Greetings Floor Dealers!
FLOOR DEALER: Our prospects throw away our mailers without opening them.
JIM: Put a sample-packet of aspirin in the envelope next time.
FLOOR DEALER: A what???
How many times have you pulled a big stack of mail out of your mailbox and stood next to the trash can, putting your bills and letters in one pile, but throwing away the junk mail? (Or notices from the IRS.) Well make no mistake: if you’re doing direct mail, your potential customers are doing the exact same thing with your mailers.
The truth is there is enormous waste in most direct mail campaigns. Studies show that on average 60% of direct mail gets thrown out unopened! Because of this, big corporations do “traditional” direct mail campaigns with response rates in the fractions of one percent. As a small business owner, you cannot afford this waste. Yet when most dealers do a direct mail campaign (or advertising of any kind) they usually try to copy these “traditional” methods, resulting in a ton of wasted cash.
(TIP: If you’re going to waste money, don’t do it on “traditional” advertising. Instead, scoop your cash into a big pile, set it on fire, and toast marshmallows. This way you’ll at least get some productive use out of your money.)
I teach dealers 17 strategies that virtually guarantee your direct mail gets opened and your message seen. Here’s one that you can put to use immediately:
Strategy #6 out of 17 for getting your mailers opened: Three-Dimensional Mail
Imagine you’re sorting your mail over the trash, tossing out the junk mail, when you come across an envelope that has something thick and lumpy in it. Are you going to toss it out without at least finding out what’s inside? Most likely not. Neither are your prospects.
What should you put in the envelope to make it lumpy? All kinds of things. For example, my Flooring Success Systems members use my “Lifesaver Letter” which is mailed out with a pack of Lifesaver candies inside. The headline of the letter says “Do You Need A ‘Lifesaver’ To Help You Navigate The Turbulent Waters Of Buying New Floors?”
Another letter contains a small rubber brain. The headline says “Here’s An Offer That’s A No-Brainer!”
We have used dice, toy bugs, packets of aspirin, and other items with fantastic success. My “Shock-And-Awe” campaign uses a series of dimensional mailers sent to prospects who have visited the dealer’s store, but didn’t make a purchase. This campaign has had phenomenal success in large part because of the dimensional aspect. One dealer used this campaign to land a $20,000 commercial flooring job even though he was the highest bidder.
Dealers using these strategies have reported great feedback from people receiving these mailers. They give your prospects a smile and brighten their day. It creates an instant connection and makes the dealer seem like a real, live person with a sense of humor. (Remember, people want to do business with people, not impersonal corporations.)
Tips when using this strategy: 1) You must connect your marketing message to the object inside the envelope. If you include a toy car in your letter with no explanation, your prospects will get confused. 2) Dimensional mailers can cost more to send out than regular mailers, so you want to use a carefully-targeted list when using this method.
With this strategy, you can guarantee that virtually 100% of your mailers get opened. Now you’ve got to make sure your marketing message gets read, and that’s what I’ll cover in the next installment.
To Tons Of Customers!
Jim Augustus Armstrong is The “Coach”
Jim Augustus Armstrong is the President of Flooring Success Systems, a program that equips dealers to double their profits, cut their work hours in half and beat the boxes! Many dealers have totally transformed their businesses and their lives for the better after joining Flooring Success Systems.
See what real, live dealers are saying!