Making A List and Checking It Twice
Unfortunately, when it comes to direct mail (or cold call telemarketing, [shudder]) - many companies don’t check it even once.
I sometimes get sanity check calls from clients who’ve been tempted by list sellers. Thousands of “decision-makers!” “All the contact information!” - all for some low, low price (or not-so-low price. It’s “qualified” doncha know!)
Of course, we all know nothing good is ever easy. And, if it sounds too good to be true, it almost always is. So, here are some of the sanity check points re lists.
1. Before buying any list - what’s the purpose of the mailing or calling? Simply shotgunning out a lot of marketing bla-blah and hoping somebody will be interested is a waste of your money and the recipient’s time. (and, really, we’ve got enough paper glutting landfills now…)
2. Has the list really been qualified for your target? For example, while I’m the owner of my company, I’m decidedly not looking for a better method for testing for drug use in my employees (I keep getting a mailing on that one…something to do with saliva…)
3. What are you going to send them - and will they care? Let’s say the list is great, right what you need - now, what are you going to send those people? If the recipient doesn’t already know who you are, need what you’re selling…you might as well stand on top of a building and yell. For example, I’ve heard the rationale “I”ll make my money back if only five people sign up.” Guess what? Nobody signed up - because they’d never heard of the company…and the list was a completely cold one of “IT decision makers.”
4. Do you have time? Even if you’ve got the best list and a well-nigh irresistible offer - do you have time for it to work? It normally takes several “waves” of mailings before you get any real response volume. Do you have the time (and budget) to give the direct mail campaign time to yield results?
You could be better served spending the money talking to/doing something for the customers and “warm” contacts you already have.
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December 5th, 2007 at 8:27 am
Mary - Everyone’s always looking for that one miracle, aren’t they: the list that will change everything! I remain a believer in direct mail, but only if you have a really good list, a really compelling offer, the ability to do more than hit someone once - and (if the list is good and targeted) the willingness to follow up with a phone call.
I had one client that wanted to do direct mail, but only budgeted for a one-shot approach. When the results were predictably dismal, they were all “direct mail sucks”, “we’ll never do that again,” etc.
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