If you use direct mail to promote your company, writing a powerful sales letter is absolutely vital. So how do you write a sales letter than really gets the phone ringing?

Pitch to the right audience

Your product or service needs to match the needs of the recipient. It’s no good trying to sell your bespoke aluminium system to an installer who only deals in PVC-u.   Likewise, don’t send technical material to the sales manager, or fluffy sales material to an operations manager.   Target precisely and make it relevant to the reader.

Using a headline introduction

Use a powerful introduction headline to capture the readers attention so they read the first paragraph.  (Which has more impact: “A sales letter Richard Branson would be proud off” or “Writing a good sales letter”).

Use short paragraphs and be precise

Less is more. Get to the point and be clear and concise throughout, or you risk losing their interest.  Short, snappy paragraphs are always best.  And make it personal – Dear Mr Smith will always elicit a better response than “Dear Sir or Madam”.

Use simple words

You are not trying to impress the reader with your vocabulary.  Short, easily digestible words are better than long, impressive words.  This isn’t a technical data sheet, it’s a sales letter.

Focus on benefits

You may want to shout from the rooftops how good your new product is, but all the reader cares about is what it will do for them.  Talk about the benefits – will it make life easier for the customer, is it faster, better, cheaper? Will it improve sales or profit margins?  “This new window will reduce your heating bill by £325 per year” is better than “Our windows are fitted with the latest Low-E glass”.

Include a call to action

Every direct mail letter should include an all-important call to action, ideally with a deadline. Call before 4pm Monday. The call-to-action should direct people to your website, or to phone or email you for a specific reason – more information, book an appointment, request a brochure.   Let people know what to do, and some of them will do it. Don’t let them know, and nobody will do it!

Use testimonials

The best recommendation for your product or service comes from satisfied customers, so try to include a testimonial. If you delivered 20 composite doors at short notice to one of your trade customers, quoting your customer as “delighted with your service” can be very compelling.

Use the You word

I can talk all day about how great I am and how great my company and my products are, after all we are the number one in our industry.  Alternatively I can talk about you and your business and how you could increase your sales and increase your profit if you simply contacted me. You is the most powerful sales-word in the English language.  Since M&S (Marks & Spencer) became Your M&S the business has seen spectacular success.  Are you sold yet?

So there you have it.  By following these tips you should be well on your way to writing powerful sales letter that might even impress Richard Branson.  But if you don’t have the time or resources to do your own direct mail, Insight Data has a dedicated direct mail division, including highly experienced copy writers.  Call 01934 808293, follow us at www.twitter.com/insightdata or visit http://www.insightdata.co.uk/Directmail.htm

Posted by Insight Data’s marketing team. 

Insight Data is the UK’s leading provider of prospect data for the window, conservatory and building industry, with an in-house direct mail and email marketing division for customers who don’t have the time or resources to carry out database marketing themselves. www.insightdata.co.uk

Our thanks to www.asgmarketing.co.uk for supplying this article.

With direct mail proven to generate 10 to 20 times more response than other marketing why do so many companies still get the basics wrong? Below are the 7 Laws of Success that will make sure your direct mail campaign is a success and drives new business right to your door.

 1. Use data from an accurate up-to-date database – High quality data is the backbone of any direct mail campaign. Don’t use directories, online listings, or budget mailing lists – you’ll be wasting your money trying to contact companies who have moved, gone bust, or who are not relevant to your product/service. Investing in a prospect list that is accurate and up-to-date will pay for itself many times over.

2. Use a personalised, well written sales letter – A personlised letter is more likely to be opened by the recipient, giving you the few seconds needed to create an impact. However, if your grammar is poor or the copy doesn’t flow, the reader will simply bin the letter, wasting all your hard work. Even the layout of the letter is important. If it doesn’t look appealing to the eye it won’t be read.  See our article on writing a sales letter.

3. Use window envelopes – never use address labels -What is the first thing people think when receiving a letter addressed with a label? Junk mail. And the first thing they do? Throw it in the bin. Window envelopes look more professional and are much more likely to be opened by the intended recipient rather than their secretary – giving you a few vital seconds to create an impact.  

4. Produce a quality flyer/mailer with your USP – if you don’t give the reader a really good reason to contact you, guess what? They won’t!  Think carefully about the benefits your product/service offers and explain it clearly and precisely.  Then, turn this into a well-designed, well-written and high-impact flyer/mailer. 

5. Always include a ‘call-to-action’ – Good design and copy is essential to hook the readers interest in the first place. You then need to tell your reader what to do next – otherwise known as ‘call to action’.  For example – “Call now to get your free quote!” or “Visit our Website today and download our new order form!” If you don’t explicitly tell someone what to do, the chances are they won’t bother contacting you. 

6. Remember: Repetition creates Recognition – One or two mailers will create a response, but mailing regularly will keep you name where it needs to be – in front of your prospect.  And what happens when they need your particular type of product/service, or their current supplier lets them down?    Remember: Repetition creates Recognition.   Mail prospects monthly and you’ll quickly see your brand recognition – and enquiry levels – increase.

7. Monitor and analyse your response - Be sure to record your response rate and see which mailers give the best response.  Simply changing the headline or image can dramatically change the response rate.  So experiment and monitor the results – and keep tweaking it until you maximise your response rate!

Getting these Seven Laws right can transform your fortunes and potentially drive millions of pounds in business to your doorstep.  If you don’t have the time or resources to carry out regular direct mail in-house Insight Data has a dedicated direct mail division, visit http://www.insightdata.co.uk/Directmail.htm, email us on info@insightdata.co.uk or call 01934 808 293.

Insight Data Ltd

Insight Data is the UK’s leading supplier of prospect data for the window and conservatory industry, with an in-house direct mail and email marketing department for customers who don’t have the time or resources to carry our database marketing themselves. Visit www.insightdata.co.uk

Marketing e-mails are at risk of being blocked as spam because companies are not correctly managing their e-mail communications, according to a survey conducted by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) – the leading authority in direct marketing.

More than half of the businesses questioned admitted they did not restrict the amount of messages that can be sent in a given period, while a fifth of marketers interviewed are failing to remove email addresses from mailing list after they bounce back.

According to the DMA, this has “potentially catastrophic implications for their sender reputation” and could result in their Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) blocking their marketing messages as spam. With more companies using email as part of their overall marketing strategy, this needs to be urgently addressed.

So how can your business use e-marketing successfully and avoid spam filters?

Investing in dedicated email software and using it correctly is essential to avoid spam filters. If you send out bulk emails from the same email address or domain you could easily get blacklisted on the ISP’s blacklist register and your email blocked as spam.  

Here are some tips on choosing the right email software;

Stagger Sending

Use a software system that staggers bulk sending; so instead of 3,000 emails sent simultaneously it sends in bursts, thus reducing the risk of ISPs identifying large volume spam.

Spam Test

Choose a system that “spam” scores your email.  This technology uses the latest spam software to scan your email against know criteria and gives a spam score.  The word Essex for example (Es – sex) could increase your spam score and lots of “click here” hyperlinks can bump up your spam score.   Using spam-scoring software enables you to tweak your email and increase deliverability rates.

Inbox Test

Use software that provides “Inbox Testing”.  You may think your email looks great, but when it arrives in Hotmail, Gmail, Outlook 2003, Outlook 2007, AOL or Yahoo Mail it can look completely different.  Inbox testing allows you to preview how your email will look in all the major email clients before you send it – improving your response rate.

Have an Unsubscribe List

You must include an unsubscribe option, and be sure to remove any recipient from future mailings.  Failure to do so can result in penalties and the recipient can report you (this person is spamming me) which can result in your domain being added to blacklists.  Manage your unsubscribe list to ensure this doesn’t happen!

View in Browser

Many email clients – such as Outlook or Hotmail – will block images automatically, and recipients need to click to enable viewing of the full email.  However, if for whatever reason this doesn’t happen (an over-eager email client strips out the content), be sure to include a “view in browser” option whereby the recipient can click on a link to see the email in all its glory on their web browser.

Use accurate Data

Email data degrades at over 5% per month.  People move, change jobs, change email addresses or domains, and inevitable email addresses can be incorrect (.com rather than co.uk).  Be sure to update and refresh your email data list every time you send an email campaign.  

Track your results

Be sure to monitor your deliverability rates, email-opening rates, and click-through rates to your website or purposed designed microsite/landing page (created specifically for your email campaign). 

I don’t have the time or resources to do email marketing!

With over 150 billion emails recorded as spam every day, effective email marketing is a science. For this reason it is often outsourced to a specialist company to avoid the pitfalls outlined in this article.   Insight Data has a specialist email marketing division which uses its own world-class email marketing technology, MailMinx, along with a dedicated team of digital marketing experts.   What’s more, as the UK’s leading provider of prospect data for the window, conservatory and building industry we also hold and update over 50,000 email records.  For more information contact us on info@insightdata.co.uk, by telephone on 01934 808293 or visit http://www.insightdata.co.uk/Emarketing.htm

Okay, so 2009 was a tough year and you need a marketing strategy that delivers results for 2010 – quickly and cost effectively.  

In the first of a series of blogs, Andrew Scott, one of the industry’s leading marketing experts, runs through the 8 must-do’s you simply can’t afford to overlook.

1. Get the basics right!

Before investing a penny, consider how your business looks and reacts to customers. How quickly do you respond to enquiries and customer requests?   If a potential customer emails or faxes an enquiry, do you call them immediately to confirm you’ve received it?  If you pass an enquiry to the sales or estimating department and it takes a day to get back to the customer, you’re already lost some business before you start. 

People do business with people, not products. So be sure the people who answer the phone, talk to customers or deliver your products are warm, friendly and positively represent your company.  Delivery drivers spend more time with your customers than your sales people. What are they saying about your business?

Installation companies shouldn’t forget the basics either – clean, sign-written vans, installation boards, drop-cards around current installations, and customer testimonials are more important today than ever before. And when was the last time you reviewed your CRS (Customer Referral System)?

2. Overhaul your website

Over 80% of your potential customers will now check out your website before contacting you – but it’s the ones that look at your website and don’t contact you that you need to think about!  For some, a website is a portal between the customer and the company – a resource to find information, place orders, and download brochures.  For others, it is simply a shop window.  But consider carefully how your shop window really looks.

What if 20% of people who responded to your advertising or promotion didn’t take it any further because your website was poorly designed or out-of-date?  What if it was 40%, or 60%?   Take a long, hard look at your website.  Even better, ask your best customers to do it for you, and let them tell you want they like, and don’t like. 

Lets be clear – it doesn’t matter what you think, all that matters is what customers and potential customers think and how they respond.  Once you’ve refreshed and updated your website, don’t let it go stale.  Add news, stories, updates and downloads regularly. Insight Data has a full team of software and web developers – for advice and a review of your website email us: info@insightdata.co.uk

3. Plan your advertising

Press advertising improves your credibility as well as generating enquiries. Quality, well designed advertising planned ahead will dramatically improve your results. Think in terms of advertising campaigns with a clear objective, rather than randomly placed adverts.

Which newspapers or magazines should you consider?  Flick through the titles you are considering, contact some of the non-competing advertisers and ask their opinion. You’ll soon know which titles are well respected and read, and which ones aren’t.

Once you’ve selected your advertising medium, the key is simple: invest in good graphic design and good copy-writing.  The best newspapers and magazines won’t give you any response if you have a poorly designed advert.

4. Use the power of PR

PR is one of the most potent tools your business can use to build your brand and position your business in the minds of customers.  Developing a medium and long-term PR plan will dramatically enhance your company’s image and perception.

It is not, however, a magic chalice. On its own, it will not drive new business. But combine it with other marketing activities and you will see both the quality and quantity of business increase.  Your potential customers are more likely to deal with you if they believe you have an established reputation in the marketplace.

5. Create leads from Direct Mail

To generate immediate response, there is no better method than direct mail. It’s personal, exclusive and demands attention.  A mailshot sent out today can result in new business tomorrow.

However, a lot of direct mail ends up as junk mail.  Poorly designed flyers, labels instead of personalised letters and inaccurate contacts will all lead to your hard work ending up in the bin.  And even worse, sending mailshots to contacts who have moved, gone bankrupt or even deceased.  So invest in quality, up-to-date data, think about the style/design of your mailer, personalise it and watch your direct mail response double or triple. Insight Data has a dedicated direct mail division. If you need more information visit http://www.insightdata.co.uk/Directmail.htm

6. Use Email to communicate

Email offers a low-cost solution to marketing, but with 150 billion spam emails sent every day, you need to think carefully about your email strategy. Spam filters, junk folders and the sheer volume of emails we receive means your email campaign can easily get overlooked.

Email is an excellent tool to communicate regularly with customers and newsletter subscribers, but as a tool to generate new business you will only have a split second to generate interest then it’s gone forever. People don’t want to read long, exhaustive emails so keep it short, sharp, high-impact and use it as a tool to compliment other marketing activity rather than a stand-alone lead generator. And remember, email data degrades at 5% to 10% per month, so it’s vital you keep your email list up-to-date.  Insight Data has a dedicated email marketing division and holds data on over 50,000 contacts related to the window industry. For more information visit http://www.insightdata.co.uk/Emarketing.htm

7. Invest in your database

Always use a database to record, manage and update prospects and customers.  Just because a prospect says “no” today, doesn’t mean they will say no in six months.  So record their details and stay in touch with them.  New technology means sales and marketing people can easily manage databases from home or office with little or no I.T or database experience.  Insight Data has launched the worlds first online database for the window industry with prospect data already built-in and updated live in real time. Visit http://www.insightdata.co.uk/Salestracker.htm

8. Train your people

A company is only as good as the people within it.  Better trained, multi-skilled and well motivated workforce can be the difference between a very successful company and a failure.  As customers become more difficult to convert, sales training has got to be an ongoing priority in your business.

Conclusion

Getting your marketing strategy right is the difference between an average company and a highly successful one. At Insight Data, we are experts at putting together powerful data-driven marketing strategies that will generate results. For more information please visit www.insightdata.co.uk, email us at info@insightdata.co.uk or call 01934 808 293.

Excitement builds as Insight Data announce the launch of the new Salestracker

After a year of development the wait is finally over. Insight Data has announced the launch of their new online fabricator and installer prospect database, turning the future of lead generation and prospect management on its head.

“We launched SalesTracker, the first ever online prospect database for the window industry 12 months ago and immediately started developing the next generation. The power of the new system is immense” emphasises Insight’s Commercial Director Helen Costeloe-Hughes. “We have packed it with innovative features that will revolutionise the way companies win new business.”

SalesTracker contains detailed information on over 14,000 window, door and conservatory fabricators and installers updated live in real-time. Users access the database simply by going online, there is no software to install or complicated updates.

New features on the system include the innovative List Builder, a powerful campaign management tool that allows clients to create and save search results and instantly produce mailing lists, email lists and contact follow-up lists for sales people, while a new scrolling function makes it faster and easier for telesales people to use. Any number of lists can be created and notes added simultaneously to all records on the list.  Users can then refer back to individual campaigns for follow-up.

Other features include a Hot List that allows users to monitor individual contacts on the database and Insight Data will notify of any changes, such as change of management or address.  “Of course, any prospect database is only as good as the data within it” explains Data Manager David Lewis; “Insight is the only database provider with an in-house telephone research centre and advanced VOIP telephone system to make over 150,000 calls per year, to ensure our clients have the most accurate information in real-time. But there’s no point having a prospect database if you can’t use it properly, which is why we have continued to invest not only in research, but in the technology and software too.”

Insight already has over 200 users on the database, but the new version is expected to see this number increase.  One of the key developments on new SalesTracker is Apps.  Clients can choose from additional applications to the system depending on their business needs, for example, a built-in credit referencing app or a map-marketing app. Apps are also in development for iPhones, Blackberrys and other mobile phones such as GPRS perimeter tracking “how many hot prospects are within 5 miles of my location”.

Helen Costeloe-Hughes adds; “prospecting is more than just data. It’s a process of generating leads, managing the sales process and converting to customers.  Salestracker combines the best of both worlds – accurate, detailed prospect data of over 13,000 fabricators and installers, along with the tools to help clients convert them to customers.”

For more information on the Insight database or SalesTracker, visit www.insightdata.co.uk or call 01934 808293.