was around R50 - I sent about 10 out and got an appointment. So the cost of the appointment is 50 bucks BUT I might get a client out of it. The client could very well spend many thousands of rands with me and give a great testimonial and referrals in the future. Damn I'm excited.


[I love direct mail for being so scale-able]


And if the numbers work out I could just take this mailing to another market and test it there. Oh about the copy of the mailing - I think what did the trick was a rappore hook. Let me explain.


I knew sending out just a plain salesletter without warming up to the person would plummet response. I felt it in my bones. So I put two letters in brackets at the end of the letter to indicate that we are familiar to each other (ever read that study that showed 80% of people married others closest to them? Something about "proximity"? I think it has huge business & marketing applications).


When she called we actually had a real easy conversation, because it felt like we were familiar to each other, like we knew each other already. Anyways, the letter was just 1 page long (so much for long copy) - with my main biggest benefit in the headline of the direct mail piece. Oh and another thing ...


Gary Halbert mentioned that these small post offices in a tiny town are the best to use for direct mail. And I'm finding that to be true. 


Anyways, direct marketing is such a fun way to generate leads (I've got a feeling that using direct mail for lead gen + in person follow up is a great way to sell high ticket items), man I can't wait to experiment more and give you (my dear reader) the findings, applications and TESTED KNOWLEDGE so you can go out there and make mucho fungolas for yourself.


Or something like that.


Arrivederci!